AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USRating the SEC’s best wide receivers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You want to try something REALLY hard? Try picking the top five wide receivers in the SEC. You can’t do it without relegating a great, great player to the Honorable Mention list. But here are my top five as we enter the 2007 season. Who would be your top five?
1. Earl Bennett, Jr., Vanderbilt: Has a remarkable 168 catches in just two seasons and needs just 48 receptions to become the SEC’s all-time leader as a junior. He is the only receiver in SEC history to catch 75 or more passes in two consecutive seasons. He led the SEC with 82 catches last season.
2. Percy Harvin, Soph., Florida: One of the most talented athletes to play in this league in many years. Because he was injured in the first half of the 2006 season, Harvin touched the ball “only” 75 times for 855 yards of total offense. You can bet that he’ll get many more touches this season. He can totally change a game each time he gets his hands on the ball.
3. Marcus Monk, Sr., Arkansas: He played on a team that had two 1,000-yard rushers last season. Still Monk caught 50 passes for 962 yards (19.2 ypc). He has 122 career catches with 24 touchdowns, which translates to a TD about every five catches. He needs only eight touchdown catches to break the career SEC record of 31 held by Chris Doering. At 6-6, it is almost impossible for a corner to cover him one-on-one.
4. Keenan Burton, Sr., Kentucky: Had a monster year in 2006 with 77 catches for 1,036 yards and 12 touchdowns. Is also a great kickoff return man, averaging 26.6 yards per return over his career. He’s playing with the best quarterback in the SEC (Andre Woodson) so expect Burton to put up huge numbers again.
5. Early Doucet, Sr., LSU: The Tigers had two receivers (Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis) taken in the first round of the NFL Draft last April. That simply clears the way for Doucet, who had 59 catches last year and 103 career catches for 1,521 yards.
HONORABLE MENTION
Keith Brown, Sr., Alabama: Brown had 44 catches for 590 yards last season. Missed two games with a knee injury or his totals would have been higher.
Andre “Bubba” Caldwell, Sr., Florida: Had 57 catches last season to give him 129 in his career. Needs 44 to become the Gators’ all-time leader in passes caught. With Harvin on the field drawing attention from the defenses, Caldwell will get opportunities to make big plays.
DJ Hall, Sr., Alabama: How good is this guy? The great Ozzie Newsome holds the career record at Alabama with 2,010 receiving yards. Hall, from Fort Walton Beach, needs just 94 yards to break that record. With 127 career catches, he needs just 34 to break the current Alabama record held by Freddie Milons. If the offensive line plays well, Hall should have a huge year in Major Applewhite’s new offense.
Dicky Lyons, Jr., Kentucky: Caught 50 passes last season for 822 yards (16.4 ypc) and 9 touchdowns. Had the best average per catch on the Kentucky team.
Kenny McKinley, Jr., South Carolina: McKinley becomes the go-to receiver for the Gamecocks now that Sidney Rice is in the NFL. Caught 51 passes for 880 yards last season.
Services »
Comments
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this
Don’t worry UGA fans your players are going to make one of these lists real soon.
Tony told me that his next SEC top 5 list is going to be
SEC’s BEST SPOONERS
and Stafford and Cox will be ranked 1 and 2!!
By JEFF
August 3, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this
I would love to see some DAWGS on his list but the way they have played and dropped so many balls over the last 2 seasons. I do not think they deserve to be on the list either. Stafford needed them to step up last season and they let him down. Hope they are way better this year. Stafford can’t do it alone.
By AJ GREEN WEARS #1
August 3, 2007 9:41 AM | Link to this
Tony,
You shoulda just went ahead and put me #1..HOLLA!
By joe
August 3, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
Roswell Ed, you hit it right square on the head! You failed to mention though that UGA has the BEST 4th string extra point holder…woof.
By Rusty Banks
August 3, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this
And the actual list…
Monk
Rusty
**http://www.rustybanks.com
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this
The other day the AJC had a contest for best DAWG barker.
Which begs the question, what contest will the AJC have in the future that can showcase the intelligence level of the typical DAWG fan?
Top 5 things to do to prove you’re the biggest DAWG fan:
How many lima beans can you stuff up your nostril DAWG fans?
How long can you go without adjusting your nuts DAWG fans?
How many times can you knock yourself in the head with a ball peen hammer before you knock yourself out DAWG fans?
How many insects can you burn with a magnifying glass DAWG fans?
How many dudes can you spoon at Talladega DAWG fans?
Now really are any of these any dumber than a person barking DAWG fans?
By Shellhorse
August 3, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
Of all the preseason mags and internet season forecasts I read, Barnhart is continuously and ironically the most hesitant to give any well-deserved consideration to the outstanding players of UGA. I’m getting tired of it! Every legitimate football columnist in this country says that UGA has a good shot at winning the SEC east, yet somehow you continue to indirectly shaft the Dawg nation by leaving its players off of your praise lists. Not putting Lumpkin in your top 5 SEC backs was perhaps the most ridiculous - you know good and well that if he was in any other offense and not required to share the load with so many other good backs, he would be at least a 1,200 yard rusher - any team, any conference. Plus only of late has his health returned to its full explosive potential - you know this! While we appreciate your objectivity, we’re tired of over-cautious skepticism. Give the Dawgs their due - they wouldn’t have won 9 games in a rebuilding year without top SEC players. Ask Auburn, ask GT, and ask VT (a 2007 preseason top 5).
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this
Hey Shellhorse:
How many lima beans can you get up your nose?
If you want to read a blind reach-around story for the DAWGED NATION just wait.
I’m sure Bradley will dust off one of his yearly suckup columns on how great RICHT and the DAWGS are here in the next couple of weeks.
When that happens go to your menu bar on your PC and click [Favorites] and then [Add to Favorites].
Then every time you want to read what you want to hear it’ll be right there.
So easy even a DAWGED fan can do it!
By duff
August 3, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this
Does anyone know if Tyrone Prothro will be back this year? If so, he ought to be at least an honorable mention.
Also, keep an eye on Kris Durham…after a solid Freshman year and a stellar Spring game, he will be the barometer of whether Coach Eason can mold a talented young receiver, or it will be the same old story of a great player getting worse every time he steps on the field (see: Fred Gibson, Martrez Milner, MoMass - jury’s still out on him, etc…who am I missing?).
BTW, I must have read 10 articles about Coach Eason’s ‘innovative’ method of using a tennis ball machine in catching drills. Uhh, Coach, you may want to try a football throwing machine! Ya’ think!?
Go Dawgs!
By Renegade
August 3, 2007 10:56 AM | Link to this
Um, two post in thirty minutes Roswell Ed? Sounds like we’ll be seeing you on the next episode of “To Catch a Predator”. Your probably a fifty-five year old d-bag. Roswell sucks, and so do you. Get a life.
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
Renegade:
Two in thirty minutes?
Look at the times.
I see that you must have taken Herrick’s remedial telling time class at UGA!!
By JimmyG
August 3, 2007 11:49 AM | Link to this
Prothro is done, Alabama put him on medical scholarship. Who cares about these list they don’t mean anything. Let all the other fans of other teams run their mouths and dominate the blogs, because that is what they are good at. Just worry about being the 3rd winningest team over the last decade and having the best bowl record in that time span. People can run their mouth all they want, but the only people who have the right are Florida fans. Tech can blog UGA can play football that is just how the world works. An interesting question would be did Logan Gray ever get over Mono and is he reporting today? Also Lumpkin is a top 3 running back in the SEC.
By AJ GREEN WEARS #1
August 3, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this
Vote me for Heisman!
By AJ GREEN WEARS #1
August 3, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this
Vote me for Heisman!
By secfan92
August 3, 2007 12:17 PM | Link to this
Dawg fans, suck it up. Stop worryin about your pour UGA dawgs that will finish last in the SEC east this year. Even your radio announcer thinks you’re in trouble. You lost to Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida. You beat only 1 team in the SEC east last year. Deal with it. You consistantly get good recruiting classes, you’ll be good. You just have to suffer a few losses to Vandy and Kentucky first.
By AJ GREEN WEARS #1
August 3, 2007 1:50 PM | Link to this
SECFAN,
WE STARTED A TRUE FRESHMAN AT QB! ITS CALLED GROWING PAINS. IF YOU ARE SO INTELLIGENT YOU SHOULD REALIZE THIS! ESPN RANKED ALL D-1 SCHHOLS IN THE NATION OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. GUESS WHERE UGA WAS RANKED? 11TH THE HIGHEST RANKING FOR A SCHOOL W/O A TITLE.
By Big Dawg
August 3, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this
Until our receivers start to catch the football consistently then they don’t deserve recognition. Besides this doesn’t mean anything since it is preseason. At the end of the year then we will know whether any of our WR’s deserve recognition.
By treyinathens
August 3, 2007 4:36 PM | Link to this
Man,
Ed in Roswell…YOU are HILARIOUS
call Letterman, call Leno, you definitely need to be on late night TV somewhere.
By Dean
August 3, 2007 6:13 PM | Link to this
LOL@ this Roswell guy. Seems like you need to get a life. Good group of athletes throughout the SEC, but these 5 are definitely up there. Both of my guys from Florida should probably be in the top 5 but that’s OK.
By AltamahaDawg
August 3, 2007 7:47 PM | Link to this
How about betting how long ED can stand to be away from UGA boards. Obsessions are sometimes hard to figure out.
By Vision
August 3, 2007 7:48 PM | Link to this
Good list. The top five are solid reveivers. After that it’s anyone’s guess.
Good to see all the techsters sniffing dawg scents above. It’s always fun to see the tickle pile members dissing what they cannot sting.
Speaking of stingless in football, isn’t Tech being investigated yet again for running afoul of the NCAA for kickbacks? And isn’t their defense yet again that they didn’t know what they are doing (taking kickbacks) was wrong? How many times is that same “You have to forgive me, I’m stupid” defense going to fool the NCAA?
51-7
By Buck in the NW
August 3, 2007 9:17 PM | Link to this
I don’t care how pumped everyone, including my self, may be but if the receivers don’t catch the ball we’ll fall like a house of cards and I do think it would be time for a new receiver coach. I’m going to be positive and say that in ‘07 they hang on to the ball. A little “pitch and catch” will take this team a long way. Big Dawg nailed it.
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 9:29 PM | Link to this
How is this a UGA BORED.
Not once in the whole article is UGA mentioned. It ain’t all about you MUTT FACE!
I wrote my piece b/c I knew that all the DAWGED nation would chime in about being left off TB’s list and so I provided you with some inside SPOON on a list that UGA players would make.
I thought having the 2 best spooners in the league would make all of the DAWGED nation proud of something.
PS
If you call me a bee(NERD) fan again I will rip your PAW off and beat you with it.
By Washington
August 3, 2007 9:56 PM | Link to this
Ed,
You have a problem! Your assetions have no basis and are therefore unbelievable. However, the Tickle Pile controversy at Georgia Tech is real and it’s therfore believable. It’s not hard to imagine Tickle Piles and STD’S at Tech. Just look at your student body.
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 10:30 PM | Link to this
Enjoy DAWGED nation in denial!
http://deepsouthsports.blogspot.com/2007/06/deepsouthsports-inspires.html
Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
By Roswell Ed
August 3, 2007 10:39 PM | Link to this
That ain’t Jim J Bullock and Liberace DAWGED fans!
By Digger
August 4, 2007 6:04 AM | Link to this
Shellhorse, I totally agree with you tony barnhart is a ga grad wrote a book about vince dooley. I think barnhart is afraid of being called a homer.
By warhorse
August 4, 2007 8:30 AM | Link to this
Cornelius Ingraham, the Gator TE/WR will be in any such list compiled at the end of the year; and more important, the former QB will be on the pro lists and will make huge bucks as a receiver soon.
By Kelly
August 4, 2007 9:59 AM | Link to this
Roswell Ed How jealous can one person be of Georgia fans? My god son you just spent the better part of two hours trying to upset dawg fans why? Was there a bully when you grew up and did he like UGA? Whatever the reason, just take a deep breath, relax , and know you are one of the biggest losers I have ever come across.