Stellar Senior Wideouts with Big Upsides
In this article:
Wide Receiver may just be one of the hardest positions to recruit. Between competition from running backs and tight ends, double coverage from defensive backs who want to slow them down, and vastly different offensive schemes from team to team,…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWide Receiver may just be one of the hardest positions to recruit. Between competition from running backs and tight ends, double coverage from defensive backs who want to slow them down, and vastly different offensive schemes from team to team, not all wideouts have equal opportunities to make a statement. In this list, I’ll be looking at a group that has overcome plenty of obstacles to become their respective team’s go to guy for the fall.
Minnetonka’s versatile receiver that lined up everywhere from out wide to tight end, Joran Thomsen Joran Thomsen 6’2″ | 190 lbs | WR Minnetonka | 2024 MN showcases a sufficient upside through both his playmaking ability and threat he poses in goal line situations. His athleticism allows him to leap into the air and use his long limbed, 6-foot-2 frame to pull down passes only he can grab. He can start and stop on a dime, and this footwork comes in handy for the curl routes and screens that he racks up yards after the catch on. Coming off a year where Thomsen had to contend with a crowded receiving room, expect him to come into his own as Minnetonka’s WR1 in the fall.
Highlights
Even though he was already Mounds View’s go to guy last fall, I expect Tyler Nystrom Tyler Nystrom 6’2″ | 180 lbs | WR Mounds View | 2024 State MN to make yet another leap forward in his progression into one of the state’s elite wideouts. His route running is among the smoothest I’ve seen on film, and it’s evident he’s spent hours of his offseason honing his footwork. His route tree consists of short, medium, and deep options, making him as unpredictable as he is skilled. Teams began to pick up on this, and he was double covered for a majority of the season after his first few outings. An All-Conference pick his junior year, I wouldn’t be surprised if Nystrom is in the running for an All-Metro selection when the season is all said and done.
Markeese Howard
Markeese Howard
Markeese Howard is a two way stud that helps his team out at both defensive back and wide receiver. A soon to be senior out of Burnsville, his deep threat ability stands out on film. Most corners opt to stay a few yards back when covering him, and even then Howard can blow by them with ease. He exhibits great field awareness, and is always conscious of where the sideline is, which makes for some exciting toe tap catches. When his routes take him inside the hashes, he is fearless, hanging onto balls and braving hits in order to give his team much needed yardage. Simply put, Howard’s film is exciting to say the least, and this fall should prove to be his best season yet.
Keelan Konkler Keelan Konkler 6’2″ | 180 lbs | DB Spring Lake Park | 2024 State MN may have only played seven games last fall, but he still proved that he was meant to play on Friday nights. A rising senior out of Spring Lake Park, Konkler showcased some impressive downfield blocking to go with smooth route running and a nose for yards after the catch. In an offense that required him to frequently square up defenders in space, Konkler did a great job at staying in front of his assignment and drive blocking them through the whistle, which often led to big gains for his teammates. This unselfish play style is a sought after skill I love to see in athletes, and Konkler embodies this role wholeheartedly.
The tight end wide receiver hybrid out of Rochester Century, Eli Thompson Eli Thompson 6’2″ | 185 lbs | WR Century | 2024 State MN is a coach’s dream when it comes to versatility. His film is chalked full of highlights, and one of the most impressive things I initially noticed was his ability to track the football. On any deep route I watched on tape, I would see Thompson either work back to the ball or accelerate to get under it, always changing his strides seamlessly to get where he needed to be. Pinpointing the ball’s descent to this degree is next level stuff, and it allowed him to always have the jump on the defensive back covering him. Thompson shows impressive breaks out of his routes that give him a degree of separation that makes him dangerous everywhere on the field. He’s got another year left of high school ball, and this is a name I will be sure to keep track of as his career progresses.