Fab 50 Breakdown: The Wide Receivers And Tight End

Jed Blackwell December 17, 2021 @ 07:16 AM

Burners. Possession guys. All-around standouts. The Fab 50 receivers (plus our tight end) have a little bit of everything. Here’s our look at the best of the best. There are go-and-get-it guys, and then there’s [player_tooltip player_id="153245" first="DJ" last="Black"]. Chapman’s do-everything receiver can run by you, can make you miss after the catch, and can elevate over you to pull in a reception. Where he shines, though, is in tight coverage in got-to-have-it situations. He wrestled away a game-winner for the region title against Clinton, and set the school’s all-time single-game record for receiving yards in a game, eclipsing NFL standout Deebo Samuel’s mark. [player_tooltip player_id="146372" first="Elijah" last="Caldwell"] was a key player in Northwestern’s 11-2 season. The junior hauled in 77 receptions for more than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns, and seems poised to be among the state’s top WR recruits in the 2023 Class. Daniel’s [player_tooltip player_id="91140" first="Eli" last="Merck"] turned in an eye-popping junior season as the Lions repeated as Class 3A champions. Merck falls into the "all of the above" category - he can block, make defenders miss, and simply run by safeties. He was Fab 50 QB [player_tooltip player_id="153264" first="Trent" last="Pearman"]’s top target with 74 catches, 1,034 yards, and 15 touchdowns, and he did it all while the Daniel starters rarely played full games. Myrtle Beach standout [player_tooltip player_id="59464" first="Adam" last="Randall"] had a great senior season, with more than 1,200 receiving yards, 16 touchdowns, and 330 rushing yards with seven scores on the ground. The Mr. Football finalist racked up 225 receiving yards and five scores in one game, setting a school record. He’s enrolling early at Clemson. [player_tooltip player_id="59482" first="Zavier" last="Short"] finished his high school career with an outstanding senior season, catching 67 passes for more than 1,000 yards and 14 scores. He was on track to sign with Appalachian State before getting what he called his "dream offer" and choosing to sign with South Carolina. He’s been projected to take on an H-back role for the Gamecocks. [player_tooltip player_id="61070" first="Antonio" last="Williams"] was a gamebreaker for Dutch Fork this season. The Clemson signee had 85 catches for 1,625 yards, and finished with 20 total touchdowns. One of his biggest games came on the biggest stage, as he had 12 receptions, 155 yards and a touchdown in the Class 5A state title game. <strong>The Tight End</strong> Greenville’s [player_tooltip player_id="91171" first="Joshua" last="Sapp"] is something of a throwback, playing a position that isn’t emphasized in a ton of spread offensive sets. The Red Raiders used him to perfection, as Sapp pulled in 50 receptions for 995 yards. He had more than 1,100 all-purpose yards, and notched 17 touchdowns. He’s a big, physical blocker in the running game as well, and a Clemson legacy signee (Sapp’s dad, Patrick, played for the Tigers and in the NFL).