2026 Rankings: Breaking Down the Receivers

When we're talking receivers in the 2026 class, there are several tiers you could consider besides some of the obvious.   What we continue to come back to, no matter the metric, is that South Carolina is now a place where the numbers of those tiers grows - but so, too, does the blur happening between them.   Between players who have already doled out some verbal commitments and a few more who will likely follow suit soon, the Palmetto State has no shortage of future college receivers.    THE ESTABLISHED BIG DOGS   [player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth'] Mountain View Prep   The Charlotte commitment has been steadily rising up our ranks since transferring to MVP from Dorman prior to last season. He's proven himself as a homerun threat who can simultaneously display some aerial acrobatics that got him on some college recruiting lists.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267334' first='Kameron' last='Vance'] Northwestern (pictured)   Anyone who discounts what Vance did because of the Trojans' Air Raid offense clearly never watched him play. Vance and his 1,100 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns helped Northwestern add another state championship trophy.    [player_tooltip player_id='402486' first='Carnell' last='Warren'] Bluffton   Warren's 14 receiving touchdowns last fall were among the state's best. So we don't say lightly that we expect him to top that as a senior. He and [player_tooltip player_id='1394988' first='Aedan' last='McCarthy'] are two peas in a pod, a pitcher and catcher who thrive in one of the Lowcountry's biggest passing attacks.   [player_tooltip player_id='816735' first='Jamel' last='Howse'] Newberry   Howse was part of a rush of receiver commitments to South Carolina back in the fall. And when he didn't reclassify like two of the others, it gave him one file high school season to really cut loose. He's a big body who casually put up 400-plus yards last fall amid heavy coverage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165081' first='Kendall' last='Byrd'] AC Flora   Quite a bit of Byrd's production last year (83 receptions, 1,104 yards 10 touchdowns) was an indication of just how explosive this offense can be. The full complement of receivers are healthy, and that only means it will be that much more difficult to cover him in 2025.    [player_tooltip player_id='816751' first='Jude' last='Hall'] Christ Church   The one-time Duke commitment backed off his pledge to the Blue Devils in March. The reasoning was clear. Thanks to his own skills and a pair of receivers above him reclassifying to 2025, Hall finds himself as one of the most desirable recruiting targets in the state. His size sets him apart, and his 795 yards and five touchdowns from last fall proved he could handle being a No. 1 receiver.    THREATENING TO SHAKE UP THE TOP 100   While there's a case for the top six to say they've long since established their foothold, three players in particular are on the cusp of a senior season that could move around in a hurry not only the positional rankings, but the overall ones, as well.    [player_tooltip player_id='205787' first='Hiszari' last='Gantt'] (Gray Collegiate), [player_tooltip player_id='1580947' first='Jayden' last='Boyd'] (Fairfield Central) and [player_tooltip player_id='1395080' first='Amiri' last='Acker'] (Crescent) all have elite pass-catching ability that they've shown in glimpses.   We'll start with Gantt, who has torn up the Carolinas Coaches Combines for three straight springs but hasn't quite put it all together on Fridays during the fall. Not that much of that has anything to do with him. Gray has spent much of his time there focued on running through opponents; a team playoff ban last season didn't help much either.   Boyd is a true speedster who earlier this month dominated a track meet, only to turn around the next day and nearly hit 23 miles per hour in a Catapult GPS vest. Fairfield Central didn't throw a ton last year, but Boyd did haul in 27 passes for 364 yards. And in a statistical oddity, he actually had a higher per-carry average (19.4) on his 11 end-around runs and jet sweeps.    And when we get to Acker, we're seeing the makings of a receiver who could double up on his junior season production of 604 yards and six touchdowns and possibly even make it look easy in the process. He's being pursued by a number of Power 4 programs and drew his 11th offer (Boston College) yesterday.     WE'RE KEEPING THESE NAMES HANDY   [player_tooltip player_id='1592487' first='Tristian' last='Spann'] Hartsville    Like a few of the others already listed, Spann's speed is his greatest asset. He gets off the snap instantly and doesn't need more than a few fractions of a second to hit the turbo button. New starting quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1615056' first='Ford' last='Wallace'] has the arm capable of making it count.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639826' first='JayAun' last='Perkins'] South Florence   Last season at West Florence, Perkins had just three more receptions than the second-best Knights' receiver but nearly 300 more yards than that teammate. Now a Bruin, Perkins is linking up with an established offensive scheme that has proved how dangerous it can be missing in new faces.   [player_tooltip player_id='1656629' first='Tyler' last='Davis'] Hampton County    As good as the Hurricanes have been running the ball, a deep playoff run will depend on keeping opponents on their toes. That means becoming a lot more balanced again. Enter Davis, who has high-end speed that few defensive backs can cover one-on-one.   [player_tooltip player_id='1327713' first='Matthew' last='Hillstock'] Easley    The Green Wave will be breaking in their fourth straight different starting quarterback to start the season in August. No matter who that player ends up being, Hillstock is WR1 and capable of a large volume of targets. He's going to get plenty of chances.   [player_tooltip player_id='1371931' first='Jordan' last='Jenkins'] Conway    Jenkins is one of the tallest receivers in the state, and while he's never been one to get pushed around, he's also in the midst of putting some weight back on after basketball. Anything he adds will only make him better in traffic, something Tigers receivers know is going to happen.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267320' first='Jon' last='Kelly'] Myrtle Beach    Kelly played only three games as a junior after missing four as a soophomre. That's a season's worth of experience Kelly has lost. Myrtle Beach is ready to get him back into the mix. He's a senior, and his return to form is a huge plus for a team breaking in a new quarterback.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592675' first='Zack' last='Zurawski'] St. James   Zuraswski is the favorite target of a quarterback who very likely could average 250 yards per game this fall. And while the Sharks have more than their share of lopsided losses over the last few years, the offensive coming back this fall isn't green. Zurawski stands to be one of the biggest beneciaries.

When we're talking receivers in the 2026 class, there are several tiers you could consider besides some of the obvious.