Ole Miss football did not pull the upset of Georgia on Saturday. However, wide receiver Dayton Wade made the catch of the year and it is not up for debate.
Odell Beckham Jr. was long considered to have made the greatest one-handed catch of all-time against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. The Rebels’ 5-foot-9, 175-pound pass-catcher made OBJ’s effort look easy.
Wade, who transferred from Western Kentucky in 2022, recently earned a scholarship at Ole Miss. He has 43 catches for 647 yards and three touchdowns and continues to make ridiculous highlight reel grabs week-in and week-out. None greater than Saturday.
Wade was completely parallel to the ground, to where he was literally on the Y axis of a linear plane. His hand somehow held onto the ball and he was able to actually secure the catch before hitting the turf.
The on-field, sideline angle is even more impressive. Wade had no business coming down with the catch.
Ole Miss posted another set of angles on Monday afternoon. It was a freakish effort that deserves all of its shine, even in defeat.
Standing not far from where the catch happened was quarterback Jaxson Dart and two Rebels fans. The two guys were astonished by Wade’s snag. The girl in the middle’s mind was blown.
Her reaction was captured in real-time by the Rebels’ videographer and her expression says all that needs to be said. She could not believe what Wade had just done.
Dayton Wade was responsible for the college football catch of the year. The female Ole Miss fan on the sideline was responsible for the reaction of the year. Her face is everything that is great about sports.
Something as simple as a meaningless catch during the fourth quarter can end become an all-time highlight!