Mississippi wide receiver Cody Core (88) scores a touchdown past Vanderbilt safety Andrew Williamson (32) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014.(Photo/Thomas Graning)
If you had to take one guess on who leads the Rebels in receiving yards, who would you think it is?
It’s not sophomore Laquon Treadwell, the number one receiver on the depth chart. He’s third on the team with 136 receiving yards on 11 catches with one touchdown.
It’s not sophomore tight end Evan Engram, who is second with 11 catches for 153 yards.
Give up?
The receiving core revolves around junior Cody Core, who leads the team with eight catches for 195 yards and three touchdowns so far this season.
One of the questions heading into the season was the depth at wide receiver, but the 6-foot-3, 196-pound receiver out of Auburn, Alabama, has been the top deep threat for the Rebels, averaging 24.4 yards per reception.
The emergence of Core is not something his coaches are surprised about. Head coach Hugh Freeze said Core has been a great player since he came to Oxford in 2012 but was always stuck behind the depth chart against veteran receivers. The 2014 season has provided a chance for Core to break out, and teams have now taken notice.
“It’s his first chance and first opportunity. He didn’t all of the sudden become talented,” Freeze said. “It’s time for a kid in the program to step up now and have his chance, and he’s used that.”
Freeze added Core didn’t see much playing time early in his dgfev online casino career because of former receivers Donte Moncrief and Ja-Mes Logan ahead of him, adding a veteran presence at the wide receiver position. Core learned a lot from playing with them.
“Beginning as a true freshman, I learned to watch Donte (Moncrief), and I watched film on Donte a lot,” Core said. “I listened to him as a leader and took steps after him. He’s told me to look at the film and find something you can do to improve each day.”
When teams game plan for Ole Miss and the passing game, most teams try to shut down Laquon Treadwell. When that happens, players like Core receive man-to-man coverage or one-on-one coverage from safeties. The attention Treadwell draws from opposing defenses has given Core and other receivers the opportunity to blossom.
“We just have to be alert at all times. We never know when they put the shell on him,” Core said. “When they put the shell on him, and they play man. We just got to compete and take over.”
Now that Treadwell is the number one receiver and has moved from the slot to outside, Core has replaced him as the slot receiver. Having the size of Core at slot receiver provides favorable match-ups for the offense. Core didn’t plan on playing in the slot, but he’s making the most of his opportunities there.
“I wouldn’t say I was planning on playing the slot this year,” Core said. “I just kept on working hard. I really didn’t focus on the slot. I was looking at the outside where Donte played a lot. That was it.”
Core’s strong performances in these first two games may also be a product of the chemistry he and starting senior quarterback Bo Wallace have had since the offseason.
Wallace has been in high praise of Core since fall camp, and Core noticed the connection between the two has improved.
“We’ve worked very hard all summer,” Core said. “Now, we’re connecting. I’ve got my timing with him much better, so we’ll see.”
