By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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In a sport often defined by big plays and momentum, Jaylen Waddle is both waiting to happen.

While Jaylen Waddle has remained a productive and important part of Alabama’s famed receiver rotation, the versatile sophomore has continued his emergence as one of the great return specialists in a generation. Waddle, in addition to catching 24 passes, is, far and away, college football’s premier punt returner. He currently averages 25.27 yards per attempt, nearly seven yards higher than the next qualified contender. For point of reference, Waddle’s rate is nearly twice that of the next Power Five specialists with 15 tries, Auburn’s Christian Tutt at 13.60.

Remarkably, the only players this millennium with a minimum average of 25 yards per punt return on at least 15 attempts are Ted Ginn, Jr., Maurice Jones-Drew and Waddle. He is on pace, with that margin, to finish in the top five in college football history. If Waddle can get to 26 yards per return, he would move into second place all-time. Jones-Drew’s record of 28.5 yards a return is realistically within reach.

This past weekend, Waddle showcased his wide-ranging skills in college football’s biggest game to date, taking a punt back 77 yards for a touchdown in Alabama’s loss to LSU. The big play marked a new career-long for the likely All-American, putting his multi-faceted abilities on clear display. Breaking away from an immediate defender, Waddle’s highlight stands as one of the plays of the year; he shook off the initial tackler, switched the entire width of the field and then darted up the opposite sidelines for the dramatic score.

In a sport often defined by big plays and momentum, Waddle is both waiting to happen.

Here is how amazing Waddle’s production has been. He, Damien Gary, Derek Abney, Skyler Green, Randall Cobb and Christian Kirk are the only SEC players the last 20 years with at least 1,110 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns and 600 punt return yards with two scores; Waddle, mind you, is currently in his sophomore season. Of that heralded group, Waddle has the highest career yard-per-catch average at 16.9 and second-highest punt return mark at 19.7.

Part of what makes Waddle so special is his overall proficiency. A moment, whether on offense or special teams, is all he needs. Of Waddle’s ten career touchdowns, six of them have been at least 50 yards in distance. His eight scores in FBS games have averaged an astonishing 58.3 yards per play. In Waddle’s breakout performance against Louisiana as a true freshman, he scored three times, including on a punt return of 63 yards and a record catch of 94 yards. That was Waddle’s formal introduction.

Waddle is a one-of-a-kind playmaker in the middle of a downright inimitable career. He is, without question, one of the best in all of college football at two different positions. The aforementioned punt return production has Waddle climbing the all-time charts.

As Alabama’s contest with LSU showed, Waddle, returning a punt for a touchdown, makes plays in an all-out sprint. Already, he is chasing history next.