There's no question AJ Brown is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
After the Tennessee Titans traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles for a couple of draft picks — one of which became Treylon Burks, who scored one touchdown this season — Brown signed a $100 million extension and set out to prove that was a bad decision.
"I wanted to make them regret that decision," Brown said.
All he did was record nearly 1,500 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, including a 119-yard performance against his former team in the Eagles' 35-10 win over the Titans in December. With Jalen Hurts under center, Brown has helped the Birds to a 14-3 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Even the Eagles' offense this year might be no match for the one Brown was on in college at Ole Miss.
DK and AJ: One Scary College WR Duo
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images (left), Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images (right)
Brown was a four-star recruit coming out of Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi. The multi-sport star was also drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, and he signed with them, but was still allowed to play college football. Despite growing up in Bulldog territory, he chose to take his talents to rival Ole Miss.
There, Brown played alongside fellow NFL star receiver DK Metcalf. The two formed a strong bond that they've kept since entering the league. At one point in 2018, the Ole Miss Rebels trotted out an offense consisting of Brown, Metcalf, Elijah Moore and Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. That's four legitimate NFL studs for a quarterback to throw to. The year before that, they had Van Jefferson at receiver too.
2018 Ole Miss had DK Metcalf & AJ Brown.
And lost 62-7 to Tua & Alabama.
What the hell man. pic.twitter.com/LZAp8PwCV0
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) November 13, 2020
Never forget that 2018 Ole Miss had
AJ Brown
DK Metcalf
Elijah Moore
Dawson KnoxThey finished 1-7 in the SEC... #Seahawks & #Titans have two of these men dominating in the league now ? pic.twitter.com/d5t1ZuDsTd
— Sami Jarjour (@SamiOnTap) March 30, 2021
Still, the Rebels never finished higher than a .500 winning percentage in Brown's three years from 2016-18. They had no business being as bad as they were considering the talent they had on offense. A 5-7 finish was enough to make Brown declare for the NFL, and the Titans selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Brown left Ole Miss with program records for career receiving yards (2,984) and single-season receiving yards (1,320), solidifying his status as the best wide receiver to ever play in Oxford.
NFL fans have now looked back at the Brown-Metcalf duo and called them one of the scariest receiver tandems in recent NCAA history. Alabama fans have plenty of players to argue against that, as do the LSU fans that have Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase to bang their chests over.
Whether Brown and Metcalf are the best will continue to be a heated discussion, but let's at least appreciate the time they spent on a very subpar Ole Miss team. Don't let anyone forget it if the Eagles make the Super Bowl.
