John Metchie Named Canada’s Outstanding College Football Player

Alabama receiver John Metchie III received the Jon Cornish Trophy for Canada's outstanding college football player on Monday afternoon. The wide receiver became the fourth player to win the trophy, along with Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard and Ohio State's Nathan Rourke, who won it back-to-back years.

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Metchie finished with a total of 94 votes and eight first-place votes, barely edging out Oklahoma State's Amen Ogbongbemiga by three votes. Tennessee wide receiver Josh Palmer came in third place, followed by Alonzo Addae (West Virginia), Chuba Hubbard, and Alaric Jackson (Iowa).

The Brampton, Ontario native finished last season with 55 receptions, 916 yards, and six receiving touchdowns and was added to the Biletnikoff Award watch list. Metchie started as the third receiver but expanded his role after Jaylen Waddle went down with an injury at Tennessee. He ranked in the SEC's top-10 receivers for receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, yards per game and yards per catch. Metchie's most prominent came in the season opener against Texas A&M, where he scored two touchdowns on five receptions with 181 yards.

With DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle off in the NFL, Metchie is projected to be Bryce Young's top target next season and is the only returning receiver who has made more than three starts. Freshman Agiye Hall and Ohio State transfer Jameson Williams will join Metchie to add to a depleted wide-receiver room and give Young a few more targets.

Several way-too-early mock drafts, like NBC Sports, have Metchie projected as a first-round draft pick for the 2022 draft if he decides to forgo his senior season. Alabama will need the Canada native for his experience as the Tide kicks off the hunt for the seventh national championship against Miami in Atlanta on Sept. 4 at 2:30 p.m.