PRZNE Under-The-Radar WRs

We are three weeks into the season an already there are players at all positions and in all areas of the state that are starting to break out. I wanted to highlight some players that are off to great starts to their seasons, but are still flying under-the-radar of recruiters.   Check out which wide receivers are blowing up and should be on your radar.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>     <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/09/IMG_7002-scaled-e1663040970359-1024x767.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-443867" width="409" height="305"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='227557' first='Aric' last='Thomas'] (2023) | Omaha South | 6'3" 190 lbs   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/14340036/Aric-Thomas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/aricthomas4" target="_blank">Twitter</a>   Despite being ranked in the top 5 among returning receiving yards leaders and a hot start in 2022, Omaha South's [player_tooltip player_id='227557' first='Aric' last='Thomas'] is still being overlooked. Aric finished his junior year with 825 receiving yards on 51 catches and had 7 touchdowns. In two games, Thomas already has 289 receiving yards on 14 receptions and has 4 touchdowns. The majority of that total came in South's last game against Jefferson (IA) in which Aric snapped for 244 yards on 9 catches and FOUR receiving touchdowns. What makes Thomas such a special player is his ability to tack on a lot of yardage after the catch. He has very deceptive speed and is incredibly tough to catch once he's turned the corner. He is also a bigger receiver at 6'3" 195 lbs and can be tough to tackle if you're a smaller DB. Aric is a lengthy and athletic pass catcher that has shown on several occasions a great talent for adjusting his body to make difficult catches. He's very aware of his surroundings, like the down/distance and when he needs to sneak a foot inbounds on a sideline catch. Surprisingly, Aric is still awaiting his first offer to hit the table, but if he continues playing how he has since the start of last year, he'll surely find a way to get on some radars.    [player_tooltip player_id='227062' first='Jack' last='Baptista'] (2023) | Lincoln Southwest | 5'9" 175 lbs   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/12535574/Jack-Baptista" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/jackbaptista1" target="_blank">Twitter</a>   All offseason I have been talking about how good this Lincoln Southwest '23 class is and the potential of this team. One of the players that I thought would have a huge season is WR [player_tooltip player_id='227062' first='Jack' last='Baptista'], and through three games, he is blowing those expectations out of the water. He already has 372 receiving yards on 19 receptions compared to 498 receiving yards and 33 receptions a year ago. Jack has upped his avg. yards per catch from 15.1 to 19.6 and his yards per game yardage from 55.3 to 124. Baptista's contribution to this offense has been extremely valuable, and he has proven to be QB [player_tooltip player_id='227060' first='Collin' last='Fritton']'s favorite and most reliable target. Although Jack is still chasing his first touchdown of the season, his clutch catches and big play ability put the Silver Hawks in scoring position on many occasions. Despite being a smaller receiver, Jack's speed, athleticism, and explosiveness on the field cannot be overlooked. His does a great job getting open and also takes advantage of plays where he is given the ball in open space. If Jack continues this rapid pace he's on, the offers should start flying in soon.    <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/09/IMG_6804-scaled-e1663094474440.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-444720" width="421" height="358"/></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='239876' first='Isaac' last='Conner'] (2023) | Bennington | 6'2" 200 lbs   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16411906/Isaac-Conner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/isaacconner7" target="_blank">Twitter</a>   Isaac has stepped up big-time as the new WR1 for the Badgers and let us know right off the bat that he meant business. Conner opened up the season with a huge 7 catch, 126 yards, and 2 touchdown game against Skutt Catholic. His mix of size and speed creates mismatches that he and QB [player_tooltip player_id='217057' first='Trey' last='Bird'] know how to exploit. His bigger frame also gives him an advantage against most DBs and gives QBs a bigger radius to throw to. Once the ball gets to Isaac, he's usually able to tack on extra yardage or even break all the way through for a touchdown. On top of that, he's also a very tough player that can hang onto balls through contact and doesn't shy away if the DB wants to get physical. He hasn't had a big game like week 1 in the following two weeks, but that's mostly due to Bennington running the ball with comfortable leads. Regardless, Conner remains the leading receiver with 15 receptions for 194 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. I really like Conner's upside, and I think he should be getting more looks.    [player_tooltip player_id='340477' first='Jackson' last='Williams'] (2024) | Millard West | 5'11" 160 lbs   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16054407/Jackson-Williams" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/JWilliams2828" target="_blank">Twitter</a>   I was initially only looking at senior receivers, but 2024 Millard West WR [player_tooltip player_id='340477' first='Jackson' last='Williams'] is a junior you should start looking at now. Jackson got his feet wet in varsity play as a sophomore and had a nice season with 24 receptions, 393 yards, and 4 touchdowns. This year he already has 310 yards on 9 receptions and 2 touchdowns. The simplest way to put it is that Jackson is a flat-out playmaker. He is a very underrated route runner and extremely consistent at the point of the catch. What makes Williams such a dangerous player is his ability to turn upfield and turn on his explosive speed. He had a 95-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the season opener of the season which really shows how good he is with the ball in his hands. On top of having a breakout year at receiver, he is also a dangerous return man with 175 yards on 5 returns. This is a very talented young man with lots of potential and is a lot of fun to watch on the field.    [player_tooltip player_id='330963' first='Caleb' last='Paulk'] (2023) | Wood River | 6'3" 170 lbs   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13103381/Caleb-Paulk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/caleb_paulk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>   Currently #3 in receiving yards for all 11-man receivers is Wood River wideout [player_tooltip player_id='330963' first='Caleb' last='Paulk'] coming from Class C2. Paulk is riding a hot start to the season while averaging 155 receiving yards per game. What stands out the most about Caleb's 465 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns is the fact that he did that on only 15 receptions, averaging out to a DEEP 31 yards per reception and every other catch resulting in a touchdown. What makes Caleb such an effective pass-catcher is his height and length. He does a great job using his full catch radius and has nice hops to get up and high point the ball. I also like Caleb's ability to track the ball in the air, as he has natural timing and good speed to get right under the ball. The Eagles stand at 2-1 right now, and Caleb's chemistry with QB [player_tooltip player_id='324881' first='Waylon' last='Cronk'] has been a huge reason why.    <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>   Make sure to follow @PrepRedzoneNE on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with all your Nebraska prep recruiting news.

We are three weeks into the season an already there are players at all positions and in all areas of the state that are starting to break out. I wanted to highlight some players that are off to great starts to their seasons, but are still flying under-the-radar of recruiters.