With Courtland Sutton in tow, SMU might be home to the best wide receiver in college football.
At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds (school measurements), Sutton is big, tough and confident. He makes his debut in the #CFBTop25 countdown after racking up 76 catches for 1,246 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.
The junior has been likened to BuccaneersPro Bowl WR Mike Evans by NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah. Sutton needs to tighten up his route running and it might take him some time to adjust once he gets into a pro-style offense, but his upside is undeniable.
Pulling back the curtain on the vote
Sutton received votes from six of seven CFB 24/7 experts, including one top-12 vote. Four of the six votes he received fell in the Nos. 22-24 range of the rankings. Two wide receivers are ahead of him in the #CFBTop25 countdown, but NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein ranks him the No. 1 player at the position to watch heading into 2017.
What some of our analysts are saying about Sutton
"Big, athletic 'chain mover' with strong hands and outstanding ball skills. Sutton is a WR1 in the mold of Marques Colston with a little more explosiveness as a downfield playmaker." -- Bucky Brooks
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"Sutton is a big, physical wideout for the Mustangs. He can play outside or in the slot and he's a matchup nightmare in the red zone." -- Daniel Jeremiah
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"Sutton has been a favorite of NFL scouts for a while now. He has very good size, uses tricks that an NFL veteran would use to get open, and he's extremely tough when asked to make contested catches." -- Lance Zierlein
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"NFL quarterbacks are going to love throwing the ball up to Sutton downfield. His height, huge hands, and strider's speed allow him to win nearly every 50/50 ball." -- Chad Reuter
Where do fans rank Sutton?
We asked Twitter users who they considered the best player in college football. Sutton didn't receive a vote. It's not surprising that fans might not be familiar with Sutton, as he plays for a program that doesn't get much national attention. He's firmly on the radar for NFL scouts, though.
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