Rankings Update: 2026 Receiver Projections

What some folks don't get about our rankings process is that we tend to weigh high school production slightly more than other services.   Yes, we're trying to figure out how most players project at the next level. But in order to do that, you often have to project at this one, too.   When it comes to the nine receivers who have busted through and right into our Class of 2026 rankings, they fall into three categories.   READY TO TAKE THE REINS   While any of the receivers could potentially be considered their team's best receiver eventually, two in particular are clearly near the top of the focal point list for turning things around for programs that won only two games a season ago.   At Richland Northeast, [player_tooltip player_id='591391' first='Blake' last='Betette'] is the type of interior receiver who has already started to gain the trust of 2025 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='272698' first='Will' last='Wilson']. The latter threw for 1,800 yards and 14 touchdowns last season and now has a new offensive coordinator knowing he's got a true gun slinger at the position. Betette is going to be a huge beneficiary of that.   At nearby Dreher, [player_tooltip player_id='816750' first='Kaleb' last='Berry'] (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) gives rising senior quarterback Colby Fueller an experienced and big pass catcher who, like Betette, has no issues going over the middle. What Dreher is hoping is that all those passes to come aren't coming with the Blue Devils in the position of a huge hole.   LEARNING FROM THE ‘OLD' GUYS   When we took a look at Christ Church's [player_tooltip player_id='816751' first='Jude' last='Hall'], we noticed what everyone else does when they see him for the first time. He's tall. Like, 6-foot-4 tall. But what we also know is that players don't take the field in a vacuum.   The Cavaliers have a rising senior in Luke Baumhofer who caught 36 passes last season and a rising junior ([player_tooltip player_id='1012637' first='Jackson' last='Repp']) who caught 41. There is a hole to fill in that [player_tooltip player_id='262681' first='BJ' last='Atkins'] (48 receptions, 847 yards, 7 touchdowns) is graduating. Hall will get his touches without being expected to carry the load.   Over at Silver Bluff, [player_tooltip player_id='205787' first='Hiszari' last='Gantt'] (5-foot-10, 150 pounds) is quickly proving to have the type of wheels that will allow for the next quarterback of this program to have another viable target. Desjuan McCorkle is still probably the team's No. 1, but the Bulldogs are going to be loaded with talent all around the offensive side of the ball, meaning Gantt won't need to press too much early.   Likewise, three other new additions to our receiver crop have time on their side.   At Myrtle Beach, blazers [player_tooltip player_id='816754' first='Tyree' last='Cauthen'] (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='816753' first='Ravon' last='Green'] (5-foot-10, 155 pounds) are being penciled in as potential starters without anyone assuming they're possible 1,000-yard receivers right now. Three of the top four pass catchers from last season are out of eligibility. But if the Seahawks want to take the next steps with 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='272701' first='John' last='Simmons'], it won't happen if he's triple teamed. That likely translates to chances early for Green and Cauthen.   The same could be said for Spartanburg's [player_tooltip player_id='816749' first='Torrean' last='Davis'], The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder is just one of six returning players who caught a pass for the Vikings last fall. Also, don't forget that while the perception of Spartanburg's offense was that it threw and threw and threw, the Vikings actually ran the ball 411 times compared to 171 pass attempts.   Either way, Davis will be set up as the team's likely No. 2 receiver after lighting up his GPS vest (clocked at 22.32 mph) and growing rapidly.   Don't sleep on any of them, as we'll be hearing their names quite a bit this fall - even if they're not the guy just yet.   'SKY IS THE LIMIT'   It's safe to say that the two highest-ranked receivers we have in the Class of 2026 are there for a reason. They have the measurables to take their skills to the college ranks, and they're each way ahead of the curve.   But in Newberry's [player_tooltip player_id='816735' first='Jamel' last='Howse'] and Ridge View's [player_tooltip player_id='233146' first='Jordon' last='Gidron'] (pictured), they also have something else at their disposal: Exactly the type of system to let a receiver exceed already lofty expectations.   Let's look at Howse. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he's got the pure size to withstand contact while having the height to turn into Mr. High Point for the Bulldogs. Around the end zone, especially, he's going to be featured both on the outside and while lining up closer to the line. What he also has is a classmate in [player_tooltip player_id='1099127' first='Jamere' last='Crooks'] who is able to do some of the work to prevent opponents from double-teaming Howse for the next three seasons.   "[Howse] is a smart, instinctive player with great hands and a huge catch radius," Newberry coach Cedric Jeter said. "Sky is the limit on his potential."   Derek Howard wasn't shy about Gidron's future, either.   “Jordon is big and physical enough to be a possession receiver,” Howard said of his 6-foot-2, 170-pounder. “He has really strong hands and can catch through contact. He's also fast enough to take the top off the defense. I see him on an Adam Randall trajectory. You're going to have to double him up.”   Randall, the former Myrtle Beach Seahawk and current Clemson Tiger, is actually a strong comparison for both Howse and Gidron in their own ways. Like Howse, Randall had some decent size early in his career. And like Gidron, Randall could motor in the open field.   The difference? Randall didn't have a couple college offers this early in the process. Both of them already have one from Coastal Carolina, while Gidron picked one up this week from UNC Charlotte and Howse previously got one from Virginia Tech.   It's only the beginning.

What some folks don't get about our rankings process is that we tend to weigh high school production slightly more than other services.