Caullin Lacy is on a roll rarely seen anywhere, and certainly not at South Alabama.

The junior wide receiver has totaled a school-record five straight 100-yard games, a streak he’ll try to keep alive when the Jaguars (3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) host Southern Miss (1-5, 0-3) on Tuesday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium. South Alabama coach Kane Wommack expects the Golden Eagles to go all out to slow down Lacy, which few opponents have been able to do this season.

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“When you look at game-planning for us, Caullin Lacy has to be a piece of what you’re trying to take away,” Wommack said. “And he continues to make plays, which is really awesome. … Caullin is so consistent and he’s in the right place so often, that he allows himself to be able to make a play, and then obviously make yards after catch. That’s what’s been really impressive about him. He’s just relentless in his consistency right now.”

After getting held relatively in check by Tulane (7 receptions, 60 yards) in the 2023 season-opener, Lacy has rolled off totals of 139, 104, 132, 132 and 156 yards in his last five games. He’s scored touchdowns in four of six games, twice in two of them.

In six games this season, Lacy has caught 39 passes for 723 yards and six touchdowns, an average of 120.5 yards per game and 18.5 yards per catch. Those numbers have put him in elite company nationally.

Lacy’s receiving yardage total is fourth among FBS players, behind only LSU’s Malik Nabers (860), Missouri’s Luther Burden (808) and Washington’s Rome Odunze (736). Nabers and Burden have played one more game than Lacy, however.

Caullin Lacy’s 2023 game-by-game stats

In receiving yards per game, he’s behind just Nabers (122.9) and Odunze (122.7). And of FBS players with more than 35 receptions this season, only South Carolina’s Xavier Legette has a higher yards-per-catch average (19.3).

Of Lacy’s six touchdowns this season, none have been cheapies. All have been what coaches term “explosive” plays, covering 35, 39, 44, 57, 72 and a school-record 84 yards vs. Southeastern Louisiana in Week 2.

“He’s really good at football, that’s for sure,” quarterback Carter Bradley said. “He stepped up into a huge role. … Caullin’s done an unbelievable job of taking that ‘Wide Receiver 1′ role and he’s helping that room tremendously. I can’t be more proud of him.”

Lacy’s development has been even more impressive — and more necessary — given the circumstances. He joined with Jalen Wayne and Devin Voisin in 2022 to form a highly productive receiver trio for the Jaguars, a group that totaled 187 receptions, 2,502 yards and 20 touchdowns as South Alabama went 10-3.

Wayne graduated, but Lacy and Voisin returned this year to form arguably the top receiving duo in the Sun Belt Conference. That changed in Week 2, however, as Voisin was lost with a season-ending knee injury.

“You graduate one, you lose one to injury, then suddenly one of your top three guys is remaining three games into the season. So that’s a shock,” offensive coordinator Major Applewhite said. “For Caullin to continue to produce that way, week-in and week-out, has been phenomenal and it’s something our offense needs. When you put the ball in 4′s hands, he makes plays.”

Said Lacy, “I’m just trying to take in what I can, try to do what I can. I really just want to step up for the team and play big, do what I can, what I’m supposed to do. I don’t want to change who I am. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing.”

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Lacy came to South Alabama from just across town at Faith Academy, where he was a three-sport standout for the Rams. He was an all-state performer at running back, totaling 1,842 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior.

Lacy had limited experience catching the football, however, something he struggled with initially when moved to receiver as a freshman at South Alabama in 2020. Nevertheless, he has blossomed into one of the best in the conference and in program history, with 155 receptions, 1,924 yards and 11 touchdowns in 3 ½ seasons.

Lacy credits wide receivers coach Michael Smith, a former All-American at Kansas State, with his development. Smith joined the Jaguars along with Wommack’s staff in 2021.

“I was just trying to get on the field (as a freshman), and I knew I had to get better as a receiver,” Lacy said. “My first year was really rough, because I didn’t know how receiver really worked, how to run routes. But when Coach Smith got here, I felt like a whole other person, because I was learning from a pro. I just learned from him and I’m still learning every day.”

Lacy is on the Watch List for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl, so it’s possible this could be his last season at South Alabama even though he is eligible to return for a fifth year thanks to the COVID waiver granted all players for 2020. He is second in school history in receptions (behind Jalen Tolbert) and third in yardage (behind Tolbert and Wayne), and could hold both records by the time he’s done in college.

Lacy has been able to model pieces of his game after some of the top players in South Alabama history, who also happened to play his position. In addition to Wayne and Voisin, he said he’s been influenced by former Jaguars (and eventual NFL draft picks) Tolbert and Kawaan Baker.

“I took a lot from those guys,” Lacy said. “KB (Baker) was a big, strong receiver, ran good routes. Tolbert, I learned from his hands and his feet. I just learned from all of them.”

Kickoff for South Alabama-Southern Miss Tuesday is set for 6:30 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN2.