Top 10 SEC WRs in the last decade ft. DeVonta Smith of the Alabama Crimson Tide
The SEC has long been considered the premier conference in college football. A team representing the SEC has won nine of the 16 BCS Championship Games.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns, who will join the conference in 2024, won an additional two. In the 10 years of the four-team format of the College Football Playoff, an SEC team became the champions six times.
The 2024 college football season is set to begin in just over two weeks with eight teams set to take the field on August 24. While none of the 16 SEC teams will be in action, there will - as always - be a large spotlight on the conference.
With the postseason set to expand to 12 teams in 2024, let's take a look at the 10 best wide receivers to play in the SEC over the 10 years of the previous format.
Top ten SEC WRs in the last decade
#1 DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a five-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class.
The SEC WR recorded 3,965 receiving yards and 46 touchdowns on 235 receptions, while returning 11 punts for 237 yards and one touchdown. Smith became just the fourth wide receiver - and first since Desmond Howard in 1991 - to take home the Heisman Trophy, winning the award in 2020.
Smith was selected 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
#2 Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a four-star prospect in the 2012 recruiting class.
He recorded 3,463 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns on 228 receptions, while adding 51 rushing yards on six carries. Cooper was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.
#3 Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson joined the LSU Tigers as a three-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class.
He caught 165 passes for 2,415 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns, while adding 30 rushing yards on six carries. Jefferson was selected 22nd overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
#4 Ja'Marr Chase
Ja'Marr Chase joined the LSU Tigers as a five-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. He finished his collegiate career with 2,093 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns on 107 receptions. Chase was selected sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
#5 A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown joined the Ole Miss Rebels as a four-star prospect in the 2016 recruiting class.
He caught 189 passes for 2,984 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns, while adding 47 punt return yards on seven returns. Brown was selected 51st overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
#6 Calvin Ridley
A.J. Brown joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a five-star prospect in the 2015 recruiting class.
He recorded 2,781 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns on 224 receptions, while adding 40 rushing yards and one touchdown on eight carries. Ridley was selected 26th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
#7 Malik Nabers
Malik Nabers joined the LSU Tigers as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He caught 189 passes for 3,003 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns, while 29 rushing yards on six carries. Nabers was selected sixth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
#8 Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class. He recorded 2,742 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 159 receptions. Jeudy was selected 15th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
#9 Elijah Moore
Elijah Moore joined the Ole Miss Rebels as a three-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class.
He finished his collegiate career with 189 receptions for 2,441 yards and 16 touchdowns, while adding 71 rushing yards on 21 carries. Moore returned 27 punts for 133 yards and 12 kickoffs for 222 yards. He was selected 34th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
#10 Henry Ruggs III
Henry Ruggs III - who was selected 12th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft - joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as a five-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class.
He recorded 1,716 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns on 98 receptions, while adding 75 rushing yards and one touchdown on two carries. Ruggs returned 25 kickoffs for 525 yards and eight punts for 46 yards.