DSP Elite Invitational – Rising WR Prospects

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An abundance of talented players from different corners of the country stopped by Steele Stadium at Kentucky Wesleyan College this past weekend to showcase their talent in the DSP Elite 7v7 Invitational tournament in Owensboro, KY. While many who competed resided in Kentucky, there were several notable prospects from the state of Indiana. After breaking down the top performers, it's time to evaluate some intriguing offensive performers, specifically wide receivers. Here's my list of rising wide receiver prospects in the states of Indiana and Kentucky to watch out for this upcoming season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["407461"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a76f283535"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='407461' first='Mason' last='Baughman'], a 6-foot-0, 165-pound wide receiver out of Carroll High School, was locked in offensively during the DSP Elite Invitational this past weekend, showcasing his speed and versatility down the stretch and in the endzone. With solid size and physicality, Baughman was definitely one of the strongest and most efficient wide receiver prospects at the tournament, claiming the number one spot on the list. Another aspect of Baughman's game that stood out was his explosive energy and ability to haul in passes despite heavy defensive pressure. The rising sophomore out of Fort Wayne, IN. is looking to start for his school this upcoming season and begin the process of collecting film.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/2/571233/61a7fb5b7bd3410344477b9e">Tape:</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='212336' first='Marlon' last='Harbin']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"St. Xavier","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","fullHeight":false,"anchor":"acf-block-644a803b74e3e"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='212336' first='Marlon' last='Harbin'], a 5-foot-11, 170-pound wide receiver out of St. Xavier High School, made his presence known and felt offensively on the field during the DSP Elite Invitational this past weekend. With solid size, speed, toughness and versatility down the stretch, efficiency in the endzone and physicality in coverage, Harbin definitely stands out as a rising wide receiver talent in the class of 2026 to look out for in the Bluegrass State. The rising sophomore out of the Louisville, KY. area said his team's overall focus heading into the 7v7 tournament was to rebound from a recent loss by working together as a team throughout the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2J542u">Tape:</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["322434"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a76f283592"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='322434' first='Amari' last='Hope'], a 5-foot-8, 145-pound wide receiver out of Evansille Bosse High School, was one of the most explosive offensive weapons during the DSP Elite Invitational last weekend, showcasing excellent speed and versatility down the field and consistency in the endzone. Early on in the tournament, Hope hauled in an impressive deep pass into the endzone to put his team on the board. In addition to his consistency down the stretch, Hope contributes excellent physicality and versatility as a wide receiver, earning him the number three spot on the list. The rising senior out of Evansville, IN. said that his focus enter the tournament was to work hard, catch every ball and execute as a team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2GEQUR">Tape:</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Duncan Gaunce","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Lexington Catholic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644a803b74f22"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duncan Gaunce, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound wide receiver out of Lexington Catholic High School, was an incredibly impactful offensive weapon during the DSP Elite Invitational this past weekend, showing off his efficiency as a wide receiver early on in the tournament. Gaunce was already warmed up heading into his team's first matchup as he used a burst of speed to quickly escape defensive coverage and haul in an impressive wide-open touchdown pass. The rising sophomore receiving weapon out of Lexington, KY. said that his focus this offseason is to get on the field, keep working, stay in the weight room and work on getting his speed up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2FhT43">Tape:</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Shemari Thomas","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2410","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Paducah Tilghman","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-644aaabcbeea9"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shemari Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver out of Paducah Tilghman High School, made a huge difference on the offensive end during the DSP Elite Invitational this past weekend, flexing his skill as a rising wide receiver prospect in the state of Kentucky. Thomas was without question worth mentioning on this list as he showcased a lot of athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. Thomas showed off his speed and versatility down the stretch and explosiveness in the endzone. As a developing wide receiver, the rising junior out of Paducah, KY. said a few areas of focus for him in the tournament were improving his speed, his route-running and his catching.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14432770/63864f420c53d1051ca83a6a">Tape:</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->