Julio Jones: College Football's Premiere Reciever in 2009

With the alarming rate in which juniors and red-shirt sophomores are entering the NFL Draft, the talent pool in college football will change dramatically.

There are still five more days for guys like Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford to make their final decisions on their 2009 plans, but at the wide receiver position, many guys are taking advantage to leave this year.

With the departure of Jeremy Maclin from Missouri, leading yards per game receivers Austin Collie (BYU) and Kenny Britt (Rutgers), and the rumors of Michael Crabtree announcing officially sometime soon, Julio Jones will be the best receiver in college football in 2009.

Don't believe me? Take a look at who could possibly be left to contend for this unofficial title.

• Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State will be back as a junior, but he is a smaller guy than Julio. His numbers will be more flashy due to his offense and his speed advantage over Julio, but his hands and ability to break tackles will not nearly match Julio.
• A.J. Green will also be back as Georgia as a sophomore, but will Matthew Stafford going to the NFL, the ability of the quarterback position at UGA will take a hit, and so will Green's production. With Stafford, Green could get the ball on his hands always with Stafford's accuracy, but whoever replaces Stafford at Georgia, it will definitely be a step down.
• DeAndre Brown at Southern Miss was also one of the more highly recruited guys out of high school last year with Jones and Green, but suffered a horrible leg break in the bowl game against Troy. The break was similar to what happened to former Alabama receiver Tyrone Prothro, but Brown should be ready for the season next year. Brown will definitely be hindered by the injury, especially with how bad of a break it was.

So, with all that said, why will Julio be the guy in college football?

For starters, as mentioned earlier, he has some of the best hands in college football. Unlike some receivers who have to bring the ball in to their chest, Jones can catch it away from his body. This allows him to get balls that may be a foot or two ahead of him and not worrying about breaking stride or having to lay out for those kinds of passes. His catch across the middle against Georgia that got to the two yard line was one of his most impressive of the season.

Secondly, he will be the most physically dominant receiver. Jones repeatedly carried multiple defensive players for yards at a time after the catch and never went down on first contact between the numbers. At the same time, he can use his size to put himself in position to be the only one able to catch a football, with his best example coming against LSU in overtime.

Third, he can break away from defensive backs when necessary. Jones may not look like a fast receiver, but his size makes him look deceptively quick. If Jones can get outside, he can manage to break away from his defender, especially if someone decides to use single coverage on him. Even in a zone, Jones will also use his size to help break away, a la his 77-yard reception against Florida.

Finally, Jones will have a quarterback with better accuracy than John Parker Wilson next season. Whether it's Greg McElroy, Star Jackson, or even A.J. McCarron, the ability of Alabama's quarterback to place the football on the receiver will be improved. John Parker Wilson definitely improved his accuracy this season, but there were still times when Jones was overthrown or missed on an easy route. Those possible catches should become actual catches in 2009, resulting in a 1,000 yard season for Jones.

That package of abilities and skills that Julio Jones possesses makes him the odds on favorite to be the best receiver in college football. If Jones can get a reliable receiver his opposite, such as a consistent Mike McCoy, Brandon Gibson, or maybe the signature of Reuben Randle or Patrick Patterson, Jones' abilities will be given more chances with the football and be an even greater threat.