SEC Football: Ranking the Top 10 wide receivers entering 2023 season
By Matt Melton
A position that is loaded with talent across the conference, let’s take a look at, and rank, the Top 10 wide receivers entering the 2023 SEC football season, starting with a few honorable mentions.
Ranking the Top 10 SEC football wide receivers entering 2023 season
HM. Ricky Pearsall – Florida Gators
2022 Stats: 33 receptions, 661 yards, 5 TD, 8 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD across 13 games
After having transferred from Arizona State last offseason, Pearsall had what was likely a career-year at Florida as one of the Gators top wideouts, amassing 33 receptions for 661 yards and five touchdowns, while also leading SEC football with an average of 20 YPC (No. 4 in NCAA). Holding totals of 94 receptions for 1,455 yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as having rushed for 191 yards and three scores on 18 attempts, across his collegiate career, Pearsall is likely set for yet another strong season as one of Florida’s top pass catchers.
HM. Rara Thomas – Georgia Bulldogs
2022 Stats: 44 receptions, 626 yards, 7 TD across 12 games
Georgia has three players mentioned on this list of SEC football’s top wide receivers, which is the most of any team, the first of which is Thomas at honorable mention, who had 62 receptions for 878 yards and 12 touchdowns across the last two seasons at Mississippi State. Thomas is also coming off a year in which he had 44 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns with the Bulldogs, and is now set to be a key player in Georgia’s wide receiver room after transferring from Mississippi State during the offseason.
HM. Bru McCoy – Tennessee Volunteers
2022 Stats: 52 receptions, 667 yards, 4 TD, 1 carry, 3 yards across 12 games
A former USC transfer, McCoy enters his second season at Tennessee holding career marks of 73 receptions for 903 yards and six touchdowns across his two years with the Trojans and Vols. Also coming off a season in which he had 52 receptions for 667 yards and four touchdowns, McCoy is likely set for an even bigger 2023 campaign this fall, as the former USC transfer is likely the WR1 for the Vols with Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman departed to the NFL.
HM. Barion Brown – Kentucky Wildcats
2022 Stats: 50 receptions, 628 yards, 4 TD across 13 games
Coming off a strong freshman season in Lexington, one in which he was also one of the SEC’s top kickoff returners, Brown is Kentucky’s lone selection to make this list. Having caught 50 passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns a year ago, Brown is likely set for a similar 2023 season, one in which he is the likely favorite to lead the Wildcats in receiving.
HM. Evan Stewart – Texas A&M Aggies
2022 Stats: 53 receptions, 649 yards, 2 TD across 10 games
The fifth, and final, honorable mention selection goes to Stewart, who is also coming off a strong freshman season at Texas A&M. A former five-star prospect, Stewart had 53 receptions for 649 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Aggies, and is likely set for a similar season this fall, if not better.
So, with those honorable mentions out of the way, here are the Top 10 wide receivers entering the 2023 SEC football season.