Last season marked a down year for freshman receivers in the SEC as Florida’s Eugene Wilson III was the only wideout from the Class of 2023 in the league to catch more than 25 passes. Just four freshman receivers totaled 15 or more grabs, and all of them played for teams that finished with losing records.
Expect a different look in 2024 in what’s shaping up to be a significant bounce-back season for freshmen receivers. It should look more like 2022 when nine true freshman receivers caught 15 or more passes for SEC teams.
That class included highly touted prospects such as Evan Stewart (Texas A&M, now at Oregon), Luther Burden (Missouri) and Barion Brown (Kentucky), all of which burst onto the scene with 40 or more catches. Others such as Alabama’s Kobe Prentice and Isaiah Bond (now at Texas) and Georgia’s Dillon Bell also made meaningful contributions as true freshmen for high-caliber teams in 2022.
So, who are the freshman receivers to watch from the conference for 2024? Here’s the rundown of the biggest names to know:
Cam Coleman, Auburn
Auburn has been desperate for a star receiver for years. It may finally have one now in Coleman, who doesn’t turn 18 until August. The Phenix City, Alabama native won offensive MVP honors in the Tigers’ spring game with four catches for 92 yards, stoking the hype surrounding what he may contribute in Year 2 of the Hugh Freeze era on The Plains. While looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft class, 247Sports national scouting analyst Gabe Brooks pegged Coleman as a first-round candidate and noted that his “6-foot-3 frame and basketball-influenced athletic ability make him a nightmare matchup.”
Ryan Wiliams, Alabama
Williams will play the 2024 season at 17 years old after reclassifying from the Class of 2025. While it seems almost unfathomable that he could make an immediate impact at a place like Alabama, all indications are that the Saraland,…
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