2023 Top Impact Wide Receivers: Part 1

A playmaking wide receiver can amaze a crowd, energize a team and lead the charge to a championship. As such, colleges scour the nation in search of that big-time wideout that can elevate the program. Indiana’s Class of 2023 has several prospects that are capable of being that player. Today we take a look at four rising Juniors who are set to play a big role for their teams this fall. Each of these student-athletes are natural playmakers who can take a team to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="107080" first="Jaron" last="Tibbs"], 6’4, 190 pounds, Cathedral [player_tooltip player_id="107080" first="Jaron" last="Tibbs"] makes being an excellent wide receiver look easy. Tibbs can run all of the routes well, but he is that phenomenal deep ball threat that offenses need. He shows good understanding of the coverages and adjusts his route to be able to get open. On throws down the field, Tibbs can go right past his marker and he tracks the ball exceptionally well. After the catch, Tibbs has one mindset: score. He can break tackles, make defenders miss and he just glides in the open field. [player_tooltip player_id="107080" first="Jaron" last="Tibbs"] is somebody that college coaches cannot afford to pass up on. [player_tooltip player_id="107235" first="TJ" last="McWilliams"], 6’2, 170 pounds, North Central [player_tooltip player_id="107235" first="TJ" last="McWilliams"] excelled at a recent Prep Redzone camp. McWilliams’ skill set fits the modern offense very well. He can stretch the defense vertically, but McWilliams does a lot in the underneath passing game that puts pressure on the defense. McWilliams comes out of his break nicely and he gets open immediately. He has tremendous speed which helps not only during the route, but after he has the ball as well. McWilliams can also be an asset on screen passes. I think [player_tooltip player_id="107235" first="TJ" last="McWilliams"] could also contribute running jet sweep and reverse plays. Any team that maximizes [player_tooltip player_id="107235" first="TJ" last="McWilliams"]’ pure athletic ability and expansive skillset will win games. [player_tooltip player_id="107081" first="Isaiah" last="Thacker"], 6’0, 170 pounds, Triton Central [player_tooltip player_id="107081" first="Isaiah" last="Thacker"] is a player who dominates the passing game on both sides of the ball. As a receiver, Thacker gets instant separation from the player that is attempting to cover him. Thackers speed makes him a threat in all areas of the passing game. He can run every route and he makes his mark in the screen game. Once he makes the catch, he immediately puts his foot in the ground and goes up field in search of extra yardage. Thacker can also win a contested ball. If the quarterback just gives [player_tooltip player_id="107081" first="Isaiah" last="Thacker"] a chance, he will more than likely come down with the football. The same can be said about Thackers defensive abilities as well. He is a ball-hawking corner who can shut down the opponent’s entire aerial attack. [player_tooltip player_id="39069" first="Cade" last="Thompson"], 6’1, 160 pounds, Ben Davis [player_tooltip player_id="39069" first="Cade" last="Thompson"] is an athletically-gifted wide receiver who can create problems for the defense on any play. Thompson does well underneath. He runs good routes and in the screen game he is particularly dangerous. Thompson has good hands and he adjusts his body to make the catch. Thompson can be very useful in the red zone. In spite of the limited amount of space to work with, he consistently gets open and puts six points on the board for the Ben Davis Giants. Thompson has great body control near the sideline. He can perform some toe drag swag to give his team a big play. Indiana has an exceptional wide receiver group in the Junior class. Tomorrow, I break down the rest of the ranked wide receivers and the one tight end that is currently in our state rankings. All of these players have a lot of potential in front of them. These four can take their programs to the next level. They all have what it takes to be stars for any college team.