Rise & Fire Camp: Clay’s Wide Receiver Standouts

One thing I can say about our Illinois prospects is that they never miss an opportunity to compete. And at this year's Rise &amp; Fire camp, a bunch of prospects showed up and did what they do best—compete. I played receiver, so it's always a treat to come to these camps and evaluate the wideouts in attendance. The receivers I got to see this past weekend featured prospects from the class of '22-'24. A few of the receiver prospects currently hold D1 offers, but one thing for sure is that the seven prospects featured in this article all have a promising future ahead of them. So without further ado, let's get to know the seven prospects who caught my eye at Rise &amp; Fire '21. <hr /> <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158043" first="Kelly" last="Watson"] | York ’23</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160455" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/kelly-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Watson’s versatility is what makes him such an intriguing prospect. Although his primary position may be running back, I’m a firm believer that he can be just as effective out wide. Watson won a good percentage of his matchups with his impressive release, good foot speed, and solid frame, making defenders think twice about pressing him off the line. Runs crisp and precise routes and creates more than enough separation at the top of his routes. Has an excellent set of hands which makes him a lethal weapon out of the backfield. <h5><em><strong>Julian Turner | Montini ’24</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160457" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/julian-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Turner is another one of Montini’s talented young athletes with a promising future. He’s a freak athlete with an impressive vertical, and one of the coaches in attendance made it his business to let me know that he doesn’t think anyone in the state can jump with Turner. What stood out to me was his effortless speed and how quick his feet are—you blink once and he’s gone. Also on display was how well Turner catches and tracks the ball while going deep. <h5><em><strong>Camron Jackson | Naperville North ’23</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160456" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/camron-e1624284484298-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Jackson has cat-like quickness and the speed to blow by his opponent in an instant. He first caught my eye during the induvial drills by how efficient, fast, and quick he was going through the drills. That same speed and quickness translated over when it was time for 1-on-1’s as he was another receiver which made it hard for DBs to contain him. Along with his speed and quickness, Jackson is an above-average route-runner who is a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward. <h5><em><strong>Adam Alcantar | Oak Lawn ’22</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160458" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/adam-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Alcantar wasn’t on my radar before this camp, but after watching him put on a solid performance, he’s definitely a prospect worth keeping tabs on as he heads into his senior year. He displayed excellent quickness to free himself from press coverage and superb body control when running his routes and adjusting to the ball while it’s in the air. Possesses the necessary speed and wherewithal to take the top off a defense. <h5><em><strong>Eddie Kasper | Wheaton Academy ’22</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160453" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/kasper-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Have you ever seen Kyrie Irving on the court, and how defenders seem to always have a hard time staying in front of him? Well, that’s who Eddie Kasper reminded me of while watching him perform at the Rise &amp; Fire camp this past weekend. He’s a route-running aficionado with a good set of hands that doesn’t need overwhelming size or speed to win his matchup. Flashed seamless transitions in and out of his breaks and was a nightmare for DBs trying to cover him. Received his first offer from Montana State over the weekend, but I’m sure it’s the first of many if the performance he displayed is any indication of what’s to come. <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141420" first="Breyden" last="Smith"] | Hersey ’22</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160459" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/breyden-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Smith is your prototypical slot receiver who is a smooth operator when it comes to running routes and is impressive at executing double-moves. He made play after play and is another receiver who consistently left the DB on skates while trying to cover him. Flashes a good set of hands and is a patient, yet precise route-runner who does a good job at staying vertical when using his pressure step on out-breaking routes. <h5><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155226" first="Malik" last="Armstrong"] | Minooka ’22</strong></em></h5> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-160461" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/malik-e1624284750817-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> The NIU commit proved why he's one of the top WR prospects in the '22 class. His size alone makes him a matchup nightmare for most DBs, not to mention he also has good speed and is a pretty good route-runner with an insane catch radius. I got a chance to see Malik back in February at a Next Level Athletix workout, and in my opinion, his confidence is what appears to have grown the most from the last time I saw him. It seems like after having a dominant spring season and accumulating a few offers that he without a doubt believes he's now one of the best prospects in the state.