ChicagoLand's Top Pass-Catching Duos

Everyone loves a good dynamic duo! And before we head into the new year, I thought it would be a good idea to shed light on some of the amazing talents in the Chicagoland area, more specifically, the pass-catching duos. This list will only contain players who have confirmed they will be playing this winter—fingers crossed we have a season— so big names like [player_tooltip player_id="20213" first="Dante" last="Reynolds"] and [player_tooltip player_id="20209" first="Lewis" last="Bond"] are not featured in this article. I’ll be the first to say it, I feel horrible for the defensive coordinators that have to come up with a scheme to stop these duos—best wishes. So without further ado, let’s get to know some of Chicagoland’s most dynamic pass-catching duos....   [player_tooltip player_id="20843" first="Malik" last="Elzy"] & [player_tooltip player_id="20261" first="George" last="Gumbs"], Simeon Wolverines <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-88645" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4167-300x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="280" /> Elzy already has an offer from Michigan after a stellar freshman season at Simeon. He has a rare combination of size and speed coupled with excellent leaping ability to attack the ball at its highest point. He can either be a go-to-possession receiver or a threat to beat you deep—pick your poison. His running mate, [player_tooltip player_id="20261" first="George" last="Gumbs"], just recently committed to NIU and is one of the craftier receivers in Illinois’ ’21 class. His great footwork allows him to run crisp routes and create the separation he needs to get open. Gumbs has a long stride and uses it to eat up a DBs cushion in an instant. I consider him a big-play possession receiver with the height and length to win any jump ball and projects with excellent red zone ability. Hopefully IHSA has a football season so we can get a chance to watch this duo take the field one last time.   [player_tooltip player_id="20887" first="Eian" last="Pugh"] & [player_tooltip player_id="20890" first="Max" last="Reese"], Fenwick Friars Pugh has recently committed to Cincinnati and Reese currently holds an offer from Arizona State. In 2019, this dynamic duo put up a combined 100 receptions, 1,599 yards, and 15 TD’s, not bad for a couple of sophomores who were also selected to the ESCC/CCL All-Conference team. This duo is as versatile as they come. Pugh has incredible length and an above-average wingspan to go up and get the ball at its highest point. He has excellent body control and can contort his body to make difficult catches look routine. Pugh is an all-around receiver, but the deep ball is where he makes his money on the field. Reese on the other hand is the security blanket QBs dream of. This kid just has a knack for finding the ball and is equally effective when lined up out wide, in the slot, or from the TE position. And at 6’3 200lbs, he’s a load to bring down once the ball is in his hands and is an underrated deep ball threat. It’s going to be bombs away whenever this tandem takes the field again.   [player_tooltip player_id="20836" first="Carnell" last="Tate"] & [player_tooltip player_id="65877" first="Ryan" last="Sims"], Marist Redhawks <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-88647" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4157-300x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="280" /> My popcorn is ready; because for the next three years, we all get the privilege of watching this duo wreak havoc on opposing secondary’s. Barring some sort of catastrophic collapse, I believe this duo can be one of the tops in the nation by the time they’re seniors. Tate is as smooth as they come and has already garnered a ton of interest from P5 schools with his elite skillset. He’s an excellent route runner that catches just about anything thrown his way—reminds me of a primed-up AJ Green. One thing I can say about Sims is that he loves to compete. I got a chance to see a lot of him this offseason because he shows up to ball wherever the competition is—BOOM, Heroh League, Rise and Fire, private workouts, etc., etc. Just like his partner in crime, he’s also a good route runner who’s light on his feet. When it’s all said and done, this kid can end up being a 6’6” elusive playmaking possession receiver that’s a nightmare in the RedZone. Good luck to all the defensive coordinators that have come up with a scheme to stop these two studs.   [player_tooltip player_id="20878" first="Tyler" last="Morris"] & [player_tooltip player_id="20882" first="Quentrell" last="Harris"], Nazareth Academy Roadrunners How good is [player_tooltip player_id="20878" first="Tyler" last="Morris"]? Just take a look at a few of the schools who’ve already offered him (Florida, Texas, Notre Dame, Michigan) and that should say enough about how elite this kid is. Morris is a complete receiver. He’s fast—I mean really fast. He’s a route running tactician, has elite hands, but it’s his football IQ that separates him from the bunch. He’s a cerebral athlete who can read defenses and find the soft spots in a zone. He’s going to require a lot of attention whenever he’s on the field, which bodes well for Nazareth’s other receiver [player_tooltip player_id="20882" first="Quentrell" last="Harris"]. There would be a lot more buzz surrounding the transfer from Lyons had COVID not interfered with Illinois’ season. Harris is another receiver whose versatility allows him to thrive on the field. He can line up in the slot or out-wide and creates a ton of separation with his crisp route-running. Explosive off the line and can eat up as DBs cushion in the blink of an eye. What I love about Harris the most is his leaping ability. This kid can flat out go get the rock and does so with regularity. I’m just glad this duo graduates in 2022 because now I get two more seasons to watch them rip apart secondaries.   [player_tooltip player_id="20883" first="Jalil" last="Martin"] & Logan Lester, Kenwood Broncos <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-88674" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4170-300x279.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="279" /> This is by far the best duo you haven’t heard of. I mean, It’s easy to get overshadowed when you’re playing behind guys like Dante’ Reynolds, [player_tooltip player_id="20209" first="Lewis" last="Bond"], and [player_tooltip player_id="20341" first="Myles" last="Mooyoung"]. This duo is young, but they’re ready to go and is more than capable of being recognized as one of the best WR duos in the state. Martin currently holds offers from Bowling Green and Syracuse. This kid is a strong receiver at 6’3 190lbs that’s going to pose a physical mismatch for DBs trying to cover him. He’s a solid route runner who seems to have a knack for getting open. His partner in crime Logan Lester is another one of those gifted athletes in Illinois’ heralded C/O ’23. I got a chance to watch him up close at the Heroh League and this kid is already physically put together. He showed great poise and approached every rep like it was just another day at the office. Currently holds an offer from Boston College Shout out to the coaches over at Kenwood Academy—they sure do know how to produce big-time receivers because the upside of Martin and Lester is through the roof. #HorsePower   Jacob Bostick & Alex Clue, Palatine Pirates Bostciks’ stock has risen exponentially over the past few months, and along the way, he’s picked up an offer from Indiana State. I think people underestimate Bostciks’ size, he’s not a small receiver by any means, add to the fact that he’s a track athlete who’s a route running aficionado are the reasons why I have been preaching since day 1 that he’s one of the best receivers in the state—and let’s not forget, he’s a jump ball maestro, if the ball is in the air, he’s coming down with it. His teammate, Alex Clue, is an athlete who’s flying under the radar. If you’re looking for speed, then look no further. This kid can flat out fly. He’s a competent route runner that can be a nightmare when lined up in the slot. Clue is the type of player that you just have to get the ball in his hands and watch him go. This duo possesses a ton of speed and I predict we’ll see a lot of deep balls being thrown as a result.   [player_tooltip player_id="20868" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] & _________, St. Rita Mustangs <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-62335" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/4C848CD9-09C8-4669-96E4-B07781D84003-rotated-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> One of the best players in the state regardless of class and arguably one of the top players in the nation—[player_tooltip player_id="20868" first="Kaleb" last="Brown"] is the real deal. He doesn’t have a partner in crime for this article because I wasn’t able to confirm whether or not his teammate [player_tooltip player_id="20355" first="Henry" last="Wilson Jr."] would be playing this season since he’s already committed to WMU. Although Brown’s primary position is running back, he could easily be considered one of the best receivers in the C/O ’22. Have you seen him in those BOOM 7-on-7s? His route running is off the charts, I mean this kid probably runs routes better than some of the pros. He’s a big-time playmaker with strong hands and is a threat to hit paydirt whenever he touches the field. Brown currently holds an offer from just about everywhere and quite frankly, whoever he’s paired up with, they’re going to be considered one of the best duos.