Partners in flight: Ranking the SEC's top 10 QB-receiver duos
With defenses often reeling and several SEC quarterbacks coming into their own this season, we’ve seen some borderline-ridiculous numbers through the air at times.
The QB has more built-in advantages than ever — run-pass option schemes, draconian defensive rules, etc. — but a quarterback still looks only as good as his receiving targets allow him to. Luckily, this league continues to be chock full of capable hands there, too.
Now that we’re more than halfway through the schedule, we took a look at the SEC’s top passer-receiver partnerships. In what will surely go down in history as the Kyle Pitts Rule, tight ends and H-backs were eligible for consideration. Quarterbacks are allowed to make the list more than once.
Injuries obviously impacted the rankings. LSU’s Myles Brennan and Terrace Marshall would have been ranked, for instance. They teamed up for 7 TD receptions in the first 3 games, but Brennan’s status moving forward from a serious abdominal injury is unknown. That’s why Mac Jones and Jaylen Waddle aren’t ranked as combo, either.
Agree? Disagree? Just want to vent about something that may or may not be related? Group discussion is always welcome in the comments.
And with that …
10. KJ Costello and Osirus Mitchell, Mississippi State
It’s pretty amazing a quarterback can rank 4th in passing yards per game in this conference while his team is dead last in its division. But that’s coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense for you. Mitchell has been Costello’s top receiver, catching 26 passes for 336 yards and 3 touchdowns.
9. Collin Hill and Shi Smith, South Carolina
Smith has been a rare bright spot for a team that just fired its head coach in the midst of a pandemic. His 53 catches are 3rd in the conference and have helped Hill to a serviceable season after transferring from Colorado State. Granted, this combo has more to do with Smith.
8. Kellen Mond and Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M
The jury was out on Mond coming into the season, but that’s no longer the case. His 244 yards per game rank 4th in the SEC, and Wydermyer (28 catches, 311 yards) is a big reason for the success. (Combo RB/receiver Ainias Smith also deserves credit with 26 receptions.)
7. Bo Nix and Seth Williams, Auburn
Yes, Nix has flaws. So do the Tigers. But his connection with Williams is undeniable — 28 catches, 511 yards and over 18 yards per reception. Williams has been fun to watch. The lone knock? Williams only has 3 TD catches.
6. Feleipe Franks and Treylon Burks, Arkansas
One of the feel-good stories of SEC football in 2020 has been the Razorbacks’ pluckiness. Franks and Burks define it, combining for 34 connections and 5 touchdowns. Franks is completing 68% of his passes (5th in the SEC) and has 16 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions.
5. Matt Corral and Kenny Yeboah, Ole Miss
Pitts isn’t the only tight end making waves in the SEC this season. Yeboah has benefited greatly from Lane Kiffin’s offense, lining up all over formations and finding seams left and right. And Corral has benefited from Yeboah, who has caught 25 passes for 509 yards and 6 touchdowns.
4. Mac Jones and John Metchie III, Alabama
The loss of Jaylen Waddle, who surely would have made this list if he were healthy, has only revealed just how talented Bama is at wideout this year. Metchie has caught just 24 passes, but it seems like every one of has a sizeable impact. His 86.2 yards per game are 5th in the league. And he’s 2nd to Waddle in yards per catch at 21.54. Call him Steady Metchie.
3. Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Jones leads the league and ranks 3rd nationally in passer rating (210.32) and yards per game (396.3). Smith has been his favorite target in Waddle’s absence, catching 56 passes for 126.5 yards per game (both 5th in FBS and 2nd in the SEC). Smith has 8 TD catches, too, tied for 2nd in the SEC. Like most things with the Crimson Tide, their dominance isn’t complicated. Just thorough.
2. Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts, Florida
The Kyles Connection can’t be overstated, and it goes beyond Pitts’ 24 catches and 8 touchdowns. Defenses have to game plan around the 6-6, 246-pound tight end, which has opened up all kinds of windows for Trask to show off his arm. Trask ranks a tad behind Jones in most national passing categories, and an SEC Championship Game matchup between those two would be phenomenal — and potentially decide the Heisman.
1. Matt Corral and Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
In some ways, Ole Miss is the new Oregon — if they’re on TV, you at least stop to see if they have the ball and what they might do next on offense. Chances are, it’ll involve Corral finding the elusive, athletic Moore, the nation’s top receiver with 74 catches and over 1,000 yards (to go with 8 TDs) — in just 7 games. Corral leads the SEC in passing yards with 2,359. Sure, he’s played 1 more game than Trask or Jones, but he might be the most electric of the trio.
How is players with 50 plus catches behind players with their catch totals in the 20s? You would think players with More targets we be the better duos…
When I read the comments from you and Joe Marks I thought surely there should be a UGA comment on here because the Bullpuppies have the biggest egos of all. Sure enough, I get farther down and USMCDawg is tossing out SBIV. Personally, the list looks pretty solid to me.
Well the duo at number 9 has more connections and yards then half the list…
If we’re talking duo’s you would think something like that would be used in determining their ranking.
Seems like you didn’t understand his post. He said SBIV and the defensive line should’ve been on the list. He was poking fun at Stetson and UGA’s inept passing game.
You should read his comment again. Slowly, left to right. Ask an adult for help with any words you can’t clap out.
Bama fans can’t stand seeing their players ranked below anyone. No one can possibly be better than any of them, it’s hilarious!
I’m actually talking about Hill and Smith being 9th…. It’s ok though. I don’t expect you to know what you’re talking about..
Not a legit list unless youve got Guarantano and other teams defense imho
Big facts
Dang I spit my coffee when I read that… ruthless…
How about Stetson Bennet to defensive line?
That’s number 0
I read the headline as this being an all time list at first and got very confused when I saw Collin hill’s name immediately
I read it the same way and immediately thought that Reaves to Alvarez and Sullivan to Beasley had to be one-two or two-one.
Matt Corral to Hudson Clark
It’s Pitts and Trask for me followed by Jones and Smith.
Sure Corral leads the SEC in passing but he is also 2nd in interceptions with 9 in 7 games. Auburn shut down Moore with 5 catches and 16 yards. Smith and Pitts haven’t had any of those type of games this year.
Pitts just had two catches against UGA.
I’m assuming you’re a troll who isn’t clever enough to actually be funny or you just look at stats and don’t watch games.
Well, well, so you call people names for giving facts. Interesting.
and your assumptions are 100% wrong in all respects by the way.
Ruff… Facts is not something we use here. Only something hypothetical gets a pass.
Ok, thanks BT. Then I have to say it: Costello to Witherspoon should be the number one duo on the list.
He also had 59 yards and a touchdown and didn’t play for 2.5 quarters of that game but go off..
Most of the 59 was on one play and Moore had a touchdown in the game that you criticized him for just having five receptions in. Yes, you can limit any receiver if you concentrate overly on him, but then the offense goes off for 283 yards. Incidentally, Moore’s five receptions were on six targets. They didn’t throw much to him because something else was available and working. That doesn’t reflect on his talent. He had a big impact on that game because he is such a threat that eyes were on him that should have been elsewhere.
“283 yard rushing”.
Auburn played zone vs OM and limited the big play. That’s why Corral had a 5.7 yard per attempt where his avg is 10.9. The passing game was limited all around vs Auburn for OM. They had success rushing only because Auburn dropped 7 most of the time. They didn’t throw to him because he wasn’t open. They used check downs and hitch routes. Aside from a pass for 60 yards on a busted coverage wheel route there was nothing..
I didn’t say it reflected on his talent, he’s a good player. I would just take Smith/Jones and Pitts/Trask over Moore/Corral.
Just to be clear, I was not criticizing your rearrangement of the list. All three duos are amazing and justifications for putting any of them on top can be made. I was just criticizing you for saying that Auburn “shut down” Moore and he “just had five catches” and then saying that hadn’t happened for the others. They all have had games where the QB wasn’t looking their way much because something else was working. That’s part of this chess game with pads that we enjoy.
But see Corral was looking at Moore, it just wasn’t open. Nothing was open. That’s why they rushed for so much and yards per attempt was low. And Smith and Pitts worst games were still way ahead of Moore’s.
But like you said any of the 3 can be moved around in some order. All are good players.
I haven’t looked but I thought Ole Miss averaged almost 6yards per attempt on the ground against Auburn…. Is that a low YPA?
YPA for passing was low..
AH ok.. I linked it with the rushing comment. My bad..
That depends on what metrics you consider important in measuring their “worst game”. By your metrics, you might say that moore’s “worst game” was worse than either of the other two but then wouldn’t you also have to say that moore’s “best game” was better than either of the other two? In fact, with those definitions of “worst game” you’d have to say that moore had TWO games “better” than pitts’ or smith’s “best game”. They are all good answers which is why your opinion is valid, just be aware that it isn’t the only valid opinion.
It doesn’t say much for Auburn’s coaching if they dropped 7 against the top rushing offense in the SEC. I guess that they’re lucky that Ole Miss’s defense is so poor so they won anyway.
Oh I know my opinion isn’t “right” and people can agree or disagree with it and have their own. But you could easily make the argument that Moore has had better games than Pitts and Smith. No question about it. But looking at the entire body of work, who they’ve played AND their QB (because it is a duo and not just the receiver/TE) I just think Pitts/Trask and Smith/Jones are better duos.
Keeping everything is front was the goal. Nothing gets behind you. Same thing they did against LSU last year and limited them to 23 points when they averaged 48. Ole Miss averages 41 and scored 28.
Elijah leads the country, not the SEC, the COUNTRY, in receptions and receiving yards. The Auburn game was his only game under 10 catches. He has at least 10 catches in 6 of 7 games and a touchdown in 5 of 7 games. Smith has under 10 catches in 3 of his 6 games while Pitts has under 10 catches in ALL of his games! Elijah has more than double receiving yards than Pitts on the season.
This also isn’t about QB efficiency. Yes, Corral has 9 INTs but 6 of those were in one game.
The best QB and WR due is Corral and Moore and it’s not close.
I would still take Pitts/Trask and Smith/Jones over Moore/Corral.
On what basis would you put them ahead? Because they play on better teams?
That’s fine. Your opinion is as valid as anyone else’s. They are all awesome and the only way to criticize someone else’s opinion is if they give a ridiculous one like “Costello to Witherspoon should be number one”.
Because I think they are better duos.
Yes, that is your opinion and it isn’t a radically obscure one. It has some validity as does Mr. Ervin’s.
I agree with you there, those stats are huge. Pitts is a freak at TE, but Moore is uncoverable right now.
They play different positions and have different skill sets. That’s my big beef with player ranking lists. How do you compare two players at two different positions with totally different skill sets in different offense schemes? I’d rather just sit and enjoy the greatness than try to decide who is better than the other.
I don’t dude, Moore has 74 catches, that’s ridiculous in a full season. I think top 2 are right, Bama is hard because he spreads the ball around so much.
The amazing thing to me about both Pitts and Moore is the high ratio of catches to targets. Targets is a stat that needs to be tracked more. A receiver that has 7 receptions in a game may have been targeted 14 times or he may have just been targets 7 times. The thing about those two is that if you throw the ball in their direction, it is almost a sure thing that they will catch it.
Fair but that’s a two man stat. Depends on QB who throws a good ball and made a good decision (is it in double coverage?).
No single stat tells the entire story. As far as double coverage goes, I’m not so sure that it is a bad decision to throw to either of those two in double coverage (a little tongue in cheek, but these guys are tough to cover with just two defenders).