Mississippi wide receiver Cody Core scores a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. (Photo |Cady Herring)
Last season, wide receiver started out as one of the deepest groups for the Ole Miss Rebels. Unfortunately injuries diminished the group by the end of the season. Star receiver Laquon Treadwell will return to the group after a season-ending leg and ankle injury against Auburn last fall, but the Rebels will have to have someone to replace the graduated Vince Sanders, who had 39 catches for 696 yards and six touchdowns his senior year.
The number-one spot at wide receiver will be locked down by Laquon Treadwell. Before his injury, Treadwell was putting together a great follow up to his freshman campaign, with 48 catches for 632 yards and five touchdowns in just nine games. Reports on Treadwell’s injury rehab have all been positive, and he should be at 100 percent for the start of the season.
After Treadwell, the competition heats up. Cody Core was one of the biggest surprises from last season, as he had a breakout and became the third wide receiver, after mostly contributing on special teams his previous years with the team. Core finished the season with 41 catches for 558 yards and six touchdowns. Core will probably step up to take on the number-two receiver spot vacated by Sanders and permanently move from the slot to the outside spot opposite Treadwell.
This leaves an opening for the slot position. The best candidates to take the job are junior Quincy Adeboyejo, sophomore Markell Pack and sophomore transfer Damore’ea Stringfellow. Adeboyejo had a solid season last year, catching 26 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns. At 6-foot-3-inches, Adeboyejo has the size the create plenty of matchup problems against nickel corners.
As for Pack, he is coming off of a freshman season that saw him mainly play special teams until late in the year, when injuries opened up some reps for him in the slot. Pack had 14 receptions for 173 yards on the season, and would give the Rebels some speed and quickness at the inside receiver spot.
Meanwhile, Stringfellow presents the biggest wildcard in the receiving corps. Stringfellow has great potential due to his athletic ability and NFL size at 6-feet-2-inches and 220 pounds, but he must find consistency before he can have a legitimate chance at earning one of the top receiver spots. He’s flashed his ability at the Grove Bowl in the spring, catching three passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, but has yet to separate himself enough in the competition. If Stringfellow can polish his route running and catching, he could be a big threat at slot wide receiver or subbing in at one of the outside spots.
The rest of the returning players are rounded out by Quintavius Burdette, Derrick Jones and Trey Bledsoe. Burdette is one of the fastest players on the team, registering eight catches for 35 yards last season, and could see some time in the slot and as an option for reverse handoffs, where his speed can help him get to the outside quickly. Jones is coming off of a position change from cornerback to wide receiver last year, and while the 6-foot-2, 183 pound player is extremely athletic, he will benefit from more time learning the position now that he is permanently a wideout. Bledsoe caught two passes for 12 yards in limited playing time last season.
There are two freshman that could play significant roles next season. Damarkus Lodge was rated the number-six wide receiver in the 2015 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, and has the size and skill to compete right away at the outside or inside receiver spots. Fellow 2015 signee Van Jefferson was rated the number-11 wide receiver in the nation by 247 Sports Composite Rankings, and could see time early as well, but needs to add more weight to his frame, as he is currently 6-feet-2-inches, 175 pounds.
Under head coach Hugh Freeze, the Rebels have rotated their wide receivers often, resulting in a plenty of reps for a multitude of players. This year should be no different. While there’s a lot of youth and inexperience with this group, there’s also plenty of raw talent, and by the end of the year the receiving corps should be a formidable opponent for any secondary the offense faces.
