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Texas A&M may have taken a huge step back in the SEC West standings following back to back losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, but Kevin Sumlin’s passing offense hasn’t regressed one bit.
The Aggies are still the No. 1 passing offense in the SEC, averaging 396 yards per game through the air, and they still own the SEC’s No. 1 scoring offense by averaging 43.9 points per game in 2014.
Texas A&M is loaded at wide receiver, and it has five guys who would have the chance to compete for the No. 1 job on any other SEC team. The Aggies have made use of all five players, but it begs the question: Who is Texas A&M’s No. 1 receiver?
We break down all five contenders and decide who should be No. 1 entering the second half of the season.
TEXAS A&M NO. 1 WIDEOUT
Players involved: Malcome Kennedy, Josh Reynolds, Edward Pope, Ricky Seals-Jones, Speedy Noil
Who will probably start: Kennedy
Who should start: Reynolds
Texas A&M has five receivers in the top 13 in the SEC in receiving yards this season, and all five have averaged at least 57 yards per game through the air. Sure, those wideouts get plenty of opportunities to make plays in a pass-happy spread offense, but for five different players to average more than 50 yards per game through the air in the same offense is indicative of incredible talent across the board.
Just because a team throws the ball often doesn’t necessarily mean it completes a lot of passes. The Aggies, however, do complete a lot of passes, and for a lot of yards, and to a lot of different receivers. All five players are capable of being the guy in the offense, but obviously there can be only one the guy.
Reynolds deserves to be that guy. He has been the team’s most dynamic threat in the passing game this year, matching consistency with incredible explosiveness to help carry the Aggies offense. He leads the team in yards with 476 in seven games, and in touchdowns with 8 on the year. Furthermore, he has proven to be Texas A&M’s best big-play receiver, hauling in three receptions of 40 or more yards to lead the team so far in 2014.
When A&M has needed a big play, Reynolds has been the man to deliver it. In its thrilling come from behind win over Arkansas in the Southwest Classic, Reynolds was the man to catch the game-tying touchdown late in regulation, a 59-yarder in which Reynolds did most of the work after the catch.
Other players are obviously worthy of consideration, but, ultimately, none are more deserving of the No. 1 spot than Reynolds.
Another name that comes to mind is Kennedy, considered by many to be the most talented wideout on the team. He has all the makings of a top wideout, but his durability is questionable. Kennedy missed last week’s loss to Ole Miss due to a shoulder injury, marking the second game he’s missed already this season. Reynolds has stepped up in a big way in Kennedy’s absence, and although Kennedy should return this week for a tough road test against Alabama, it’s Reynolds who now commands Kenny Hill’s initial read out of the spread formation.
Seals-Jones and Noil will both have their days as top wideouts in the offense, but for now the pair of dynamic freshmen will have to settle for their roles as complementary pieces in the passing game. Both have impressive numbers, and both have made a handful of incredible catches throughout the year, but neither has been as complete a weapon on a down by down basis as Reynolds and Kennedy have this year.
Seals-Jones is primarily a possession receiver serving as a checkdown option underneath on most plays. Noil has done most of his work as a return man, although he made a few tremendous grabs during A&M’s two-game skid.
Pope has been a huge asset to the team, but he is a true boom-or-bust player at this point in his career. He always presents a scoring threat no matter where the offense is on the field, but if he’s not catching 80-yard touchdowns he’s usually not doing much of anything. He has a chance to develop into a No. 1 option down the line, but for now he is more of a complementary piece like Seals-Jones and Noil.
Reynolds and Kennedy are a cut above the rest, and Reynolds earns the ultimate nod due to his consistency, especially in Kennedy’s absence. Top wideouts need to be available to make plays against any defense in any situation. Reynolds has proven he is up to the task, and if Kennedy can stay healthy the two of them still have a chance to lead an A&M turnaround in the second half of the year.
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.
