Stock Watch: WR’s Trending Upwards

Within the game of high school football, it is always awesome to keep an eye out for the player's who's stocks are continuously trending upwards. Even though this looks very different with each position, we often times find that stock risers, and those who trend upwards, come in all shapes and sizes, as well as different points of progression. Specifically, for WR's, there are plenty of aspects of the position, and a player's game that can make them great, and continue to set them apart from others. Below, we have included some of our favorite stand out players the past few months, who we certainly feel are trending upwards. Harry Brooks- North Paulding When evaluating Brooks’ tape, is it clear that there are plenty of reasons why he is trending upwards. Not only does he have the ideal frame to play the WR position, but he plays the game of football with an attitude. He runs routes very well, and he transitions out of his breaks cleanly as well. This ability to play fluidly, and cleanly when it comes to his movement, is not normal, and we fully expect him to return next season in a fashion that dominates opposing defenders when he runs routes, and has the ball in his hands. When the 2022 season arrives, look for this to be the case, as his ability to shake defenders is too good not to receive more attention during this stage of his high school football career [player_tooltip player_id="34028" first="Cayden" last="Lee"]- Kennesaw Mountain [player_tooltip player_id="34028" first="Cayden" last="Lee"] is most certainly the most talented receiver on this list, and his list of offers already proves this. Even though he has racked up a solid ranking to this point of his career, we feel that he is only getting better over time, thus causing him to trend upwards. Not only does he run clean routes, but he has great footwork, and a solid twitch that makes it tough for defenders to keep up with him. Because of this, he is able to separate well on routes, and gain leverage to make plays on the ball, and even break away for extra yards after the catch. In addition to this, Lee also has a great catch radius, and has proven that he tracks the ball well with his eyes, regardless of the angle he has to make a play from. Paired with this is his speed, and his developing frame, which is only set to make him even more sought after next season. Brady Kluse- Harrison Harrison's football team has had a history of success all across the board, at various positions, but one of the standout players at the WR position, is that of Brady Kluse. He not only is trending upwards, but he has the ability to become the key playmaker for his team next season. Not only is he solid after the catch, but Kluse is very effective when making plays on the ball. He plays with strong hands, and runs routes with a high level of athleticism. This athleticism includes his strength to separate from defenders, sticky hands to outmatch others who attempt to grab the ball, and a speed and burst that helps him to run clean, powerful routes. In doing so, not only is he in position to stack defenders, but he has the ability to lose them at the point of his breaks. If Kluse continues to take this ability seriously, he can most definitely see his stock rise next season. Gabriel Ansah- Berkmar One of Ansah’s best traits is his ability to make clean catches, and then gain additional yards after the catch. Because of his playmaking ability, and long frame, we love to think that he can continue to develop, and become unstoppable over time. His rising stock is also due to the way he plays a physical brand of football, and this can be seen in the way he separates from defenders, and gets out of his breaks, and comes back to the football. Ansah outplays defenders in contested situations as well, even when defenders shadow his route running well. Ansah has also proven to have a solid catch radius, and a speed that helps him to lose the players covering him within a short amount of time. Next season, look for him to continue to capitalize on these strengths, and to grow his stock, only making him more attractive to college coaches. Deonte Cole- Camden County Down south, in Camden County is a WR that goes by the name of Deonte Cole, and he has plenty of talent at the WR position, and we here at Prep Redzone have some faith that he is trending upwards. Not only has he already been a big part of his team’s production, but we feel that the way he makes plays with his hands, and even after the catch, are a huge deal for his team. He not only catches the ball cleanly, and with strong hands, but he has great hand-eye-coordination, which allows for him to catch the ball from unconventional angles. This is lalso largely due to his wingspan as well, and his ability to separate from defenders, and box them out. In addition to this, we love the way Cole runs routes, but we would like to see him get out of his breaks more cleanly, as this will certainly help his stock to rise, and make for a big year next season.