HERO Sports is counting down the days until the kickoff of the 2018 college football season on Saturday, Aug. 25, by featuring the best player in the FBS at each jersey number, from 99-1. Each day, from May 18 through Aug. 24, we'll publish one article showcasing the best player whose jersey number matches the number of days remaining.
No. 1 A.J. Brown
Ole Miss – WR
Ole Miss didn't have a receiver selected in the first round of the first 80 NFL drafts — Laquon Treadwell became the first when chosen by the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd pick in 2016. The Rebels won't have to wait another eight decades to have another first-round receiver. They'll have one next year.
A.J. Brown, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound junior from Starkville, Miss., is atop the 2019 NFL Draft receiver boards as he prepares for his third and — presumably — final season in Oxford. Last year, the AP Third-Team All-American had 75 receptions for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 16.7 yards per catch.
He was dominant in the slot, leading all FBS receivers with 432 yards from the slot, and when facing press coverage, he posted the nation's second-highest passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ole Miss might be ineligible for the postseason but the Rebels will be one of the best in the country, largely thanks to arguably the best receiver in the country, A.J. Brown.
