Ole Miss’ loaded receiving corps ranks No. 2 in the nation, per PFF
OXFORD, Miss. — PFF has issued its rankings of the top receiving corps in the country and Ole Miss comes in at No. 2. Their rankings take into account anyone who catches the ball — wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs — another advantage for the Rebels as they have some of the best in the country at those spots.
With returners Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams, much less the star transfers and newcomers, we feel there is definitely a case for wide receiver coach George McDonald’s group to rank No. 1. But there will be plenty of time for quarterback Jaxson Dart and the Rebels to prove themselves the nation’s best this fall.
Oregon is listed as having the No. 1 receiving group, largely based on the fact that they picked up former A&M star wide receiver Evan Stewart and pair him with returnee Tez Johnson — and also return four of their five leading receivers from 2023.
But there is no question that Ole Miss is absolutely loaded. Oregon stars notwithstanding, the Rebels have a receiving corps that must have Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis chomping at the bit to get on the field.
Remember, these PFF rankings don’t just include the wide receivers, they include anyone catching passes — so add in the talents of Caden Prieskorn, Dae’Quan Wright and Hudson Wolfe at tight end, and the pass-catching abilities of Ulysses Bentley IV and Henry Parrish Jr. and it would seem a notch in Ole Miss’ favor.
Of Ole Miss, PFF writes:
“Ole Miss brings back one of the nation’s 10 best wide receivers in Tre Harris and a top-10 tight end in Caden Prieskorn. Harris tied for sixth among FBS receivers in 2023 with an 89.6 receiving grade. Prieskorn is fourth among all tight ends in the country with 1,051 receiving yards over the last two years. The Rebels also return their No. 3 receiver in Jordan Watkins, who tied for seventh among SEC receivers with 21 catches that went for at least 15 yards.”
PFF also notes the Rebels’ work in the portal in adding some of the best pass-catchers:
“Ole Miss was also one of the most active teams in the transfer portal this offseason. The big get was former South Carolina star receiver Juice Wells. He missed all but three games in 2023 due to a foot injury but was electric with the ball in his hands the year before. Wells’ 555 yards after the catch in 2022 stood third among Power Five pass-catchers. Virginia Tech tight end Dae’Quan Wright is also making the move to Oxford after posting the third-most receiving yards in the ACC last year for the position (366).”
PFF’s complete list of the Top 10 receiving corps in the nation:
- Oregon
- Ole Miss
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Texas
- Missouri
- Miami (FL)
- Colorado
- LSU
- Oklahoma
Six of the top 10 best receiving corps, according to PFF, are in the Southeastern Conference.
For us here at The Rebel Walk, we believe Ole Miss has the top group of receivers in the nation — as PFF doesn’t take into account that in addition to those receivers it mentions, the Rebels also have added Deion Smith, the No. 1 JUCO wide receiver in the country. Smith is an electric receiver who will complement Tre Harris. With Harris and Jordan Watkins returning, the transfers in of Juice Wells and Deion Smith, and the young playmakers Cayden Lee and Ayden Williams also on the roster, it’s hard to imagine a better group in the nation. Ole Miss also has two talented walk-on wide receivers in Josh Aka and Josh Pfeifer, who complete the corps.
Ole Miss kicks off the 2024 season on August 31 vs. Furman in Vaught-Hemingway. Hotty Toddy!
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
