It’s no secret that Ole Miss’s most seasoned playmakers are in the receiving core. The Rebels have accounted for 2477 yards through the air this year, and 20 touchdowns through seven games.
Moving the ball through the air becomes a lot easier when you have the likes of All-Americans Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram among a stable of receivers that are averaging just under fifteen yards per reception as a group this season, and are a nightmare for opposing secondaries to defend.
“That’s our job, to win our one-on-ones,” Treadwell said. “When you get a chance when they just leave one man out there, you really want to make the most of that opportunity because you don’t get it often.”
The receiving core is as deep as it is talented. Seven different players have at least eight catches this year and the same number of different Rebels have caught a touchdown pass. Ole Miss is averaging 353 yards per game receiving. In comparison, opponents are averaging just 229 yards per game.
No matter the coverage, Treadwell and the rest of the receivers expect to win their match ups and exploit the defense.
“Just being out there man-to-man, thats what we work on as receivers to win,” Treadwell said. “Everybody’s competing, even in practice, laying out for the ball, doing whatever we’ve got to do to show the coaches that we’re ready to play.”
Another contributor in the Rebel receiving core is Damore’ea Stringfellow. Stringfellow is a big physical body, similar to Treadwell, that has been consistent this year. Stringfellow said he believes that ultimately the Rebels’ future lays in their hands and it’s up to them to execute. Stringfellow believes that the Aggies will present a different challenge for the Rebels as they play a lot of press.
“I see they play a lot of press man, and that will be a chance for us to show what we can do against the press, and see something different,” Stringfellow said. “We haven’t seen a lot of press this year.”
After weeks of red zone issues, the Rebels’ struggle continued Saturday in Memphis, but the Rebels were able to find Laquon Treadwell for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
“Chad gave me a slant and I just wanted to win, and put our team in the best position to win,” Treadwell said “They put nine in the box and I figured if I won I was going to get us some points and get some momentum going.”
The Ole Miss receivers will face another tough test on Saturday, facing a Texas A&M secondary that has allowed just four touchdowns through the air this season, and will provide a challenge for this talented group of receivers. With Ole Miss’s sputtering run game, the load they will be carrying will only get heavier.
