Building the Perfect Player: WV’s Ultimate ’26 WR

<p><strong><em>The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you registe</em>r <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1484/register/combine-series-west-virginia">HERE</a><em>!</em></strong></p>   <p>We are back in the lab and today we are focused on building the perfect WR recruit. An athlete with the ability to create a mismatch with size, with his ability before the catch, and his threat after the catch. He needs to be able to dominate at the catch point. This is going to require the best traits from West Virginia's best athletes. Let's get started with the build!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SIZE AND FRAME</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Nitro WR [player_tooltip player_id='866254' first='Malachi' last='Thompson'] is much more than just his size but it's hard to ignore his 6'4 200 frame as the ideal fit for this section. He's been one of the leading receivers in the state the past two seasons and is beginning to garner the D1 attention we expected Thompson to see. As a junior, he caught 74 passes for nearly 1,600 yards and 18 touchdowns and will finish his career as one of the most productive receivers in state history. With how fluid of an athlete he is, a move to TE doesn't feel likely even with his size and frame, and Thompson should continue to be a daunting target on the outside at the next level. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SPEED</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">We only got a brief glimpse of 2026 Huntington WR [player_tooltip player_id='1599383' first='Deuce' last='Olden II'] last season due to having to sit out most of the season after transferring in from Florida, but his speed is obvious in the limited film available. We're expecting Olden to have a breakout senior year for the Highlanders after losing some talented receivers to graduation from last year's squad and with a full season to be able to play. He'll be clocked in the 40 at our upcoming Combine Series on May 3rd and expect Olden to run a 4.5 or better and prove he's one of the fastest players in the state this year. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>HANDS</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='894667' first='Ja'lei' last='Burnette'] is a very well-rounded receiver who could've fit in at a few different places on this list but settled in under the hands section. Burnette had a very productive junior season for Hurricane and will now join Nitro's high-flying spread offense along with two of our other mentions in this article [player_tooltip player_id='866254' first='Malachi' last='Thompson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1130335' first='Luke' last='Shafer'] to form one of the top receiving corps this season in the state. He can be utilized in a variety of ways in the passing game from the slot to wideout and can flash his hands in the full route tree. Burnette can consistently make routine catches but can also create wow plays with some acrobatic and athletic snags as well. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>ROUTE RUNNING</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Wheeling Park WR [player_tooltip player_id='894631' first='Kolin' last='Wiley'] is seeing his stock rise this off-season after producing a very good junior campaign for the Patriots where he totaled 550 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wiley was a Top Performer at our winter Stock Up Showcase and is beginning to catch the eyes of colleges as he heads into his senior year. His route-running ability jumps out on film and when seeing him in a camp setting which made him a good fit for this spot on our Perfect WR Build. He'll consistently take advantage of off-coverage and use the defenders' space against them. Wiley does a great job of leveraging defenders during his route stems and keeps them uncomfortable throughout the play. He's also crisp on his breaks and has a quick change of direction that allows him to create consistent separation. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>AFTER THE CATCH</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Another one of the leading receivers in the state last season was Princeton's [player_tooltip player_id='1096605' first='Brad' last='Mossor'] who earned our After the Catch spot in the Perfect 2026 WR Build. Mossor is excellent at generating YAC plays on screen passes and is a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands which he also displays on special teams. He's magician-like in some of the plays on his junior tape that leave you questioning how he's able to slip out for a touchdown or big gain while seemingly being corraled in. Mossor is a deep play threat as well and can take the top off of a defense, but finding easy ways to get the ball in his hands will result in positive plays nearly every time. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>FLEXIBILITY</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Winfield didn't have a prolific passing attack in 2024 but [player_tooltip player_id='1137681' first='Aiden' last='Hernandez'] is a name that colleges aren't going to want to miss. He's a highly athletic prospect with innate traits that flash on film and will give him a great base to continue to build on as a receiver. Hernandez is extremely fluid and moves effortlessly which earned him a spot on the Perfect 2026 WR Build under Flexibility. In a more pass-happy offense, Hernandez would further showcase this trait but flashed acrobatic ability on a few of his catches in his junior tape. You can also see his flexibility on whip routes as he makes them look as smooth as a normal out route without breaking his stride. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>AGILITY</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='894642' first='Tayveon' last='Wilson'] is beginning to trend towards being labeled an ATH in our rankings after playing all over the field as a junior for Huntington which speaks to his overall athleticism as a prospect. Agility is a good description of one of his best athletic traits as a smooth and versatile athlete that he showcased in many different ways last season. Wilson may end up being QB1 for the Highlanders this season and is committed to Clemson as a TE prospect proving he has P4 athleticism. When watching him play, you can clearly tell that Wilson looks and moves differently than everyone else on the field. He's a very fluid athlete who's light on his feet and is impressively agile for an athlete of his size. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>EXPLOSIVENESS</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Wheeling Park's [player_tooltip player_id='894679' first='Owen' last='Dobrzynski-Hines'] was right with [player_tooltip player_id='1599383' first='Deuce' last='Olden II'] for our speed build for the Perfect 2026 WR but places under explosiveness. His first play on his junior highlight tape showcases that trait perfectly as he blows by man coverage in the slot in an instant so quickly that the safety can't provide help over the top on a slot fade. Dobrzynski-Hines can accelerate to top speed almost instantly which paired with high-level straight-line speed made him a perfect fit for our explosiveness build. If he gets a step on a defender you might as well head to the sideline because there aren't many athletes in the state who can recover from that and catch him. This makes Dobrzynski-Hines a nightmare to cover 1-on-1 and is the type of athlete that defenses will need to scheme for and key on this year.</p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>JUMP BALL</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Parkersburg South's [player_tooltip player_id='894768' first='Taj' last='Joyce'] could've easily fit under our Size and Frame or Hands build but showcased great jump ball skills as a junior last season for the Patriots. Joyce took a huge leap forward from his sophomore to junior season as a receiver and is starting to look like a prospect who could receive D1 looks. South broke in a new quarterback in 2024 which meant finding a new rhythm with his receivers, and Joyce was a fantastic bail-out option for his new quarterback. He's the type of athlete with the size that gives quarterbacks the fortune of just chucking it up in his general direction and letting him make a highlight reel play. Joyce did just that numerous times last season as a jump ball specialist who uses his basketball background to box out defenders like a forward would down in the paint. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CHAINS MOVER</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">The third Nitro receiver to earn recognition with our Perfect 2026 WR Build is [player_tooltip player_id='1130335' first='Luke' last='Shafer'] who was tabbed as our chains mover. He's another athlete who could've fit under several descriptions on this list but is the type of receiver who quarterbacks love to find on third down to move the chains. Shafer is a smooth route runner with the quickness that allows him to consistently create separation often finding himself wide open. He does a great job of finding space and understands how to work for his quarterback when the play starts to break down. Shafer is dangerous on corner and post routes while also working underneath defenses in the middle of the field. He's also patient when he does find space and will sit down and wait for his quarterback to find him for an easy pitch and catch. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>TRACKING</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Tracking the football in the air is an underrated trait in receivers that most people may not think of when looking for the best traits at that position but is a valuable asset to have in your arsenal. Independence 2026 WR [player_tooltip player_id='1137685' first='Christian' last='Linksweiler'] easily showcased that ability the best among his fellow pass catchers which shows up on the very first play of his junior tape. He's excellent at tracking the ball over his shoulder either in stride or contorting his body to find the ball. Linksweiler has great hand-eye coordination to find the ball in difficult circumstances at times and understands when he needs to slow down or speed up during his route to adjust to the ball's path. Linksweiler has a natural feel as a pass catcher which directly translates to his ball-tracking ability. </p>

The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you register HERE!