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SEC Week 11 Position Battle: Laquon Treadwell’s replacement
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Ole Miss officially lost No. 1 wideout Laquon Treadwell for the rest of the season after it was announced Sunday he had surgery to repair a dislocated ankle and a broken leg following a gruesome tackle in Saturday’s loss to Auburn.
Treadwell was far and away the most productive target in the Ole Miss passing game, and he’ll leave some big shoes to be filled by one of the Rebels’ other athletic wideouts on the roster.
Who will step in and produce in Treadwell’s absence? Let’s find out.
OLE MISS No. 1 WIDEOUT
Players involved: Cody Core, Vince Sanders
Who will probably start: Cody Core
Who should start: Vince Sanders
Core and Sanders appear to be the two most realistic contenders to replace Treadwell as the No. 1 target on offense for the rest of the year. Both players are every-down players like Treadwell was, and that’s something no other wideout on the team can claim. The only other player on the team with more than 13 catches in nine games is tight end Evan Engram, who has proven himself to be explosive but inconsistent this season.
Upon narrowing the field of competitors to just Core, a junior, and Sanders, a senior, the debate becomes much more difficult. Both have been productive secondary options this season, as is reflected in their stats:
- Core — 29 catches, 415 yards, 5 touchdowns
- Sanders — 33 catches, 536 yards, four touchdowns
And both players bring different but equally valuable skill sets to the field. Core is a 6-foot-3 gazelle with great length, speed to burn and great leaping abilities as far as jump balls are concerned. Sanders is not quite as long, but he’s fast, a skilled route runner and a savvy veteran who knows how to attack an SEC secondary.
When push comes to shove, Sanders earns the nod over Core due to the magnitude of the Rebels’ final three regular season games. Ole Miss plays Presbyterian this week and is off next week, but it ends the season with a road game at Arkansas followed by its annual showdown with Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. If Ole Miss can win those two games it will almost certainly receive a New Year’s Day bowl berth, which would be a huge step forward for a program feeling like it missed its chance to cash in on this season.
The Rebels can still cash in by winning out, and in order to win out they’ll need to rely on their veterans. That includes Sanders, who had 60 catches in 2012-13 and understands the magnitude of an SEC West battle, especially one the caliber of this year’s Egg Bowl. Core may be a junior, but he had just five career catches for 95 yards before this season.
Let’s not forget how reliant the Ole Miss offense is on its aerial attack. The Rebels have run the ball the fifth-fewest times of any team in the SEC, and the fewest among the SEC’s ranked teams. Ole Miss is going to continue to air the ball out a lot, even in Treadwell’s absence, so it is vital Hugh Freeze and his staff choose a player they can trust to be their No. 1 wideout. Core may be a better natural athlete, but Sanders is the trustworthy option.
Sanders and quarterback Bo Wallace have played in 35 games together since the start of the 2012 campaign, and they’re timing will be invaluable down the stretch this season. Core is still a dynamic weapon who will see the field often, but Sanders should become the guy in the passing game thanks to his history with Wallace.
Ole Miss may try and work a number of wideouts into this week’s gameplan for lowly Presbyterian, including Engram, sophomore Quincy Adeboyejo and freshman Markell Pack, so we might not find out who Treadwell’s replacement is until the Rebels’ game in Arkansas on Nov. 22. The coaches will do plenty of evaluation between now and then, but ultimately Sanders should be the new No. 1 option on offense.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
