2026 NY Rankings: Wide Receivers

You can check out the updated 2026 Rankings <a href="https://prepredzone.com/new-york/rankings/2026-rankings/">HERE</a>   These rankings come down to measurables, athletic profile, and film – This is an intriguing group of WR prospects, as 13 made my top 100 it is a group that has a lot of different body types and play styles at the position. The group holds the top overall player in the class. Although there are so many talented guys at the position this year, the few WR scholarship spots in the northeast are even more competitive with the amount of talent at the position. I'm excited to see this group develop, and I think we could see as many as 2-4 commitments over the summer from this WR class.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top Three</h2>    Hampton is easily not just the best WR in this class, but there is a sizable gap between my grade on him and the #2 OVR player in our rankings—I have seen him at 7v7 and see him play live. He is, without a doubt, the best player to come out of New York in the past five seasons.   His athleticism on tape and in person is some of the best you will find in any WR or athlete in the Northeast, but small nuances to his game, like his body control and balance, make him so special. I never throw the term "elite" out because pretty much no NY prospects are elite at anything - Hampton is the exception. He has elite hands and a seamless transition from catch point to ball carrier. His route running is some of the best I have seen. His releases off the LOS are never too complex, yet simple and effective - great explosive movements at the LOS and the ability to adjust tempo through his short and intermediate routes to create separation. To top if off, he has the long speed to separate deep.   Hampton has all the traits you look for in a WR, and he executes them consistently on tape and the camp circuit.     Butler has excellent track speed—22.03 PR —and it translates to the football field on tape. Butler is the top deep threat WR in the state. Although he is 5'10" and many could label him as a slot receiver, I think his speed and ability to stretch the field give him the ability to play inside or outside at the next level.   Butler shows good ball skills all over his tape; his ball tracking down the field is excellent, and he shows the ability to make tough catches, contorting his body and showing good body control in the air. His long speed and change of direction make him a threat after the catch as well. There is a lot to like on tape from Butler; his verified speed definitely eases any concerns coaches would have about his size.     Shoemaker has the most intriguing frame of the WR group in this class, and with that frame, he has the potential to end up as a Flex-Y/TE prospect if he can add the weight. Without a live look at Shoemaker, I can't say that is the direction I would take him just based on the tape, where you see a lot of intriguing positional skills from the WR spot.   He flashes some long speed on tape, and there are many vertical routes as well. I think his best use is as an outside WR who can stretch the field vertically. He can make contested catches, and you see a few tough ones on tape. He has a couple of reps that show a good catch radius, but it is a small sample size.   I like his athletic profile—he plays Lacrosse, Football, and Basketball. His old lacrosse tape shows some change of direction and burst you don't see in a lot of reps on the football field, partly because many of his routes (Go's and Crosser) maintain straighter lines.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Two Names To Know</h2>    Unique production—was section OPOY as a sophomore but played WR, RB, and QB as a junior due to teammate injuries. I think his home at the next level is wide receiver, where he has had a lot of success the past two seasons even though we saw a lot of position versatility this season. He is also a multi-sport recruit, excelling on the baseball field in the spring as well.   Positionally, Grasso shows good ball skills, but his general athleticism sets him apart from other prospects. On tape, he has the quickness, speed, and explosive movements that make the high school game look so easy to him—his ability to produce regardless of position backs that up, and on tape, he looks a tier above the competition.     Way has had multiple very productive seasons for New Hartford - the WR prospect from Section III has 1,641 receiving yards and 28 total touchdowns over the last two seasons. When you turn on the tape, I think Way is one of the top route runners in this class - he shows good short-area quickness and has some burst out of his breaks.   He has quick releases off the LOS, and he understands how to attack defensive backs who play with poor leverage and create a lot of separation. My favorite part about Way as a prospect is that he is a strong-hands catcher and a physical downhill runner after the catch.   There is a lot to like about Way's tape - the multi-year production is a plus, and although there are some flashes of speed, I think coaches will be really happy with the way he can win and separate on routes at camps regardless of how he runs.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Expect Big Senior Seasons From</h2>    You can never blame a player for potential roadblocks to playing time or even more chances to touch the ball - when a team has multiple skill players committed to FBS programs and even more talent in the younger years like CBA-Syracuse had, there are a lot of factors you need to consider. [player_tooltip player_id='1307489' first='Kieghlin' last='Hicks'] was in a similar spot that now FBS-Commit [player_tooltip player_id='811663' first='Daunte' last='Bacheyie'] was his Jr year - clear WR3 on a team that is primarily run-first but has elite athletes at several positions.   Hicks has a lot of great tools - his frame at 6'3 185 is a great place to be heading into his senior season. He flashes good overall athleticism both on football tape and basketball tape. I think some strong reps show good ball skills and hands-on tape, but the sample size is smaller in this position.   I like Hicks' athletic profile, and there is some good stuff on tape - He is a player that requires some projection at this point, but expect a big year as he gets to slot into potentially a WR1 role.     St. Anthony's had a strong trio of receivers in their dynamic offense, which featured a strong quarterback run game. Russo is the only prospect of that trio returning. After a solid statistical year, it should have an even more prominent role as a senior.   Russo did not land in the rankings because of where I think he will be next year, but I thought that he has some extremely impressive Jr. tape, even as the WR3 for St. Anthony's. I think the kid is an absolute technician as a route runner—he has great balance and can move at full speed with a low center of gravity. On certain breaks, he utilizes quick, efficient feet in his cuts to separate.   There are several strong blocking reps on tape—WRs at the high school level always need to get bigger and stronger for the next level. Still, he shows some of the best willingness to block at the WR position this class, being one of three WR prospects in the top 15 where I thought his blocking was worth mentioning in my notes.   Production can grow, and I expect it to his senior year, but with what he has out already, he shows some good quicks and athleticism and does a great job separating.

You can check out the updated 2026 Rankings HERE