Recruiting Corner: Latest Buzz on several pass catchers

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Will Helms July 29, 2023 @ 08:05 AM

At Prep Redzone, we are first and foremost scouts, meaning we mostly deal in projections, film and live evaluations. Our primary job is not to cover recruiting. However, in our line of work we often come across recruiting scoops and occasionally want to pass those on to our readers.    This is one of those articles, a simple compilation of info I've gathered on some of the state's top receivers, as we close out July and enter what could be one of the busiest recruiting months on record.   As a scouting service, we always want to make evaluations the top priority, and this is no different as every recruit mentioned here will have a brief scouting report attached.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospects Nearing Decisions</h2>   — We'll start with a 2024 pass-catcher who is nearing a decision in Cummings High School wideout [player_tooltip player_id='912945' first='Jonathan' last='Paylor']. Paylor can flat out fly and is one of the faster prospects to come out of the state in the past few years. He's also grown tremendously in terms of his route running and ball skills since I first laid eyes on him in his freshman year.   South Carolina had a lot of the momentum going into the summer, but NC state has clawed its way back. I don't expect North Carolina to be much of a factor here even though it's a stated finalist as this is a Wolfpack-Gamecock showdown that could go into the final days leading up to his August 4th announcement.   — Grimsley wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='280033' first='Alex' last='Taylor'] is one of my favorite receivers in the state. Taylor has all the physical qualities a top receiver needs, with good size, speed and ball skills. His release package is elite, and he has the ability to play early in college.   Taylor is announcing his commitment later Saturday afternoon, with Clemson, UNC, Penn State, Virginia Tech and NC State as the stated finalists. while I've heard that Clemson has had momentum at various points in his recruitment, it seems Taylor is leaning towards staying in-state with the Tar Heels.   — Teammate [player_tooltip player_id='190663' first='Terrell' last='Anderson'] this place is recruitment very close to the vest. He's made official visits to Tennessee and NC State, but doesn't give a lot of interviews and hasn't given much of an indication where he will end up. He's close with several of the other top 2024 receivers, and some people have given the indication that they think Anderson is a package deal with either Paylor or Taylor.    Anderson is a big-bodied receiver who is an excellent route runner for his size. Well I don't get the indication that he's going to commit before the season, I do have the feeling that he is simply going to drop a surprise announcement one day and be done with the recruiting process.   — There's a report floating around that says 2025 2-way prospect [player_tooltip player_id='914956' first='Gus' last='Ritchey'] will announce this week. While it's true that he may be winding down his recruitment, I do not get the sense that a final choice will come that soon. Ritchey has elite potential on both sides of the ball, as either a well-rounded pass rusher or a pass catching tight end with some blocking ability.   Richie has made visits all over the country, and at times people have pegged a number of different schools as his leader. A few schools have remained constantly in the top group, however, including NC State, UNC and Maryland. After a Friday visit to NC State that I'm told went quite well, Ritchey is in Chapel Hill on Saturday. Whichever school lands the junior, will be getting a prospect that excels both on the field and in the classroom.

At Prep Redzone, we are first and foremost scouts, meaning we mostly deal in projections, film and live evaluations. Our primary job is not to cover recruiting. However, in our line of work we often come across recruiting scoops and occasionally want to pass those on to our readers.