Ranking the best wide receivers Mississippi State will face this fall

The Bulldogs avoid some of the SEC's best wide receivers, but they'll still have to contend with some great pass catchers, including a familiar face.

Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) dives into the endzone against Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Dalton Brooks (25) during the fourth quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

Mississippi State’s defense struggled in almost every phase last season, consistently ranking towards the bottom of the 133 FBS teams in most statistical categories.

Perhaps the best part of the Bulldogs’ defense a year ago was its defensive backs. Safety Isaac Smith was fifth in the nation in tackles (127) and is back, as are plenty of defenders that got experience last season.

Mississippi State will need those defensive backs to be better than they were a year (a pass rush would help, too) and the Bulldogs are somewhat lucky. They avoid some of the SEC’s best wide receivers.

No Alabama (Ryan Williams), Auburn (Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr.) or LSU (Aaron Anderson) on the schedule and those are the schools with some of the best in the nation. But this is the SEC and there are some very good receivers the Bulldogs’ defensive backs will have to try and slow down.

Here are the five best wide receivers Mississippi State will face in 2025, starting with a familiar face for Bulldog fans:

Mississippi State's wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. (3) smiles after scoring a touchdown during the Egg Bowl game against Mississippi at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. | Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri

2024 Stats (at Mississippi State): 74 rec., 932 yards, 12.6 ypc, 6 TDs

Losing Coleman to the transfer portal and, eventually, Missouri was one of the two biggest losses for Mississippi State (the other being Michael Van Buren). Coleman provided the electrifying spark the Bulldogs needed last season. He was second in the SEC last year in catches and third in yards per game.

North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) catches a pass against California Golden Bears defensive back Craig Woodson (center left) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M

2024 Stats (at NC State): 53 rec., 460 yards, 8.7 ypc, 6 TDs

Concepcion had a down season after earning freshman All-American honors in 2023 and maybe a fresh start in College Station will help him regain his form. But still, Concepcion’s 792 yards after the catch puts him second amongst returning receivers and his 16 touchdowns are the most.

Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Cayden Lee (19) runs the ball during the second half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Cayden Lee, Ole Miss

2024 Stats: 57 rec., 874 yards, 15.3 ypc, 2 TDs

Lee didn’t have a single dropped pass last season after taking over for Tre Harris when he was injured halfway through the season. He’s the only receiver Ole Miss has with significant experience and figures to be one Austin Simmons’ favorite targets in his first season as the starting quarterback.

Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) runs downfield after a catch against BYU safety Raider Damuni (3) during the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Nov. 23, 2024. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jordon Tyson, Arizona State

2024 stats: 75 rec., 1,101 yards, 14.7 ypc, 10 TDs

Tyson may end up being the best receiver Mississippi State faces this season. He’s consistently ranked as one of the top three best receivers in the country, behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Williams. He was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and with running back Cam Skattebo gone, the Sun Devils’ will look towards winning with Tyson and Heisman candidate Sam Leavitt.

Last season against Mississippi State, Tyson had just two catches for seven yards. But, remember, that was the game the Bulldogs gave up 364 rushing yards and made a lot of people in Starkville say “uh oh.”

Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) runs for a touchdown during the second half to make it 38-7 after the extra point at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 7, 2024 against the Samford Bulldogs. The Florida Gators won 45-7 over the Bulldogs. | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Eugene Wilson III, Florida

2024 Stats: 19 rec., 266 yards, 14 ypc, 1 TD

Wilson was limited to just four games last season because of injuries. As a freshman in 2023, he had 61 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns. So, Wilson has shown the talent to be one of the SEC’s best receivers. But weird things can happen after a knee surgery. If Wilson does fully recover and return to his 2023-form, him and DJ Lagway will have big years.