AJ Little, Southern Miss WR: the 2026 season story
AJ Little is a junior wide receiver for Southern Miss (Sun Belt). He ranks 338th of 988 wide receivers in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every wide receiver on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked wide receiver, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. AJ Little's strongest measure is catch rate at 68%, 119th of 485 (the average is 61%). His weakest is target share at 12%, 389th of 485 (the average is 17%).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His receiving yards per game, 36, ranks 256th among 485 ranked wide receivers.
Against every wide receiver
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked wide receivers he sits, on average, in the 34th percentile for volume, 72nd for efficiency and 43rd for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 7 games, AJ Little's best came in week 6 at Troy and his quietest in week 9 at UL Monroe.
When it matters
Why it matters. Third downs, the red zone and games against good teams are where drives and seasons are decided.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every wide receiver on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. AJ Little is 242nd of 485 FBS wide receivers and 26th of 55 in the Sun Belt. Next up nationally is Audric Harris of Hawai'i, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. A player's track record is the best guide to whether a season like this one is likely to last. This is his best season by the Player Index so far, out of 2 we have.
Wide receivers like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Tyren Hornes of UCF.
