For those that don’t live and breathe college football on a daily basis, A.J. Brown may not be the first name that comes to mind when considering the nation’s best receiver. However, it’s no longer just fans from Oxford and the deep South that sing the praises of the rising junior.

Coming off his breakout true sophomore season, the Starkville native registered 75 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Rebels last season, Brown is poised to be one of the nation’s most dominant weapons in 2018. With one more big season, Brown very well could be the first receiver taken in the 2019 NFL Draft but before that happens, he’s got at least one more season in Oxford to show how special he can be for Ole Miss.

In a recent ESPN.com column, seven college football writers were asked to name one receiver that they believe to be the nation’s best returning in 2018. Of the seven writers polled, four named Brown as their selection. No other receiver had more than a single vote.

That’s a ton of respect for the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Rebel receiver but goes to show why so many have faith in Jordan Ta’amu to produce in his first season as the starting quarterback in Oxford following Shea Patterson’s transfer to Michigan. With Brown, D.K. Metcalf, DeMarkus Lodge and Dawson Knox all returning for 2018, the Rebel receiving corp takes a backseat to no unit in the SEC and very well could be the nation’s best receiving corp in 2018.