Ranking the best receivers UK will face in 2018

Ole Miss' A.J. Brown and Missouri's J'Mon Moore were the best wide receivers Kentucky faced in 2017.

Cats Illustrated takes a look at the best wide receivers Kentucky's secondary will be charged with shutting down in 2018.

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1. Deebo Samuel, senior, South Carolina: Samuel had 15 receptions for 250 yards and three receiving scores in the only three games he participated in during the 2017 season. He tacked on a 25-yard touchdown run and two kickoff returns for scores. All told, Samuel accounted for six South Carolina touchdowns in three games before his season ended. As a sophomore in 2016 the production was there, but he only had a single receiving touchdown. Samuel has the potential to develop into one of the SEC's top receivers, but he's already one of the league's very best all-purpose players ... and he's going to touch the ball a lot. Between punts, kickoffs, jet sweeps, screens and routes, there's no way to keep the ball out of his hands, so he's got a unique ability to impact the game on South Carolina's terms. It's hard to rank Samuel because so much of his contributions come on plays other than receptions, but he is a receiver and he's unstoppable at times.

2. Jaylen Smith, senior, Louisville: It will be interesting to see what Smith's production is like with Louisville transitioning into the post-Lamar Jackson era, but he was a weapon last year with 60 catches, 980 yards and seven touchdowns. It didn't come out of nowhere, either, as Johnson was a big play guy in 2016. Kentucky fans might remember Smith for his six catches, 75 yards and touchdown in Lexington last fall. He followed that up with 107 yards and a score against Mississippi State. He was an excellent receiver all season long when he played, but he missed three games in late September and early October. Smith was a first team All-ACC receiver.

3. Emanuel Hall, senior, Missouri: Hall caught eight fewer passes than Johnathon Johnson last season, and his 33 receptions aren't especially impressive unless you see that he averaged 25 yards per catch and had eight touchdowns. He was Missouri's best big play threat and Lock probably has a few more big plays left in him. In four games Hall didn't have any receptions last year. But he topped the 100-yard mark five times and had two touchdowns against Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas. You can ignore his being shut out against Texas in the bowl game because he had a hamstring injury.

4. Bryan Edwards, junior, South Carolina: Going into the 2017 season everyone knew South Carolina had a special player in Deebo Samuel. Edwards had a quality sophomore year, but he took a big step forward when Samuel went out. Edwards finished 2017 with 64 receptions, 793 yards and five touchdowns. He had a touchdown catch in each of South Carolina's final three games. It's actually quite conceivable that Edwards could leave South Carolina two years from now as the program's all-time leading pass-catcher. Edwards and Samuel might cut into one another's counting stats and that could hurt their ability to gain accolades. But it's clear the Gamecocks have two of the SEC's better players at receiver.

5. Jhamon Ausbon, sophomore, Texas A&M: The Aggies had a new quarterback in 2017, plus a quarterback situation that changed thanks to injury issues. Beyond that there was the great Christian Kirk as the go-to receiver and the ultra-explosive Damion Ratley as an excellent number two option. Still, as a freshman Ausbon was able to snag 50 receptions for 571 yards and three scores, even given those circumstances. He will be a popular pick in the preseason to emerge as one of the SEC's best play makers. Ausbon was remarkably consistent throughout the season with his production, especially for a freshman. He had a huge game in the bowl game against Wake Forest (12 receptions, 112 yards, TD). Ausmon was a Freshman All-SEC choice and could be a candidate for the bigger league honors if things go right for him in 2018.

6. Johnathon Johnson, junior, Missouri: Although Johnson is only 5'10 and 185 pounds, the Memphis native has been an excellent big play threat for both of his years in college. He's averaging about 18 yards per catch over two seasons, and he became a more consistent contributor in 2017. Johnson caught 10 passes in a game against Auburn last year, and he also had 100 yard games against two non-Power Five opponents. He had six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown against Kentucky in the Tigers' game at Kroger Field. Johnson announced his arrival as a big-time player in the 2016 season finale against Arkansas, that carried over to 2017, and with J'Mon Moore gone and Drew Lock back, he'll have ample opportunities to become an All-SEC player.

7. Terry Godwin, senior, Georgia: The Bulldogs' receivers didn't put the numbers they might otherwise have in a different system with different personnel in the backfield, but even as UGA's number two wide out Godwin had 38 catches, 639 yards and six touchdowns deferring only to Javon Wims, who exhausted his eligibility after the '17 season. With Wims gone and Fromm poised to throw more, perhaps, Godwin could be in line for a big 2018. His return is a big boost for UGA's offense.