Breaking Down The Top 10 Receivers in the 2022 Iowa Rankings

Iowa has had a great run of producing receivers, from all-time great Allen Lazard to recent prospects like [player_tooltip player_id="23810" first="Brody" last="Brecht"], [player_tooltip player_id="23824" first="Aaron" last="Smith"], [player_tooltip player_id="23806" first="Thomas" last="Fidone"], etc. In this article, I am going to break down the top ten receivers in the 2022 class. Let’s go! [player_tooltip player_id="23954" first="Tynan" last="Numkena"] <a href="https://twitter.com/8_tynan">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11156103/Tynan-Numkena">Hudl</a> (Bettendorf) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 1) 6´2 205 lbs Tynan is listed as Iowa’s top receiver and for good reason. He has great vision for a wide receiver and is extremely effective in the open field. He is a physical runner who can bounce off tackles from opposing defenders. Bettendorf frequently puts Tynan in motion, creating lots of confusion pre-snap and leading to busted coverage or wide-open running lanes. On the receiving end, he put up 4 receiving touchdowns, 336 receiving yards, 12 yards per catch, 28 receptions. He was also effective in the run game, putting up 324 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 8.1 yards per carry, and 40 carries. Tynan has been getting Division One looks (and could end up scoring an offer sooner rather than later) but as of now he is open for recruitment and will be a tremendous get for whichever school lands him. [player_tooltip player_id="23962" first="Easton" last="Harms"] <a href="https://twitter.com/EastonHarms">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11901896/Easton-Harms">Hudl</a> (OABCIG) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 2) 6´1 185 lbs Yes, [player_tooltip player_id="23817" first="Cooper" last="DeJean"] was Easton’s QB, and that definitely helped him production-wise. But Easton did so well in that wide receiver one role that you have to take notice. Easton is a gifted route runner and is great at getting separation in all forms of coverage. Not only that but his effectiveness after the catch cannot be ignored. He created multiple huge plays by making defenders consistently miss. It’s likely Easton had the most productive season out of all the prospects on this top ten: 1091 Receiving Yards, 16 Receiving Touchdowns, 17 yards per catch, and 64 receptions. He was also a beast on the defensive side of the ball with 18 tackles and 5 interceptions - along with a fumble recovery. I am looking forward to seeing how Easton performs without a super-elite QB like [player_tooltip player_id="23817" first="Cooper" last="DeJean"]. His production cannot go unnoticed and he has the talent to make it at a high college level. [player_tooltip player_id="23992" first="Graham" last="Friedrichsen"] <a href="https://twitter.com/Graham_Fried">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10033159/Graham-Friedrichsen">Hudl</a> (Urbandale) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 3) 6´2 180 lbs Wow! This Urbandale receiving core is looking scary. Graham kind of flew under the radar throughout the regular season, which surprises me because he is a similar receiver to Ankeny’s star: [player_tooltip player_id="23810" first="Brody" last="Brecht"]. I say that because Graham has excellent ball skills and can ¨moss¨ corners similar to Brody’s play. He also has really good straight-line speed that is extremely effective in fade concepts and post concepts. He is not on the same level as Brody when it comes to athleticism and size but his deep play threat and speed are similar. Graham put up 257 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 15.1 yards per catch, and 17 receptions. Graham and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="104750" first="Kai" last="Black"] are going to be a dangerous combo this coming season. [player_tooltip player_id="99142" first="Connor" last="Frame"] <a href="https://twitter.com/connorframe11">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13312071/Connor-Frame">Hudl</a> (Harlan) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 4) 6´2 190 lbs [player_tooltip player_id="99142" first="Connor" last="Frame"] is the definition of a playmaker. He made an absurd amount of huge plays consisting of fade routes, short slants, screens, a passing touchdown, and even an onside kick recovery returned for a touchdown. Connor is an elite route runner who creates a significant amount of separation from opposing defensive backs. Connor had 949 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, an insane 21.6 yards per catch, and 44 receptions. He also played some defense, putting up 16.5 tackles. Overall, Connor is going to be the leader of this talented Harlan receiving core featuring star 2023 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="104715" first="Aidan" last="Hall"]. [player_tooltip player_id="23977" first="Griffin" last="Greiner"] <a href="https://twitter.com/GGreiner23">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9181265/Griffin-Greiner">Hudl</a> (Cardinal) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 5) 6´1 180 lbs Greiner, like [player_tooltip player_id="99142" first="Connor" last="Frame"], is a major play-making threat when he is on the field. Griffin is blazing fast and blows away his competition with his speed. He could be very dangerous in the screen game because he is very good in the open field. His speed allows him to get behind safeties at a high level and will allow him to score if he is given open space. On the receiving end, Griffin put up 652 receiving yards, 10 receiving touchdowns, 18.6 yards per catch, and 35 receptions. Rushing-wise he had 160 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 6.7 yards per carry, and 24 carries. [player_tooltip player_id="23966" first="Trey" last="Campbell"]<a href="https://twitter.com/trey_campbell4"> Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11505043/Trey-Campbell">Hudl</a> (Cedar Falls) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 6) 6´4 180 lbs Trey is the definition of an athlete. He has received offers from UNI for football and basketball which very few people can say they’ve accomplished. He is a very fluid route runner and creates a lot of separation. A high percentage of his big plays are off of play-action where he takes advantage of opposing defensive backs gambling on the run game. Trey also has great ball skills, making tons of plays off of 50-50 balls. Overall he is one of the most interesting prospects in Iowa because of his ability in football and basketball. Trey had 164 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 8.6 yards per catch, and 19 receptions. He was also effective in the running game, putting up 109 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 21.8 yards per carry, and 5 carries. [player_tooltip player_id="24008" first="Hayden" last="Huntley"] <a href="https://twitter.com/hayden_huntley">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10956646/Hayden-Huntley">Hudl</a> (Waukee Northwest) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 7) 6´0 175 lbs [player_tooltip player_id="24008" first="Hayden" last="Huntley"] is one of the most fundamental receivers on this top ten. He is a great route runner who creates separation routinely. Hayden is also a smart ball carrier and knows how to follow his blockers and get as many yards as he can. I think he has yet to reach his true production level since Waukee had a load of senior talent at the receiver position. Hayden should get the chance to be the number one receiving option for Waukee Northwest this upcoming season. Hayden put up 158 receiving yards on 18 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="99143" first="Caden" last="Hartz"] <a href="https://twitter.com/HartzCaden">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11609747/Caden-Hartz">Hudl</a> (Columbus Catholic) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 8) 6´2 175 lbs [player_tooltip player_id="99143" first="Caden" last="Hartz"] is an intimidating deep threat when on the field. He uses his size and athleticism to create separation against opposing cornerbacks. Caden is extremely effective when he gets pressed, as well. In some of the plays I watched on his film it literally looked like no one covered him. Caden was somewhat undetected at the start of his junior season, but after 619 receiving yards, 6 receiving touchdowns, 22.1 yards per catch, and 28 receptions by season’s end, he jumped up to the top ten in our receiver rankings.   [player_tooltip player_id="148739" first="Carson" last="Brown"] <a href="https://twitter.com/carsonbrown824">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11211859/Carson-Brown">Hudl</a> (Dowling Catholic) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 9) 6´2 170 lbs [player_tooltip player_id="148739" first="Carson" last="Brown"] might be the best route runner in the top ten receivers on this list. His smooth routes are extremely effective, especially in Dowling’s offense. He’s also very good after the catch as he makes tacklers miss or follows his blocks to get the most yardage possible. Similar to [player_tooltip player_id="24008" first="Hayden" last="Huntley"], Carson will get the chance to be one of the top receiving options in his team’s offense for the upcoming season. Carson put up 114 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 12.7 yards per catch, and 9 receptions. [player_tooltip player_id="148735" first="Lonny" last="Melvin Jr"] <a href="https://twitter.com/lonny_melvin">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11322848/Lonny-Melvin">Hudl</a> (Prairie) (Prep Redzone Position Rank: 10) 6´0 175 lbs Lonny Melvin made a big move by transferring from Cedar Rapids Jefferson to Prairie. There are a couple of reasons I love that move. One, Cedar Rapids Jefferson struggled last season and, if anything, held Lonny back. Two, Prairie is going to be really good next season. Lonny is an extremely explosive athlete who can make cuts and route runs at a high level. He is great after the catch and his leaping ability is one of the best in the state. Lonny put up 242 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdowns, 16.1 yards per catch, and 15 receptions. Some other receivers I think will shoot up these rankings would be Brady McCullough and Peyton Goode. Brady is going to be wide receiver one at Ankeny this next season and has had a tremendous off-season. He is also in a great QB situation with 2023 QB [player_tooltip player_id="104081" first="JJ" last="Kohl"]. Peyton Goode was going to be the starting QB at Ankeny Centennial (and very well still could be), but after the school brought in [player_tooltip player_id="118822" first="Trenton" last="Smith"] it looks like he could play wide receiver and really prove how good he is at that position. That wraps up my breakdown of the top ten wide receivers in our Prep Redzone Rankings. Thanks for reading!