SEC Football Q&A: Who Will Have the Best WR Corps in the SEC?
Spring practice is kicking off. Pads will soon be popping, and the quest to unseat two-time SEC champion Alabama from its perch atop the conference starts in March all around the Southeast.
The only conference team to topple the Crimson Tide over the previous two seasons is Ole Miss, which lost star wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and NFL Scouting Combine sensation Cody Core.
But how much does that matter? Will Ole Miss have the best wide receiving corps in the SEC in 2016, or will another group step up to the big-boy table?
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That question and more will be answered in this week's edition of SEC Q&A.
"@BarrettSallee with spring practice coming up can @OleMissFB have the best wr group in the sec next year
— Bradley Barton (@DuckmanBarton) February 29, 2016"
I'll be honest: I know exactly what this question will look like to the outside world.
"My goodness, how can Ole Miss possibly have the best wide receiving corps in the SEC without Laquon Treadwell?"
Because of head coach Hugh Freeze, his recruiting efforts, his system and how star quarterback Chad Kelly puts his receivers in positions to shine.
The cupboard isn't bare in Oxford. In fact, it's far from it.
Quincy Adeboyejo has plenty of experience (604 yards and seven touchdowns in 2015). Damore'ea Stringfellow is a 6'2", 220-pounder who, from a size perspective, is as close to a Treadwell clone as there is. Markell Pack is a burner with plenty of experience. Plus, young receivers like Damarkus Lodge, Van Jefferson, D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Brown and Tre Nixon all provide depth and options.
It's possible Ole Miss can get there, but I'll go the safe route and tab Texas A&M as the best group of wide receivers in the conference.
Christian Kirk burst onto the scene with 80 catches for 1,009 yards and seven touchdowns as a true freshman in 2015, leading veteran Josh Reynolds (907 yards, five touchdowns), Ricky Seals-Jones (560 yards, four touchdowns) and Speedy Noil (226 yards and two touchdowns).
From a raw-talent perspective, this group is far and away the best wide receiver unit in the conference and would rival any group in the country.
The one holdup is the inconsistency A&M's quarterbacks have shown over the last couple of years, which actually held this group back tremendously last year. Despite that, head coach Kevin Sumlin still produced a 1,000-yard receiver, and Reynolds topped the 800-yard mark for the second straight season.
If Sumlin can find some stability at the quarterback position—either Trevor Knight or Jake Hubenak—this wide receiving group has everything it takes to be the best in the conference and the entire country.
"@BarrettSallee what does Auburn need to do to be a legit contender for the west
— Naaman Smith (@auburn__tiger) February 23, 2016"
It's a simple concept, but it boils down to one thing for head coach Gus Malzahn: pick the right quarterback.
Everything else is set for Auburn. The defensive line is deep and talented. The running back corps is loaded with Jovon Robinson, Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson. They landed a huge graduate transfer in T.J. Neal and have a secondary led by potential All-SEC players Carlton Davis and Tray Matthews.
None of it matters if Malzahn doesn't pick the right quarterback.
In year's past, Malzahn has tried to make the offense something that it wasn't—perhaps in an effort not to tie himself to one type of quarterback and make himself more attractive to whatever options existed in college or the NFL. Even with dual-threat quarterback Nick Marshall taking the snaps, Malzahn preached more "balance" in 2014—one year removed from an SEC title and Marshall doing a ton of damage on the ground.
Malzahn doesn't have that luxury anymore and has to swallow his pride and pick the quarterback that moves the chains consistently—by whatever means necessary.
That could be Jeremy Johnson, the embattled former starter who struggled last year, who has the chance to figure things out mentally and live up to his potential. That could be Sean White, the spot-starter last year who was fantastic when healthy and won MVP honors in the Elite 11 competition as a high school senior.
That could be John Franklin III, the former Florida State and junior college quarterback who's the most likely to replicate what Marshall did in 2013 on the ground. That could be "Woody" Barrett, the true freshman who can bring the quarterback power and quarterback veer schemes back to Malzahn's offense.
If Malzahn picks the right quarterback and Auburn's offense regains its form and functions the way it's intended, everything else is set. There are options at wide receiver, including veterans Jason Smith, Tony Stevens and Marcus Davis; redshirt freshman Darius Slayton; a stellar incoming class; and options at slot if Johnson wants to move over from running back.
The defense should be good enough to be middle-of-the-road in the SEC, which is all it needs to do in order to land the Tigers in contention, if the offense is operating properly.
"@BarrettSallee Assuming he wins the starting job, what are reasonable expectations for Nick Fitzgerald in 2016?
— Andrew Miller (@bulldogblitz16) February 29, 2016"
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 127 and three more scores as Dak Prescott's backup at Mississippi State in 2015. He has to hold off fellow Bulldogs Damian Williams and Elijah Staley to land on the top spot on head coach Dan Mullen's depth chart.
If that happens, don't expect a "Dak-like" season.
"Dak-lite" is a more reasonable expectation.
At 6'5", 227 pounds, he's built essentially the same as Prescott and shares many of the same attributes that Prescott had when he split time with Tyler Russell as a sophomore in 2013. He's efficient, solid on short and intermediate routes, struggles at time downfield and is a bruiser on the ground.
Because of that, a similar campaign to Prescott's sophomore season is the ballpark figure I'm looking for if Fitzgerald is the starter. Prescott tossed 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions that year, while adding 829 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. He will likely be a little bit more efficient in the passing game, since he wouldn't be filling in on the fly like Prescott did, and might not run as much, so Mullen can protect him a bit.
He won't be in the Heisman race, but he will clearly be the guy who can operate the offense in the way Mullen intends, make plays on the ground and do enough in the passing game to keep defenses honest.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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