Deep Dive: Mecklenburg County Wide Receivers

Charlotte Football Insiders is taking a look at ranking the top Charlotte Metro Area players by position, and we're taking a look at those players in those rankings in a Deep Dive analysis series. In these articles, we will share why these players are ranked and their best attributes as potential college-level football players in their respective futures. This will feature Mecklenburg County Wide Receivers - the city of Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County.   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/9.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1639151" /></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/10.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1639152" /></figure>    Brody earning the #1 spot in this ranking really came down to overall production the past two years for the Mustangs. Brody has consistently been the #1 threat for multiple different quarterbacks - last season he caught passes from three different players as Myers Park dealt with some injury issues. In spite of that, Brody remained incredibly athletic and fast, with the ability to attack from any receiver spot on the field. Brody has an incredible vertical ability in 1 on 1 situations and extremely strong hands to pull the ball in consistently. Brody can run excellent routes and knows how to find holes in zone coverage. From a recruiting standpoint, Brody has offers from almost every Power 4 school you can think of. He has narrowed his choices down to 8 schools - Norte Dame, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Duke, Ohio State, and South Carolina.     Gordon stepped into the #1 receiver role for the Chargers last season after some talented teammates graduated. Gordon did an excellent job, showing some elite skills all over the field. Paired with a talented quarterback, Gordon showed the ability to win with speed in 1 on 1 coverage down the field consistently. When defensive backs tried to get physical at the snap, Gordon showed the ability to work his release well and gain separation quickly on a variety of routes. Gordon is also highly recruited by Power 4 schools, and he has narrowed his choices down to five schools. Those schools are Clemson, Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.     Tyran had a breakout year as a major down field receiving threat for the Huskies, giving them an explosive dimension in their offense. Tyran's speed absolutely wins against man coverage - most notably in a showcase game, he had over 200 yards receiving and multiple touchdowns when an opponent stayed exclusively in man coverage all game long. To go along with his speed, Tyran's height allows him to win vertically in jump ball situations in 1 on 1 situations as well. Tyran committed to the University of Tennessee a couple of months ago, but had several other Power 4 programs to choose from in his selection process.     Once again, this ranking here came down to production. Otavio has been the leading receiver for the Panthers for the last two seasons - this past season he had 54 catches for nearly 700 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season. Otavio does a lot of his damage out of the slot, and he is an extremely quick and fast receiver. He can win against safeties and linebackers in the middle of the field easily, and knows how to read and navigate zone coverages well. Otavio is also a down field threat in the seam, and the Panthers are creative in creating some downfield shots for him. From a recruiting perspective, Otavio has a few offers from Group of 5 schools - I think if he has a strong camp season, he should jump on to some Power 4 radars for offers for sure.     This freshman is an incredible talent, which is why with one year of good production he sits at #5 in this particular ranking of elite players. Braylon can win in all three phases as a receiver. In the short game, Braylon can excel at catching quick screen passes and making someone miss in the open field. Braylon runs good intermediate routes and shows the ability to separate against man coverage. Finally, Braylon shows nice long speed on deep balls to make big plays for his team on a routine basis. Several Power 4 schools have already offered Braylon early, and he is on his way to becoming one of the next big recruits from the Charlotte area in the near future. Expect him to be higher in this ranking next season.     Rakim is a player that I am very happy for. He did a lot of team first work in the Lions' scheme, playing Tight End and deferring his stats as the Lions' do a great job in spreading the ball around to multiple talented players in their offensive scheme. As a player, Rakim is strong with his release off the line, and excels at getting into space with excellent route running. I saw him live last season and he was running open downfield on multiple occasions. Rakim has reliable hands and shows some speed to win downfield against man coverage also. Rakim 's recruiting has really picked up this off-season, picking up offers from 4 different college football programs. I am excited to see him continue to progress into his senior season.     Watching Donte's highlights, he is a big-play threat from anywhere on the field. Donte consistently torches man coverage, gaining separation on long routes with impressive speed. Donte shows soft hands catching the ball - even making an impressive one-hand catch over the middle look simple. Donte also has impressive short space agility and quickness, as he shows on reverses and in the screen/quick passing game. Donte has received several offers from college programs, and he stands to get even more recruiting attention as I think he should have a strong camp season coming up.     It was fun to watch Brendan become a bigger part of the Chargers offense last season. Brendan did a good job of running routes - that was the first thing I noticed about his game. Providence Day faced a variety of looks defensively, and Brendan showed how to find holes and throttle down in zone coverage vs. running away and creating separation in man coverage looks. Brendan has good speed and excelled over the middle of the field, making some tough catches to keep the chains moving. From a recruiting perspective, Brendan has earned some offers and should continue to receive attention from college programs. I think Brendan is an essential part of the Chargers attack once again next season.     Watching Chaz really break out last season in a major showcase game really solidified him as one of the better recent receivers in the Charlotte Metro Area. Chaz has some blazing speed and can get behind just about any defensive back in the area. To go along with that blazing speed, Chaz knows how to run deep routes well and stack the corner to gain leverage on those routes. The son of former NFL running back Clinton Portus, Chaz has received some college interest and offers, and he should pick up some more if he has a strong camp season this summer.     Steele broke out as a freshman at another school as a dynamic playmaker all over the field, and now he has just continued to build on that at Providence Day. Steele is very fast in the open field, and can excel in the quick screen game and on Special Teams as a kick returner. Steele also has good vision with the football in his hands. As time goes on within the Chargers program, he will get more and more opportunities to shine and we will be able to see what he can do with those. Steele already has several Division 1 college football offers and his trajectory is pointing sky high going into the summer camp season.    Honorable Mentions   [player_tooltip player_id='402300' first='Prince' last='Young'] - Independence - Prince will have a major opportunity to breakout as the Patriots lead wide receiver this upcoming season. Prince showed flashes of a dynamic playmaker last season, and I think all he needs is the opportunity to show on a consistent basis how good he can be. He is on the radar of college football programs already from a recruiting perspective.   [player_tooltip player_id='612108' first='Landon' last='Gilmore'] - West Charlotte - Landon has changed to a new school, but you can continue to expect the same speed and quickness that has made him an All-Conference player before. Landon can excel in the quick screen game and on Special Teams especially. Landon is a lot of fun to watch in the open field.   [player_tooltip player_id='1671881' first='Vincent' last='Rosen'] - Charlotte Catholic - Vincent has a size/speed combination that is hard to find in receivers, and it's something that college coaches love to see. I think Vincent is a little bit under the radar at the moment, but he excels in making big catches down the field, and that's something he will have an opportunity to show more of in the summer camp season coming up.   [player_tooltip player_id='338729' first='Khalil' last='Price'] - Mallard Creek - Outside of his speed/height combination that college coaches love, Khalil is a player with a lot of upside. Last season he played in a Mallard Creek offense that had a heavy run focus. We have seen Khalil breakout before as a big play receiver down the field, and this year he may have more of an opportunity to show that on a consistent basis.

Charlotte Football Insiders is taking a look at ranking the top Charlotte Metro Area players by position, and we're taking a look at those players in those rankings in a Deep Dive analysis series. In these articles, we will share why these players are ranked and their best attributes as potential college-level football players in their respective futures. This will feature Mecklenburg County Wide Receivers - the city of Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County.