Top 6 WR/RB Combos in NJ for 2021 and 2022

The New Jersey top 100 is littered with talent at skill positions, with 19 running backs and nine receivers making the list of 2021’s. Nine other receivers follow suit in the the 2022 class, which features 16 running backs of it’s own. For schools like St. Augustine Prep, Holy Spirit, West Orange, Timber Creek, Hasbrouck Heights, and West Essex, they’re lucky enough to feature a duo of players at both RB and WR from our rankings - keeping defenses honest with talent at both positions. Here is a look at some of those dynamic duos throughout the state. <strong>1. 2021 WR [player_tooltip player_id="27864" first="Carnell" last="Davis"]/2022 RB [player_tooltip player_id="27984" first="Kanye" last="Udoh"] - St. Augustine Prep</strong> Davis is the sixth ranked player in the 2021 class, and the top receiver. Committed to Rutgers, Davis is a speedster that adjusts his body to the ball well. With strong hands and the ability to catch away from his frame, Davis is a threat at all levels of the field. His teammate, running back [player_tooltip player_id="27984" first="Kanye" last="Udoh"], is the 26th ranked player in the 2022 class and second running back. Recently named in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/08/atlantic-county-top-offensive-weapons/">top offensive weapons out of Atlantic County</a>, Udoh plays with rare burst and contact balance. Excelling at making the first man miss after breaking the line of scrimmage, Udoh is a home run hitter that displays the patience and blocking prowess to be an every down back. <strong>2. 2021 WR [player_tooltip player_id="27884" first="Jayson" last="Raines"]/2021 RB [player_tooltip player_id="27898" first="Shakhi" last="Carson"] - West Orange</strong> Raines is the second ranked receiver behind Davis in the 2021 rankings, coming in at 26th overall. A monster after the catch, Raines excels at creating leverage against defensive backs and boxing them out at the catch point. This is a prototypical bad-ball catcher with a powerful lower body and sudden release. A Kent State commit, [player_tooltip player_id="27898" first="Shakhi" last="Carson"] is the 40th overall player in the 2021 class. Changing directions on a dime, Carson lowers his shoulder to finish runs and is a natural glider when running both between the tackles and outside. <strong>3. 2022 WR [player_tooltip player_id="27988" first="Elijah" last="Steward"]/2021 RB [player_tooltip player_id="27903" first="Patrick" last="Smith"] - Holy Spirit</strong> Steward is the highest ranked 2022 receiver without a college commitment, behind only future Maryland Terrapin [player_tooltip player_id="27965" first="Amari" last="Clark"]. At 30th overall, Steward is a precise route runner that can jump out of a stadium. Catching back shoulder passes with ease, Steward’s best reps come in space as a slot target. It doesn’t take long for Steward to get up to speed with the ball in his hands as a strong open field runner with soft hands. Smith is the 45th ranked player in the 2021 class, taking his talents to Colorado State. Able to run skinny through the hole and break ankles in the open field, Smith carried Holy Spirit to a non-public state championship last season with 1,338 yards and 19 touchdowns. <strong>4. 2021 WR [player_tooltip player_id="27927" first="Kolby" last="Miller"]/2021 [player_tooltip player_id="27874" first="Johnny" last="Martin"] - Timber Creek</strong> Miller saw most of his snaps in the secondary as a Junior, where the 6’2" athlete stands out on tape as a physically impressive DB with great instincts. He’s also seen time at WR and QB as the 69th ranked 2021 prospect. It’s the offensive backfield that stands out for Timber Creek. [player_tooltip player_id="27874" first="Johnny" last="Martin"] ranks only behind [player_tooltip player_id="27865" first="Audric" last="Estime"] at running back, committed to Temple as the 16th overall 2021. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/08/timber-creek-offense-gets-boost-for-2020-season/">He joins the team as a transfer from Highland Regional this season</a>. A blur on tape, Martin explodes through arm tackles and turns the corner with ease. Timber Creek also features [player_tooltip player_id="28033" first="Semaj" last="Black"], the 75th overall 2022. Carrying the ball just 23 times last season, Black can find a larger role in 2020 complimenting Martin as a more physical runner with ideal size for the next level. <strong>5. 2022 WR [player_tooltip player_id="28011" first="Chris" last="Corbo"]/2021 RB [player_tooltip player_id="27950" first="Chris" last="Bell"] - West Essex</strong> Corbo sits just outside the top 50 in the 2022 rankings at 53rd overall. A massive target for West Essex, Corbo is the focal point of their offense on tape. This is a player that can create yards after the catch on screen passes, return kickoffs, and also be a deep threat at his size. Corbo excels at beating defensive backs across the face and winning in-breaking routes to dominate the middle of the field. Bell possesses a similar mix of size and speed, light on his feet with a thick upper body. Always falling forward as a runner, Bell creates dirty yards with a lower center of balance, but also shows some wiggle in the open field to evade defenders. <strong>6. 2022 WR [player_tooltip player_id="28045" first="Jake" last="Diaz"]/2022 RB [player_tooltip player_id="28029" first="Hunter" last="Freschi"] - Hasbrouck Heights </strong> The future is bright for Hasbrouck Heights on offense thanks to this pair of 2022 prospects. Freschi ranks ahead of Diaz at 71st overall, though both are in the top 100 with Diaz at 87. Diaz is a two way player capable of playing single high safety, flipping his hips to cover the entire back half for a defense. As a receiver, Diaz shows off a compact release with above average hand placement to stun press cornerbacks. Freschi is an even more versatile player, setting the edge as both a linebacker and fullback. Playing as the end man on the line of scrimmage on offense, Freschi is a more-than-willing blocker that creates push with his lower body. When he was featured with the ball in his hands, Freschi shows some nimbleness as a runner. A fluid athlete with good vision, this is a player coaches trusted as he saw reps in all three special teams phases as well. <hr /> With only three of these twelve players committed to play college football, there should be no shortage of running back and wide receiver talent coming off the board throughout New Jersey through this season and next - a state known for standout RBs, while also making a splash at WR.