Receiving Leaders Midway through the Spring Season

Now that the spring’s regular season has officially reached the halfway mark, it is time to take a look at some of the stat leaders in 11-man football. We covered the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/04/passing-leaders-midway-through-the-spring-season/">passing leaders</a>, now it’s time to highlight the players on the receiving end of the quarterbacks’ completions. All of these wide receivers have worked hard to claim their place in the spotlight by putting on a show every time they step onto the field. Many of these players have been able to show their athleticism as a receiver, rusher, and defender. Here is a quick rundown of ten of the top receiving targets through the first half of the season. JD McCown | Estes Park | 6’0”, 170lbs | 2021 WR/DL McCown is one of a few beneficiaries of a pass-heavy offense. So far, he has racked up 38 receptions for 735 yards and six touchdowns. At this rate, McCown is on pace to be the leading receiver in the state between both 2020-21 seasons. [caption id="attachment_56165" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-56165 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/F595A476-B92B-4ADA-8B41-3F52B9EEC63F-300x240.jpeg" alt="Colorado Wild Sports" width="300" height="240" /> [player_tooltip player_id="242109" first="Rashad" last="Caldwell"] (right)[/caption] Greg Garnett | Sand Creek | 5’8”, 170lbs | 2021 WR As a receiver, Garnett has accounted for 21 receptions for 402 yards and six touchdowns. In the ground game, he has racked up 22 carries for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Add his special teams yards, and Garnett has put himself just over 700 all-purpose yards. [player_tooltip player_id="242109" first="Rashad" last="Caldwell"] | Denver South | 6’1”, 180lbs | 2023 WR/DB Caldwell has had a standout season so far. Over the course of the first three games, he has racked up 13 receptions for 301 yards and six touchdowns. As of now, he has managed to end each game with a pair of receiving touchdowns.   Gabriel Espinosa | The Academy | 6’2”, 175lbs | 2021 WR/CB Espinosa has reached the season’s halfway point with 28 receptions for 283 yards and two touchdowns. As a defensive back, Espinosa has recorded one interception on the season so far. <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9753222/605ecb3aa681210dd8f94b3c’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9753222/605ecb3aa681210dd8f94b3c" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> River Stout | Mountain Range | 6’4”, 185lbs | 2021 WR/DE Stout has five receptions for 211 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the first three games. As a pass rusher, he has been able to use his length and explosiveness to hurry quarterbacks into making errored throws. In the first two games of the season, Stout was able to force a fumble, recover a fumble, and cause an interception as a result of his relentless pass rush. <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9358681/606bdc219a9c3f1668201585’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9358681/606bdc219a9c3f1668201585" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> [player_tooltip player_id="153693" first="Trenton" last="Rowan"] | Flatirons Academy | 6’2”, 200lbs | 2022 WR/LB/K Rowan has tallied 13 receptions for 187 yards and six touchdowns during the first half of the season. He has accounted for two forced fumbles on the defensive side of the ball. As a kicker, Rowan has netted over 800 yards on 17 kickoffs and 166 yards on four punts. [caption id="attachment_32561" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-32561" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/Jenkins-Elite-HS-Camp71-300x184.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="184" /> [player_tooltip player_id="22709" first="Dorion" last="McGarity"] (left) and Johnny Bellino (right) competing at the Jenkins Elite Camp[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="22709" first="Dorion" last="McGarity"] | Fort Collins | 5’11”, 175lbs | 2022 WR/DB McGarity has racked up 13 receptions for 179 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. From his defensive back position, McGarity has recorded one sack, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Drake Arthur | Boulder | 6’2”, 195lbs | 2021 TE/OLB Arthur is a basketball standout and multi-sport athlete who finds ways to excel at whatever he does. Through the course of his first two games, he has totaled seven receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns. As a linebacker, Arthur has racked up 27 tackles, three sacks, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble. [caption id="attachment_129036" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-129036 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/04/EF9B8C29-390C-4E22-AA16-9202F1D57609.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Drake Arthur (left) at UNC Pad Camp 2019[/caption] Rulbe Alvarado | Basalt | 5’7”, 155lbs | 2021 WR/DB Alvarado has accounted for ten receptions for 142 yards and five touchdowns during the first half of the spring season. Defensively, he has managed seven total tackles, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. NaMarcus Williams | Denver West | 170lbs | 2022 WR/OLB Williams only has three catches on the season that have gone for a total of 127 yards and two touchdowns. He has also rushed eight times for 99 yards and one touchdown. Regardless of where he lines up, Williams is a valuable offensive weapon. <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11150926/6056b0713deb670bc8b81ec9’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11150926/6056b0713deb670bc8b81ec9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>