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Each week, Saturday Down South will break down the SEC’s top wide receivers, ranking the top five and shouting out the next five guys in line. These rankings are a combination of numbers and their impact on the game, taking into consideration things like first down conversions, timeliness of catches and importance to their team’s offense.
- Amari Cooper, Alabama: A subpar (for him) game against Ole Miss does nothing to damage Cooper’s status as the best receiver in the SEC and the country. If anything, the way Cooper finished the game shows just how unstoppable he is. Mississippi had limited him to 8 catches for 61 yards through the first 56 or so minutes of the game, but Blake Sims found his star late and Cooper sprinted for a 30-yard gain that gave his team a chance to win.
- Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss: Treadwell wasn’t Ole Miss’ leading receiver against Alabama, but his touchdown that sparked their comeback showed just how much of a force he can be. The sophomore used his body to block out Alabama cornerback Tony Brown, brought the pass in, and then tore away form two defenders to get into the end zone. Expect a lot more of that as Treadwell gains experience.
- Sammie Coates, Auburn: It took five games for him to shake off the injury bug, but Coates finally looks to be at full strength. That’s bad news for opposing defenses. He showed just how healthy he was when he went up for a jump ball with an LSU corner and ripped it away, taking in a 56-yard touchdown. Paired with D’haquille Williams, Nick Marshall might have the scariest receiver duo in the conference.
- De’Runnya Wilson, Mississippi State: With Dak Prescott’s usual go-to receiver Jameon Lewis out, Wilson showed what a force he can be. He made some physically impressive plays against Texas A&M, and showed that he can be more than a jump ball receiver and used his hands and body very well.
- Speedy Noil, Texas A&M: The Aggies receivers didn’t have the best day, with multiple drops and tipped balls, but Speedy’s ridiculous athleticism down by the goal line earns him the nod here. It might have been a little unnecessary considering the margin, but the Cam Newton-style Superman celebration was pretty fitting considering the leaping catch that preceded it. Noil is still coming back from injury, but is one of the best athletes out wide in the conference and scored 2 TD on Saturday. For A&M to recover the loss to Mississippi State, he’ll need to continue to be a difference maker.
The next five: D’Haquille Williams, Auburn; Travin Dural, LSU; Bud Sasser, Missouri; Jameon Lewis, Mississippi State; Marquez North, Tennessee
A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football.