PRZ Next Northeast Showcase: Wide Outs All-Showcase First Team
The Prep Redzone Next Northeast showcase popped off this past weekend, with athletes from 10 different states taking part. Athletes from as far away as Texas traveled to compete with, and against, many of the top 2026-2028 prospects in the region. Here’s a look at the Wide Receivers who were named to the All-Showcase First Team.
Ausar Heard Ausar Heard 5'11" | 205 lbs | LB Winslow Township | 2027 State NJ | New Jersey | 2027
The buzz was plentiful about, “the seventh grader with the West Virginia offer”, coming into the PRZ Next Northeast Showcase. As we all found out, it was justified. Ausar, who is the younger brother of 2023 prospect, James Heard, put on a show at Wide Receiver. He’s certainly more of an overall Athlete right now, but he’s built like a brick house and is very sudden with his bursts. Showed a lot of good agility and wiggle throughout the Showcase. He will be a very highly recruited prospect.
Jeremiah Tirado Jeremiah Tirado 5'9" | 165 lbs | ATH Nutley | 2026 NJ | New Jersey | 2026
Tirado is off to Paramus Catholic for his high school career, but before he joins the Paladins, he had a standout day at the Showcase. Measured in at 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds with very good quickness, running a 4.6 in the shuttle. Very smooth looking athlete who played a lot of positions during his youth career. He needs some time to grow and add size in the weight room, but he has promising ability.
Dante Kain Dante Kain 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Bergen Catholic | 2026 State NJ | New Jersey | 2026
Another athlete that has literally played every position on the field up to this point, Kane once again had an outstanding performance. He’s put together very well and has transformed his body a lot over the last few months. I honestly don’t know what position he’ll play at Bergen Catholic next year, but with his size, speed and strength he’ll be successful anywhere he plays. At the Showcase he showed out at Wide Receiver, muscling his way through attempted jams at the line and competed very hard.
Benjamin Whitver Benjamin Whitver 6'2" | 190 lbs | WR Powhatan | 2026 State VA | Virginia | 2026
Whitver made the trip up from Virginia for the Showcase, actually making the drive up that morning. Despite the long car ride, Whitver looked really good at the Showcase. A bigger Wide Receiver, he measured in at 6-foot-1 an 178 pounds. He played Jayvee this past year in Virginia as an eighth grader and clearly had an advanced understanding of the position. Love him as a Redzone (no pun intended) threat and as a keep the change moving, kind of possession receiver.
Nathan Fitch Nathan Fitch 5'11" | 150 lbs | WR Union City | 2026 State NJ | New Jersey | 2026
Fitch took reps at both Running Back and Wide Receiver at the showcase, and did so at a high level. Very good looking kid at 5-foot-11 and 145 pounds. Was clocked at a 4.78 and a 4.89 in his two forty yard dash attempts. He’s a long strider who used his speed and quickness to his advantage on downfield routes. Naturally there’s a lot of room for improvement in his route running, but he has all the physical tools to get there. Spent his youth career playing a lot of Running Back–and he could end up there. However, I think he could be a next-level player at Wide Receiver.
Welman Crooms Welman Crooms 5'10" | 145 lbs | ATH Matawan | 2026 State NJ | New Jersey | 2026
I became a bigger fan of Crooms at the Showcase, then I already was coming into it. Measured in significantly taller then I thought he was, at 5-foot-9 and 141 pounds. Ran well with a 4.88 in the forty yard dash and had one of the better broad jumps in the position group, at 8-foot-9. Numbers and measureables aside, he brought a lot of toughness to the position. Very advanced with his hand fighting and ability to create separation. Not just a one-trick pony, ran every route very well. I specifically liked what I saw from on the intermediate routes, showing a great burst when sticking his foot in the ground and making a move.