Jake Coker's pass was thrown deep down the middle of the field.
Near the end zone, it was Alabama freshman wide receiver Calvin Ridley vs. two members of arguably the most talented secondary in the country, including a first-team All-SEC cornerback -- Vernon Hargreaves -- whom CBS Sports projects will be a first round pick in next year's NFL draft.
Ridley came down with the ball, leaping and making a contested catch between the two players inside the 5-yard line for a 55-yard gain during the Crimson Tide's 29-15 win over Florida in the SEC championship game last week.
Ridley had gotten behind Hargreaves. He then slowed down, adjusted and jumped to catch a Coker pass that was a little underthrown.
Hargreaves was responsible for covering Amari Cooper during Alabama's 42-21 win over the Gators last year, tasked with following Cooper wherever he lined up. Cooper, the former Tide star wide receiver and the No. 4 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, finished with 10 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. "Obviously I couldn't cover him then," Hargreaves said before laughing. "He killed us. He killed us. ... Every time the ball came his way, he caught it."
To Hargreaves, Ridley -- who caught eight passes for 102 yards last week -- is "actually a lot like Coop."
"He does some of the same moves, some of the same things," Hargreaves said Wednesday night in Atlanta prior to Thursday's College Football Awards show. "He can run very well. He can catch the ball very well. He understands the offense. And I think more than anything, they're both competitors. They're ultimate competitors. They want to compete. When the ball's in the air, they're going to come down with it, and that's their mentality."
Comparisons are easy to make.
Cooper and Ridley are both from South Florida. Both are 6-foot-1. Cooper was around 180 pounds as a high school senior before bulking up to 210 pounds at Alabama. Ridley is 188 pounds.
Like Cooper, Ridley has emerged as the Tide's go-to wide receiver and one of the top young offensive players in the country as a freshman.
Ranked by Rivals as the top wide receiver prospect in this year's recruiting class, Ridley shared playing time with starter Robert Foster during Alabama's first two games.
Ridley's role grew after Foster suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during the Tide's third game.
He leads Alabama with 75 catches and 893 yards. He is tied for the team-lead with five touchdowns.
A second-team All-SEC selection, Ridley has 62 catches for 806 yards and all of his touchdowns during the last 10 games after replacing Foster as a starter.
"To me, Calvin looks like he can play in the NFL right now as a receiver," Tide star linebacker Reggie Ragland said Wednesday. "... He's going to be a top-tier guy before it's all said and done."
Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has coached two of the last three Fred Biletnikoff Award winners -- Cooper and former USC wide receiver Marqise Lee.
Kiffin said during the summer that Ridley has the potential to be a similar type of player.
If anything, Ridley has exceeded expectations as a freshman.
"I ain't never seen a freshman go up and get the ball and make as many catches like him," Ragland said. "I know Coop did that when he was here. But like Vernon said, I see a lot of Coop in him. He's got a chance to be good like Coop."