In his quest to be the best, LSU junior wide receiver Josh Reed often quizzed quarterback Rohan Davey about Miami's Santana Moss last season.

"He was always asking questions," said Davey, who grew up in Miami playing football with Moss, who was a first-round draft pick in April. "He wanted to know, 'What's he do, what's he eat?' He's always looking to get an edge."

Reed called it "attention to detail and being reliable." Those traits served him well last season in his first full year at wide receiver after being converted from tailback.

Reed enjoyed one of the greatest seasons ever by an LSU receiver.

His 65 receptions were the third-highest single-season total in school history, and his 1,127 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns both ranked second. He tied a school-record with six 100-yard receiving games, and equaled an LSU bowl record with nine receptions in the Tigers' 28-14 victory over Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.

"Josh had a phenomenal season," coach Nick Saban said. "It's unusual for a player to come out of the woodwork and make such improvement. His challenge is to get better and better."

The 5-11, 200-pound Reed accepts that challenge,

"I know the things I have to do," he said, "and I know what it took to get me to where I am. The best thing has been my teammates. They've been great. They have my back. They push me not to settle for less."

It helps, too, that Reed has been blessed with sure hands, strong cutting ability for precise routes, and a knack for running with the ball honed during his days in the backfield. Nearly 400 of his receiving yards last season came after the catch.

"Having played running back, I'm used to cutting a lot and going against big guys inside," he said.

"It's the same thing (at wide receiver), but I don't have to dodge a bunch of tacklers. It's fun being in the open field one-on-one."

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