SEC StatCat's Top5 Pass Catchers Behind the Chains for 2021

It’s one thing to make a catch and produce when an offense is humming and staying ahead of the chains. On the other hand, bailing out your unit with a timely snag when the down and distance isn’t preferable is another thing entirely. Though some seize vacated yardage underneath and are demons after the catch, others don’t mind attacking secondaries head-on. Either way, most squads tend to lean on their best weapons to get them out of jams and back on track. With that in mind, here are the SEC’s most successful receivers returning for 2021 based off last year’s output behind the chains!

5. Jacob Copeland

I hope you didn’t take the term “successful” too literally. The first liberty I took in these rankings was thrusting Jacob Copeland and his 8th-best Success Rate into the 5-spot. All of his catches resulted in either a first down or a score in these instances, and half of his total targets met situational goals. As a true downfield option, a quarter of his catches resulted in gains of 20 yards or more. That clip holds a share of the conference’s silver medal ahead of this fall and played a major part in Copeland’s 12.3 Yards/Target cracking the top3. Though a vertical threat, he still sports a top10 YAC average to round out his profile. But thanks to his degree of difficulty, his weighted Depth Adjusted Catch Rate failed to reach that threshold amongst returners. 

4. Amir Abdur-Rahman

With a gross talent deficiency relative to the rest of the conference, Vanderbilt’s offense tended to find itself behind the chains quite often. Despite the adversity and underwhelming supporting cast, Amir Abdur-Rahman posted some of the most inspiring numbers amongst his  peers in these situations. Though he wasn’t much a threat after the catch and he suffered from an uncatchable attempt on every seventh target on average, half of his chances resulted in a first down or score while his Success Rate project to be a top5 clip ahead of this fall. Abdur-Rahman wasn’t the most incendiary receiver behind the chains but he still posted a top10 Yards/Target and Explosive Catch Rate. Meanwhile, his weighted Depth-Adjusted Catch Rate ranks 6th. 

3. Tauskie Dove

No returning SECer can boast a higher Catching Success Rate behind the chains than Missouri’s Tauskie Dove. So why isn’t he ranked higher on this list you ask? The answer is obvious: his average depth of target fell in the single digits and his 6.81 Yards/Target fell inside the bottom third of qualifiers. Though steady and reliable to get a chunk of yards in these spots, a dynamic playmaker he was not. You could say Dove had a high floor and a very low ceiling. Only one returner presents a better First Down+TD Rate and only one returner presents a worse YAC average. Along with an Explosive Catch Rate that finished under 5%, his weighted Depth-Adjusted Catch Rate enters 2021 with a double-digit ranking. 

2. John Metchie

As one of the most notable deep threats returning within this conference, I assume many suspected to see John Metchie’s name mentioned in this context. All but one of his successful catches resulted in either a fresh set of downs or six points. As he yearned to take the top of the defense, he logged the conference’s 3rd-highest average depth of target. Despite the increased level of difficulty working deep, his weighted Depth Adjusted Catch Rate still cracks the top10 ahead of this fall. But more importantly, leaning into the verticality resulted in the Tider rocking the top Explosive Catch Rate and Yards/Target. And while other home run hitters failed to exhibit much after the catch, Metchie delivered a 7.7 such clip, which is good enough for the SEC’s bronze medal. 

1. Kearis Jackson

No returning SEC pass catcher proved better at turning his targets behind the chains into a conversion or a score better than Georgia’s slot receiver. In fact, all of his receptions in this context met that criteria last season. Despite a 13.3 average depth of target, Kearis Jackson benefited from a healthy rate of catchable balls. With not too many wasted chances, he delivered desirable returns per his top2 Success Rate, Yards/Target, and Explosive Catch Rate. Deserving for the receiver who holds the top spot, Jackson’s 88.1% weighted Depth Adjusted Catch Rate is the highest of anyone else’s on this list by at least five percentage points and is the conference’s 3rd-best figure ahead of this fall.