Living out wide

After wrapping up my portion of our Showcase coverage, I returned to a series of stories I was working on before the Showcase in Plymouth. I wrote stories highlighting some of the best position groups returning this fall. After looking at <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/03/in-the-trenches-part-i/">offensive lines</a>, I shifted to the outside and the best returning wide receiver groups.   East Ridge   [player_tooltip player_id='945898' first='Payton' last='Rehfeld']—He has good size and plays out wide and in the slot. He does a nice job adjusting to the ball and is a long strider who is faster than he looks.   [player_tooltip player_id='348678' first='Jesse' last='Borrego']—A smaller receiver, Borrego thrives on speed and quickness. Because of that quickness, he is a good route runner. With his speed, he can run by guys and is a deep threat.   [player_tooltip player_id='743275' first='Kyle' last='Frendt'] – He is a bigger target who can line up at the tight end position. He has good body control and is tough with fifty/fifty balls – getting up to out-jump defenders. He brings back 800 receiving yards from last year – the top returning receiver. He has great feet at the line of scrimmage making it tough to jam him.   Benilde-St Margarets   [player_tooltip player_id='641137' first='Luke' last='Guggenberger'] can do a little bit of everything at receiver. He has a big catch radius and an excellent combination of speed and cutting ability. He is a long strider but has great feet, allowing him to run tight routes and make people miss in the open field. He is also a solid blocker in the running game.   [player_tooltip player_id='234786' first='Khalif' last='Brown'] – another large target for BSM; Brown has good speed, but what separates him is an extra gear he has once he is in the open field. He has the explosiveness to blow by defensive backs. With that speed, he is not just a deep ball threat. He has the ability to take a short throw and turn a five-yard gain into a fifty-yard gain.   [player_tooltip player_id='743286' first='Owen' last='Guertin'] – primarily a corner last season, so his transition to a two-way player should go well based on his ball skills and hands. He is not as big as his two teammates on this list, but his quickness and hands will give them a different style of receiver for defenses to deal with.   Anoka   [player_tooltip player_id='234772' first='Charlie' last='Hendrickson'] – has excellent speed and size. He uses his length well and is a good deep threat for the Tornados because of his catch radius. He uses his hands well – making his length even more effective. Hendrickson is set up for a much more significant role in 2024.   [player_tooltip player_id='945329' first='Afy' last='Ibekwe'] - is one of the more athletic receivers in the state. His leaping ability allows him to play bigger than he is, and he has good size even without the vertical. He is a terror in the red zone and can win any jump-ball situation. Ibekwe can make his quarterback look good on underthrown balls as well, showing the ability to dive and get his hands between the ball and the ground.   [player_tooltip player_id='446976' first='Trey' last='Borchers'] – another weapon with length, Borchers was a big play waiting to happen last season. He averaged nearly twenty yards per catch. Not surprisingly, he has the straight-line speed to run past defensive backs and the ability to use his hands to take advantage of his size. He is not just a deep ball receiver. He runs crisp routes and is willing to take a hit to make a catch. In the open field, defensive backs need to wrap him up because he will break most arm tackles.   Edina   [player_tooltip player_id='923841' first='Sean' last='Rasmussen'] does a little bit of everything. He has great hands and can make a catch through contact. He adjusts well to the ball and has the speed to get open deep and the route running to get loose underneath. I doubt you will find many receivers who also see time on the defensive line.   [player_tooltip player_id='212361' first='Jabari' last='Strader'] – playing primarily out of the slot, Strader's strengths are his speed and route running. He runs crisp routes and has quick feet. Those feet – and his speed also make him a dangerous kickoff return man. He is a good, bad ball receiver, too – his hands and overall athleticism allow him to grab balls just before they hit the turf.   [player_tooltip player_id='743267' first='Jake' last='Bock'] – mainly a blocker but an elite blocking tight end. He has the athletic ability to make plays downfield, but his true strength is – well – his strength. He does a great job sealing the edge and washing defensive ends into no man's land.   [player_tooltip player_id='234833' first='Meyer' last='Swinney']—one of the top returning receivers in the state, the University of California commit has great size and will blow through arm tackles by defensive backs. He has the speed to beat defenders deep and great hands. His catch radius and athletic ability allow him to make catches on balls that are off-target.   Andover   [player_tooltip player_id='752525' first='Cameron' last='Begalle'] – is willing to lay out – successfully to make catches on underthrown balls. His solid body control also allows him to adjust well to deep throws and on the sidelines. He has great speed and is much tougher to bring down than his 180-pound frame would suggest. He runs good routes, but his biggest strength is his straight-line speed.   [player_tooltip player_id='492922' first='Jonathan' last='Kabaso'] – did not have a big role last season, but is willing to be physical and should be a solid third option behind Begalle and Johnson.   [player_tooltip player_id='592234' first='Austin' last='Johnson'] can run the entire route tree. He does a great job using his hands and not letting the ball get into his body. He has good size, the ability to make contested catches, and the ability to win jump-ball situations. He is a willing blocker down the field and in the screen game.

After wrapping up my portion of our Showcase coverage, I returned to a series of stories I was working on before the Showcase in Plymouth. I wrote stories highlighting some of the best position groups returning this fall. After looking at offensive lines, I shifted to the outside and the best returning wide receiver groups.