Caleb Cunningham's Growing Role Is Impossible For Ole Miss To Ignore

Ole Miss spread the ball out on Saturday. No player rushed or received for over 100 yards. With 45 points on the board for the Rebels, there was plenty of action to share.

One player who did stick out on Saturday was wide receiver Caleb Cunningham. Yet again, Cunningham put together a great performance.

For the second week in a row, he recorded over 50 yards and a touchdown. After a slow start to the season, Cunningham seems to be becoming a critical component of the Ole Miss offense.

Cunningham is becoming the player Ole Miss expected him to be

Ole Miss Rebels wide receiver Caleb Cunningham (3) runs after a catch during the second quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A redshirt freshman, Cunningham only saw action in one game last season. He came to Ole Miss as a highly-touted five-star recruit, changing his commitment from Alabama late in the cycle.

Many high-level receiver recruits see a high degree of action early in their careers. That was not the case for Cunningham. He put together inconsistent performances to start the season, but has really leveled up his game in recent weeks.

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding spoke about Cunningham's patience after the game yesterday.

"We always have an elite quarterback that can get you the football," Golding said. "There was a lot of patience from Caleb getting here; guys can play too early; they don’t create value for themselves. They lose it and they lose confidence. And so it’s something I think we’ve held him and put him in that incubator for a year and a half."

Cunningham certainly did not lose confidence while sitting in the incubator. He ran a crisp comeback route and caught the ball in the corner of the end zone. The 6'1", 210-pound receiver tied his season-high for catches with six in the matchup.

What does Cunningham's emergence mean?

Saturday shows why Cunningham's ascent transforms the Ole Miss offense. Deuce Alexander had a horrific performance, dropping passes left and right. One unfortunate drop from Alexander even resulted in a pick for Auburn.

Ole Miss does not have a clear No. 2 wide receiver. Deuce Alexander is the top option, but Caleb Odom, Traylon Ray, and Horatio Fields have similar stats and target shares. Cunningham's recent play has elevated him into that group, forcing defenses to spend time addressing him.

The receiver room not only helps Deuce Alexander when he performs poorly, but also makes it hard for the defense to focus solely on shutting him down. Many WR1s face increased coverage from the defense, but double covering Alexander means one of Ole Miss's other talented recievers is left open.

With Alexander likely headed to the NFL, Cunningham could step in as the lead receiver next season. Golding said he calls Alexander "Moss" because of his strong practice play.

With a huge matchup coming at the end of the week, Cunningham has an opportunity to show the country why Golding nicknamed him after an all-time great.

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