5 of the Best Receiver Tandems in the State

Previously in this series, we took a look at five of the most talented backfield tandems in the state entering the 2020 season. Today we take it to the air as we dive deep into five of the most talented receiver tandems that the state has to offer. The teams lucky enough to have these receivers at their disposal have become some of the most electric and high scoring offenses out there. Every drop back has the ability to end in the endzone creating a ton of stress for their opponents. So, let’s get into our first tandem coming from the Milwaukee King Generals. Milwaukee King Generals Milwaukee King fields the best receiver tandem in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="31203" first="Jerry" last="Cross"] and [player_tooltip player_id="31228" first="Angel" last="Toombs"] are not only great a great tandem, but individually they are some of the most talented receivers in the state. Cross has recently committed to play at Penn State following his 2022 graduation. On the field, you will be hard pressed to find a more dominant and physically imposing player. Cross has a huge catch radius, does a great job attacking the ball in the air, and when he boxes out defenders they have no chance of making a play on the ball. Jerry is just as impressive after the catch. He is so strong and physical with the ball in his hands, and he can pull away with his play speed. He is a eye popping athlete. Angel will, undoubtedly, become a hotter and hotter commodity as he nears his 2022 graduation. His size and catch radius are right up there with Cross and they have a lot of the same skills. Perhaps Angel’s best trait is his versatility. He can line up out wide and dominate cornerbacks, but he can also line up on the line of scrimmage as a tight end and make an impact attacking the seam or opening holes with his blocking in the run game. Just like his teammate, Toombs’ catch radius is gigantic; giving his QB a huge target. He makes his target even bigger by being able to not let the ball into his body. he is a confident hands catcher. I think that Toombs is just scratching his potential and with two seasons more of development could become a dominant WR/TE combo. Waunakee Warriors Next up, we have the Waunakee Warriors duo of 2021 WR [player_tooltip player_id="30838" first="Isaac" last="Schaaf"] and 2022 WR [player_tooltip player_id="31208" first="Andrew" last="Keller"]. Let’s take a look at what the incoming senior has to offer first. Schaaf is a fun watch when you click on the tape. He is undersized, but is doesn’t seem to effect him much. He absolutely flies around the field and is a threat from the slot or out wide. At the next level Isaac will be a terror in the slot. He is so quick and smooth in and out of his breaks and when the defense tries to give him a cushion he eats it up in no time putting a ton of pressure on the defensive back. Currently, Schaaf holds an offer from Simpson College. I expect that to be just the beginning with more exposure. As for Andrew, he is one of the top receiver prospects of the 2022 Wisconsin graduating class. He is also a great partner for Schaaf. While Isaac is attacking defenses with his speed, Keller dominates them with his size. Coming in at 6’6" and 220 lbs, Keller has legitimate FCS/FBS level talent. Similar to Cross and Toombs, Keller’s target size, his ability to box out, and the way he can catch the ball away from his body makes him indefensible. He is so physically imposing you almost overlook how athletic he is and the ability he has to create space and pull away from defenders with speed. He is one of the more complete packages at receiver in the state. Franklin Sabers The Franklin Sabers are the next exciting receiver tandem. The tandem is made up of 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="30783" first="Elliott" last="Harris"] and 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="31232" first="Keaton" last="Arendt"]. Harris at the moment is a very underrated recruit. He currently holds an offer from Bemidji State. The list needs to expand because I fully believe he has the ability to play at the D2 level. He has a very good blend of size at 6’2" 180 and speed. Elliott’s route running is one of his best traits. He is able to create a lot of separation out of his breaks giving his QB a bigger target to hit. Harris is also very aggressive at the catch point. He doesn’t wait for the ball. He goes and gets it leaving no time for defensive backs to make a play. Arendt is an up and coming receiver. He already has the size you look for and the speed to create separation and big plays when he gets the ball in his hands. While in his route, Keaton has a nose for soft spots in the defenses and he isn’t afraid to go over the middle and make a catch in traffic. He attacks the ball in the air and after the catch he plays fearless. He has no problem fighting through tackle attempts for extra yards and in the run game will recover his corner from the play. Arendt’s development will be one to watch as he looks to have the makings of a collegiate receiver. Mosinee Indians The Mosinee tandem is made up of a couple of 2021 receivers; [player_tooltip player_id="30825" first="Drayton" last="Lehman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="30856" first="Cyle" last="Kowalski"]. Don’t blink when you watch Drayton. While he doesn’t have elite size he does have elite speed. Drayton is electric with the ball in his hands and the more creative you can get with him the better. He is magic in the open field as his speed and his elusiveness make him impossible to contain. Every time he touches a ball he is a threat to score. His release work at the line of scrimmage is also impressive. When teams attempt to jam him he quickly maneuvers around them and stacks the defender. From there his speed creates separation leading to easy targets and chances for a lot of yards after the catch. Right now, Lehman holds an offer from Bemidji State as well as interest from several other Division 2 schools. The interest is well deserved and should turn into offers eventually. He is a playmaker. Cyle brings a similar skillset with a little more size. Cyle explodes off the line and is at full speed in just a few steps. He is able to hold that speed throughout his routes, which has led to his film being filmed with him catching the ball with a couple yards of separation from his defenders. Cyle is so dangerous before and after the catch point. Once he gets the ball in his hands it is off to the races. He is a threat to score with every touch because of his speed and his short area agility. It is hard to just get a hand on him after the catch. Even harder to corral him enough to tackle him. Menomonee Falls Indians Our final group of talented receiver duos is made up of 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="30821" first="Quentin" last="Redding"] and 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="31239" first="Evan" last="Redding"]. Both are extremely talented with a ton of potential. Quentin, the incoming senior, is amazing to watch. He is the best route runner in this article and one of the best in the state. His routes are so sharp and so sudden. They are impossible to cover. The amount of separation he creates is impressive, especially on his deep routes. When he works underneath he uses his excellent agility, short area quickness, and blazing speed to get his yards after the catch. His recruitment has supported his strong film. He recently picked up an offer from the new D1 school, St. Thomas as well as several D2 offers. He is going to put on a show this season for the Indians. Evan offers the same type of top end athletic traits as Quentin that can eventually be harnessed into similar route running dominance. He is both quick in short areas and fast when he gets into the open field to pull away from defenders. His change of direction demonstrates the potential he can have as a route runner. The way he can flip his hips without losing speed is impressive. It shows up in his defensive film too where he has proven to be just as effective as a defensive back. Evan is most dangerous with the ball in his hands. That is when he can put all of those athletic traits together and make plays. He is bursting with potential and considering the fact that he still has two seasons left to develop before graduation, I expect Evan to develop into a highly sought after playmaker. He has the tools. I look forward to watching his development.