Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, left, runs past Louisville linebacker C.J. Avery during the season opener in Orlando, Fla. Smith leads Alabama with 176 receiving yards through two games this season.
Jerry Jeudy
Henry RuggsThe talented Ole Miss receivers are occasionally referred to as Nasty Wide Outs, or NWO for short.
Senior DaMarkus Lodge, junior A.J. Brown and sophomore D.K. Metcalf headline the aerial attack of coach Matt Luke’s Rebels, but that isn’t the only touted trio of receivers eager to perform Saturday night when top-ranked Alabama visits Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The Crimson Tide will have their own receivers trio with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith, and they’re only sophomores.
Smith leads Alabama with 176 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions after routs of Louisville, 51-14, and Arkansas State, 57-7. Jeudy has a team-high eight catches for 151 yards and a team-high four touchdowns, while Ruggs has five catches for 71 yards and a score.
“They’re all very competitive, and they can all beat man-to-man coverage,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said Wednesday night in a news conference. “They all have really good speed and can get in and out of breaks. I don’t think one is significantly different from the other.