Deep-Dive of the Deepest Position: Class of 2025's Wide Receivers

Enjoy our newest rankings release by using promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey!   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   If there is one thing New Jersey's graduating class of 2025 is ripe with, it is wide receiver talent. Colleges, of all levels, should be clamoring to earn a commitment from a robust, deep, and diversely talented crop of playmakers graduating in June of 2025. There is great discussion at the top of the rankings due to elite level talent, which we will discuss in this article; however, the latter rungs of talent are tremendous in their own right and are, by no means, meant to be slighted. That is just exactly how good this once-in-a-lifetime class of receivers is.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top Dog</h2>    Top Attribute: Minted, college-ready prospect   [player_tooltip player_id='525111' first='Quincy' last='Porter'], the state's top prospect for the class of 2025, is truly an elite prospect my every means. From route running, ball skills, ability to create, and speed, Porter is a prospect that has the ability to start game 1 at Ohio State in the fall of 2026. His well-rounded game has few flaws and his size is what separates him the rest of this loaded class of receivers.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Truly Elite: Clear-cut, Power 4 Conference Prospects</h2>    Top Attribute: Devastatingly sharp route runner   There is a very good case within circles that [player_tooltip player_id='218550' first='Dez' last='Jones'] should be the top receiver in in New Jersey, and these arguments are valid. Joining Porter in 2026 at Ohio State, Jones game is a bit different but is yet just as effective. Jones runs routes so sharp, so sudden, so smooth, and yet so dramatic that some of the most seasoned vets have yet to master. This gift makes Jones a threat for any route at any depth with how he creates separation from defenders at any level of the defense.     Top Attribute: That boy FAST   Outside of NFLer Mecole Hardman's high school highlight tape, I doubt I have seen a prospect move like Lotzier Brooks. Like Hardman, Brooks has truly top, tier elite speed and will, likely, always be the fastest man on whatever field he steps on. A threat to score from wherever he is on the field, Brooks is explosive and gets to top speed seemingly after his first step. Moreover, Brooks runs like Mike Vick in Madden '04 - a human joystick. Able to either stop on a dime and hit full speed again, immediately, or move and cut upfield sharply, without losing speed, or rounding anything, Brooks demands deep, overhang coverage.     Top Attribute: Track Star   Winslow has become a beacon of young talent. The first of these talents to graduate will be [player_tooltip player_id='389746' first='Cameron' last='Miller']. Miller is extremely fast and can stretch the field vertically. Defenders are constantly on their heels, reeling fear that he will blow past them. Playing this to his advantage, the most subtle or gentle of non-straight line movement makes people overreact and miss. This same ability translates to when he is pressed at the line, making a simple move that defenders panic to, allowing him to win off the line.       Top Attribute: The ball is his... and his only   After the dust has settled from the core four of receivers that get all the attention, there is South Jersey's [player_tooltip player_id='1117516' first='Braswell' last='Thomas']. Thomas will do anything for the ball and come up with it by any means necessary. He will take big hits and hold on to the ball while maintaining possession through the ground. Added by his size and wingspan, Thomas is a quarterback's best friend as he uses these physical attributes to his advantage. Additionally, on film it looks like he can simply leap out of the building to high point a ball. Back in my day, they called this "Mossing" somebody. Lastly, have you ever seen that image of the Chicago Bulls' Dennis Rodman completely laying out parallel to the ground to grab a rebound? Yeah, Thomas does the same thing on the gridiron to come up with the ball.     Top Attribute: Move over   There are some players who the ball is best in their hands as soon as possible. That is [player_tooltip player_id='345435' first='Michael' last='Thomas III']. Thomas is exceptional with the ball in his hands. A tough player to bring down to the ground, he refuses to go down despite the defenses best efforts. Aside from having solid receiving skills, he relishes the opportunity to run with the ball and I would thus consider him a better ball carrier than receiver. He runs akin to how Terrell Owens and Brandon Marshall did years ago. Hopefully he pans out like they did.     Top Attribute: Raw prospect with tremendous upside   After making an unbelievable catch that made ESPN years ago, [player_tooltip player_id='675553' first='Sahnye' last='Degraffenreidt'] is about to graduate. Degraffenreidt has flashes of utter brilliance - vertical, breaking tackle, aggressive runner, speed, and hands - yet I would describe his game as raw. As he prepares for his time at Rutgers, expect him to hone in on and refine his skills. On film you see flashes of unbelievable brilliance, but you also can see that Degraffenreidt is merely scratching the surface of just how good he can truly be.     Top Attribute: Well-rounded game   [player_tooltip player_id='313583' first='D'Hani' last='Cobbs'] is a prospect that, as opposed to the national and regional press, I am gambling a bit on in terms of his college prospects. The film shows my eyes otherwise, however. Fast off his release, achieving top speed very quickly, and vertical ball skills are obvious. Further review shows how Cobbs can make converging defenders miss, sets up his blockers well, and can weave in and out of defenses in the open field. With Cobbs skillset and Coach Rob Hinson tutelage, Cobbs is a bet I am willing to make.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jersey's Next-Best College-Bound Recruits</h2>    Top Attribute: Versatility   From Delbarton, [player_tooltip player_id='343146' first='Phillip' last='Folmar'] is a prospect that lines up in the slot, out wide, and even in the backfield. He is a weapon that is deployable in several aspects of an offense because of how quickly he gets to top speed, how well he changes direction, and how he gets defenders to flip their hips. With a running start from motion, that is where you will see Folmar at his best. Simply put, he is one of those prospects where the ball is best given to him as soon as possible so he can create.     Top Attribute: Violent movements   Son of long-time NFLer Plaxico, [player_tooltip player_id='1033349' first='Elijah' last='Burress'] is of a rare pedigree and legacy. The younger Burress runs routes in a variety of ways in terms of speed, tempo, and sharpness; however, all his movements translate to a violent, attacking type of style. Beyond his routes this level of violence carries over to how he squares defenders up and looks to work around them.     Top Attribute: Decptive   Phillipsburg may not necessarily be known to be a receiver factory, but [player_tooltip player_id='1189138' first='Matthew' last='Scerbo'] looks to change that narrative for years to come. Deceptive is the word for Scerbo. Everything from his routes, speed, and double moves screams "do not sleep on me." His fakes, in particular, are what make defenders shake loose from him. He also does a great job deceiving defenders who are in their head by playing off of crack blocks.     Top Attribute: 50/50 balls are more like 95/5   A player that I have seen on the camp circuit, live in action, and even lead a team lift, Josh Rodriguez is an ultimate competitor. All along the beat, Rodriguez has done an outstanding job of going up high for deep vertical bombs and coming down with them. He can outrun most, out leap most, make spectacular one-handed grabs, and keep his feet in bounds.   Lastly, I will share a quick anecdote about his work ethic. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Somerville lift a few months back, where I cannot sing their praises enough. The team was straight bar shrugging and Rodriguez had about 225lbs on the bar. Calling out the reps, Rodriguez was dissatisfied with the team's call back and commanded "we're still at one!" They did it again. This time dissatisfied with a teammate's rep, he called them out and demanded the group repeat the first rep. He did this about two more times throughout that set for other various infractions he noticed.   Moral of the story is that Rodriguez put the team before himself. He could have just drudged forward for the sake of him fatiguing by holding 225lbs for longer than he had to. Nope. Not this kid. Elite worker that a college will be lucky to nab.     Top Attribute: A very refined player   [player_tooltip player_id='909239' first='Prabhdeep' last='Singh'], who I think may be a Texas native who transferred to post-grad school Lawrenceville, is more advanced than many high school prospects. Singh will vary his releases to mix it up at the line. He also gets tight and close into his opponent's chest when run blocking. Singh does a great job of snapping his hips low when breaking off the step of his route.     Top Attribute: Finesse, possession receiver   [player_tooltip player_id='389753' first='Jovon' last='Williams'] is an interesting prospect for a number of reason. Although I cannot say that one thing simply just pops, he runs sharp routes and can come up with jump balls. Not a true burner, he finds a way to get open with good routes and find soft spots in zone because of this. Williams is a trustworthy, secure safety blanket for his quarterback.     Top Attribute: Physicality   Another post-graduate school player, [player_tooltip player_id='321783' first='Bryce' last='Kania'] is probably faster than he is quick, but really emphasizes the subtle physical elements of his game. Running with a forward lean, taking pride in blocking, and gentling pushing off atop his routes to create space are examples of this.     Top Attribute: Redzone Threat   Blessed with outstanding height, there are few defensive backs that can match [player_tooltip player_id='796165' first='Terrell' last='Wilfong'] in terms of being vertically gifted. Knowing how to use what his mama gave him, Wilfong high points the ball with ease and does so through traffic. He is also a selfless blocker in the run game.     Top Attribute: The Gingerbread Man   Catch him if you can, [player_tooltip player_id='1196466' first='Jahai' last='Johnson'] is the class of 2025's Gingerbread Man. Johnson has the elusive skillset to make multiple defenders miss with the ball in his hands. The most little of hip movements allow him to do so. Johnson benefits from passes that get him in space so he can square dance around defenders.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prospects You Should Get Familiar With: The Rest of the Class' Best</h2>    Top Attribute: Hand Utilization   [player_tooltip player_id='1093217' first='Enzo' last='Ferrero'] is a name in coaching circles that we describe as very good. Ferrero is best when using his hands. Using them, exclusively, to make grabs, they are strong as he maintains possession through swipes across his arms and down to the ground. He will also go up and "pluck" the ball out of the air and through catches that require a great deal of concentration. Ferrero also aggressively comes back to the ball to secure it as soon as possible.     Top Attribute: Mismatch waiting to happen   The second Camden Panther to grace this list of class' deepest position, [player_tooltip player_id='1228164' first='Malik' last='Redd'] is a prospect that excited me both in person and live in camp. He can get going vertically and high point, track the ball, and extend for it. Redd's skillset, speed, and ability to evade tacklers make him a key piece to be played on the real-life game of chess.     Top Attribute: Acrobat   With the days of a Micah Ford-led, run heavy offensive possibly behind them, [player_tooltip player_id='674968' first='Camryn' last='Thomas'] gives the Mariners good reason to consider evolving their offense. Thomas is excited to play the game and can make acrobatic catches falling backwards, dragging his feet along the sideline, and breaks off sharp routes. Additionally, Thomas has the speed to take the top off of the defense.     Top Attribute: Trustworthy   [player_tooltip player_id='345385' first='Caleb' last='Pasols'] is a trustworthy target that does many things coaches would rave about. First, he chins the ball through contact. He also lowers his hips dramatically when breaking the stem of his route. Speed manipulation to get open is another subtle trait he leverages. Pasols responds well when you get him the ball in a variety of ways too, and can make the first man miss.     Top Attribute: Athleticism   [player_tooltip player_id='341837' first='Sincere' last='Barner'] probably deserves a higher ranking, yet because of a lack of film we cannot justify a higher ranking. Barner sincerely lit up the one camp he and I both were at, scoring as one of the top combine performers at his position. In the 90 second film he does have we see him use his catch radius to adjust to badly thrown balls and get behind defenders with his quick movements. Barner is, for certain, a prospect to track as he plays out his senior season.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Position Change: Possible College Tight Ends Who Will Terrorize Defenders</h2>    Top Attribute: Way better than you would expect   I have to admit: before watching [player_tooltip player_id='1040419' first='Eric' last='Klemmer']'s film I did not expect much. A 6'4" receiver at a Group II school are typically vibes I do not feel - but hey, this is exactly why we watch film. Klemmer has very good receiver skills in terms of high pointing and using his hands. He shows that he knows to break off his routes, has a better vertical than initially though, and comes back to the ball when targeted. Klemmer size gives him the ability to box out opponents and utilize his great catch radius. Lastly, his routes are what I would describe as "nifty." Why I think Klemmer would crush it as a college tight end is because, aside from his measurables, he has some speed that allows him to get behind people. He also uses his body well when positioning for the ball, and lastly he gets his hands inside his opponents chest, controlling them, when blocking on the perimeter. I think Klemmer can be a mismatch headache at he next level with a position change.     Top Attribute: There is something there   [player_tooltip player_id='1208011' first='Cedrick' last='Raymond'] is a prospect blessed with size and does a number of things well - catching with hands, get in and out of his breaks, and adjust to the ball. As he looks to his college days, taking the skills he has developed as a receiver at Union, I feel the blend of size and skills he has developed might warrant a position change to tight end in college that would translate nicely.

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