Bruce Feldman : Top 10 WR Units

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Calvin Ridley did an impressive job of picking up where fellow South Florida stud Amari Cooper left off in Tuscaloosa, grabbing 89 passes as a true freshman for 1,045 yards, breaking Cooper’s school record. He’s very fast -- although Robert Foster is considered the Tide’s fastest receiver -- but Ridley has a terrific burst and the ability to separate, making him such a hard cover. He’s the kind of weapon OC Lane Kiffin loves to exploit. ArDarius Stewart, the team’s No. 2 wideout, is a physical presence at 6-1, 205 and had 31 of his 63 catches go for first downs or TDs last year. The 6-2, 190-pound Foster had 10 catches in three games before suffering a season-ending injury, but he’s back as is 6-5, 210-pound junior Cam Sims, who is back after tearing up his knee. Both are intriguing talents for WR coach Billy Napier to develop.

This group also got a major boost when Bowling Green star Gehrig Dieter, an agile 6-2, 213-pounder grad transfer from the MAC showed up. He caught 94 passes for 1,033 yards and 10 TDs last year. Dieter is strong, has sure hands and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He should be a great addition for whoever is the new Tide QB. The Tide also is loaded at tight end. Just ask Clemson how dangerous 6-6 O.J. Howard is. He was the star of the national title game for Bama. Behind him Hale Hentges is a terrific blocker at the line and keep an eye on young Miller Forristall, a 6-5, 235-pound former QB who runs 4.7 and has lots of promise.

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Trevor Knight inherits a very talented group that starts with fantastic sophomore Christian Kirk, who caught 80 passes for over 1,000 yards as a true freshman. Kirk is strong, quick and very mature. Coaches rave about his character and have said he approaches the game like a pro and has from the moment he first showed up. Lanky Josh Reynolds, a fast 6-4 former JC transfer, had 907 receiving yards last season on 51 catches while 6-5, 240-pound Ricky Seals-Jones is another big target. Seals-Jones doesn’t have great separation, but he’s very solid.

Speedy Noil, another former blue-chipper, may be the most talented of the group in terms of his explosiveness and ball skills, but he’s struggled with maturity issues. Damion Ratley, a 6-1 JC transfer, has plenty of ability but needs to be much more consistent. Skinny Ed Pope and Jeremy Tabuyo are a pair of experienced reserves who have had their moments and seem like they’ve been around in College Station since the R.C. Slocum era.

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The Rebels lost elite WR Laquon Treadwell and productive receiver Cody Core to the NFL, but they still have four proven targets who each caught over 30 passes last season for Chad Kelly to count on in 2016. Evan Engram is a stretch-the-field tight end who's made a bunch of big plays in big games. Quincy Adeboyejo (38 catches for 604 yards and seven TDs) has terrific speed to go with good size but needs more consistency for this team to be Top 5 caliber. Damore’ea Stringfellow can excel at making catches in traffic (a la Treadwell) but also needs to step up and prove it.

Van Jefferson is a redshirt freshman the Rebels are very excited about. He gets in and out of breaks better than anybody Ole Miss has had in awhile, and at 6-2, 190, he’s fast and long and can be difference-maker. DaMarkus Lodge, a 6-2 former blue-chip recruit, should provide a lot of big plays during his career in Oxford. Markell Pack (24 catches) is an effective slot receiver who also figures to get more focus. One other guy to keep an eye on: A.J. Brown, a 6-1, 220-pound top recruit plucked out of MSU’s backyard in Starkville. Coaches say he has ball skills and is physical like Treadwell and is probably a bit faster.

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