Boom Showcase Day 2 Standouts: WRs

I played the WR position, and I’ve studied it endlessly over the years, so when it comes to spotting WR talent, I’m pretty good at it. Let's just say that last night’s Boom Showcase wasn’t short of WR talent. Having the opportunity to see these kids up close gave me a better appreciation of just how talented they are. I got a chance to focus on their skills during the individual drills, and watching them compete in the 1-on-1’s was something special. So without further ado, here are the receivers who caught my eye and stood out the most. &nbsp; Cam Pickett, Chicago (Brooks) ‘22 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-42099" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/unnamed-13-175x300.jpg" alt="" width="175" height="300" /> Pickett showed last night that he belongs in the conversation as one of the best WRs in the state. He’s got all the tools you need to be a dominant receiver. This kid is already physically built up, has strong hands, great speed, and runs crisp and precise routes. He looked like a man amongst boys last night and was almost unguardable during 1-on-1s. Pickett is now one of my favorite players and someone to keep an eye on. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="20843" first="Malik" last="Elzy"], Simeon ‘23 Getting a chance to see Malik up close and personally validated everything I’ve been saying about this kid for the past few months. He’s on another level to only be a sophomore, and his upside is through the roof. Has good speed and overwhelms most DBs with his size and strength off the line. He can either be a go-to possession receiver or threat to beat you deep—pick your poison. &nbsp; Marcus Smith, Crystal Lake South ‘22 Smith is a flat out burner on the field. There aren’t many DBs that are going to be able to stick with him in man coverage. On top of his peed, I liked the fact that he’s a skilled route runner. I always say it’s a deadly combination for a player to run great routes and be fast at the same time, and Smith can do both. He also displayed great hands and the ability to track the ball in the air. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="20228" first="Kyree" last="Shirley"], Freeport ‘21 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-42091" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/unnamed-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> He wasn’t on my radar before last night’s showcase, but after watching him perform, he now has one of the loudest blips on my radar. Shirley was an absolute beast at the Boom showcase. He’s a big reliable receiver who just kept making plays the entire night. He had a diving catch across the middle the literally dropped everyone’s jaw. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="20836" first="Carnell" last="Tate"], Marist ‘23 It was business as usual for the #1 player in the C/O ’23. He was cool, calm, and collected every time he approached the line. I made it my business to look at the demeanor of the DBs when they lined up against him, and I can tell, not that many of them were confident they could handle Carnell. He plays at a different pace and makes everything he does on the field look easy. He already has the size, speed, and playmaking abilities to be great, but what stood out the most to me was the ability to run crisp and precise routes. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="20887" first="Eian" last="Pugh"], Fenwick ‘22 Pugh is a different breed. The scary part is, he has two more high school seasons left to dominate. Showed incredible reach and length to go up and get the ball at its highest point. He was consistently beating DBs off the line with ease and left the showcase proving why he’s one of the top receivers in the state.