2026 Rankings: Breaking Down The WR's and TE's

The depth and outright production from the Class of 2026 receivers and tight ends can be attributed to several factors. One, offenses these days are more apt to throw it all over the field instead of lining it up and running it right at you.   But more importantly, these 46 receivers and seven tight ends can flat go get the football. They catch it well, create separation from defenders and can make guys miss once they get the ball in their hands. The spread offenses feed off these players.   The top-rated receiver and the No. 16 overall player in the 2026 Class is [player_tooltip player_id='816751' first='Jude' last='Hall'] from Christ Church. The 6-foot-4, 185-pounder is a matchup nightmare with his length. That has allowed him to commit to Memphis. Then you have Dillon's [player_tooltip player_id='1165163' first='Zamaurious' last='Robertson'], who is already committed to North Carolina as the No. 2 ranked receiver in the class.   AC Flora's [player_tooltip player_id='1165081' first='Kendall' last='Byrd'] is the only receiver out of the top eight that hasn't already committed. But Byrd will have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents in the Falcons pass-happy attack. Three more receivers are committed to Power 4 schools – Newberry's [player_tooltip player_id='816735' first='Jamel' last='Howse'] (South Carolina), Bluffton's [player_tooltip player_id='402486' first='Carnell' last='Warren'] (UNC) and Westwood's [player_tooltip player_id='1580947' first='Jayden' last='Boyd'] (Duke).   [player_tooltip player_id='1395078' first='Kam' last='Taylor'] of Woodruff and [player_tooltip player_id='1535039' first='Tilden' last='Riley'] of Orangeburg Prep are prototypical tight ends. They have great size and can play with their hand in the dirt or spread out wide to become a pass-catching threat. Taylor is committed to Liberty and Riley recently committed to Vanderbilt.   That overall strength in the Class is evident. Several new players moved in the rankings and there was movement among both the tight ends and receivers. The next four months are the last go-round for these guys. They have a minimum of 10 games and potentially 15 games to go out with a bang.   We're going to look at some guys and what they bring to the table in this breakdown of the receivers and tight ends in the 2026 Class.     RANKINGS BUSTERS   [player_tooltip player_id='1575461' first='Zach' last='Balog'] WR/ATH, Bishop England   The Bishops turned to a more pass attack to forge out a 9-3 record last season and Balog was the leader among the pass catchers. He went over 1,000 yards and had 65 receptions to go along with seven touchdowns. Balog has a top-notch QB in [player_tooltip player_id='1592310' first='Quinn' last='Mahoney'] and they will combine again to be one of the more lethal duos in the state. He's a speedster that can run past defenders to catch deep passes and he's also a threat to take a short screen pass to the house. Plays in the secondary as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='816750' first='Kaleb' last='Berry'] WR, Gray Collegiate   The War Eagles become caught in a late season scandal that forced them to miss the playoffs and they sort of became an afterthought after making the jump to Class 4A. But make no mistake, Berry and the crew are back and playing with a chip on their shoulders. Berry only played in seven games but caught 15 passes for 266 yards and five touchdowns. He's a deep ball threat and has weapons around him like [player_tooltip player_id='205787' first='Hiszari' last='Gantt'] and a seasoned QB in [player_tooltip player_id='232668' first='Tyler' last='Waller']. He's a 6-foot-2, 180-pound target that could see his numbers more than triple with a full season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1042719' first='Hayden' last='Morris'] WR, Indian Land   Morris transferred over from Ridge View and will have the opportunity to play opposite [player_tooltip player_id='1036748' first='Sequel' last='Patterson'] for a full season. Morris is 6-foot, 180 pounds and has blazing speed and great hands. He was the third leading receiver for the Blazers with 465 yards on 32 receptions with seven touchdowns. He has a chance to see those numbers increase just on the fact Patterson is going to garner a lot of attention so that will likely leave Morris in a lot of one-on-one opportunities.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267282' first='Daylin' last='Haltiwanger'] WR, Orangeburg-Wilkinson   Haltiwanger was another player on the move as he transferred from Hammond to the Bruins. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder played in a system where was mainly the third option in an offense that ran for over 2,700 yards and threw for over 2,500 yards. Now he is likely to become the main receiving weapon in an O-W attack that was run heavy in 2024. Because of his size and potential matchup problems, he could provide a downfield target that will be beneficial to opening the run game even more.   [player_tooltip player_id='1327713' first='Matthew' last='Hillstock'] WR, Easley   Hillstock was the Green Wave leading receiver last season with 44 catches for 631 yards and five touchdowns. Don't be surprised if he doesn't flirt with a 1,000-yard season this year. Three of the next four productive receivers from a year ago have graduated. Easley found themselves trailing in a lot of games last season and that forced them to throw the ball more than they ran it. Hillstock is going to pile up numbers and likely play defensive back as well.     [player_tooltip player_id='1639826' first='JayAun' last='Perkins'] WR, South Florence   Perkins (pictured) has moved across town and taken his talents from West Florence to South Florence. He had 40 catches for 670 yards and eight touchdowns for the Knights and moved into an offense that is going to throw it around. [player_tooltip player_id='1166986' first='Messiah' last='Jackson'] threw 30 TD's last season, and he must replace two seniors that caught 25 of those touchdowns. Perkins should slide into that No. 1 target role with his 5-foot-11, 180-pound frame. He's proven he can be the go-to receiver and how soon he and Jackson connect on a high level will go a long way towards South Florence making a fourth straight state championship game appearance.     [player_tooltip player_id='1592357' first='J'Qwan' last='Crosby'] WR, Stratford   We knew going into the summer that the Knights would have a strong passing game with the return of quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1165148' first='Jachin' last='Davis'] and Crosby, the leading receiver from last season. What we didn't know was Stratford would get running back [player_tooltip player_id='473027' first='Meliq' last='McGowan'] from Goose Creek. Having that type of runner should open the passing game even more for Crosby. He was good last season by averaging over 17 yards a reception on his team-best 40 catches. He began to pick up more and more offers this summer and could be a breakout star in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1639740' first='Dorian' last='Mason'] TE, Hartsville   Why do we include a Hartsville player among this list? We all know the Red Foxes want to run and then run some more. That's where Mason comes in. He's more than durable enough to be another blocker at the line of scrimmage but he's also athletic enough to be a factor in the receiving game. He had 24 receptions for 332 yards a season ago and that was good enough for second best on the team. He's sneaky fast and could make teams pay as they focus on trying to stop that vaunted Hartsville rushing attack.     [player_tooltip player_id='1734443' first='Jayden' last='Scott'] WR, Nation Ford   The Falcons leaned heavily on the pass and Scott was the second leading receiver with 664 yards on 48 receptions and two touchdowns. But the other two receivers that reached double figures in receptions have graduated, leaving Scott and the bona fide No. 1 option. He's a speedster that can create separation and become a viable deep threat. Jake Bentely is the new Nation Ford coach and once he settles on a QB, Scott may blossom into one of the top pass catchers in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1734594' first='Jacobie' last='Smith'] WR/DB, Mountain View Prep   Smith received high praise this summer when his coach, Grey Ramsey, said “Jacobie's our best football player on the field.” That's saying a lot for a team coming off an 11-1 season. But Smith is going to do a lot of things for the Stars. He made a larger impact on defense last season with 42 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble caused and a fumble recovery. But Smith is a solid 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and Ramey wants to use Smith to create mismatches in the secondary. [player_tooltip player_id='1395046' first='KD' last='Hainsworth'] will get a lot of attention from defense and that should allow Smith to roam free in the secondary.   SMALL SCHOOL PLAYER TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='1267330' first='Jacorreun' last='Howze'] WR, Lewisville   Lewisville had its season end in the Class A semifinals last season and the Lions expect that type of success again in 2025. A lot of that will depend on the play of Howze. The 5-foot-9, 175-pounder totaled over 1,00 yards of total offense with 864 yards receiving and 210 yards rushing, He added 12 touchdowns and is going to try and duplicate those efforts with an experienced group of seniors returning. Howze finds holes in the defense and can make defenders miss or shed would-be tacklers in the open field with ease.     FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1267277' first='Shamil' last='Saadiq'] WR, Lugoff-Elgin   Saadiq is a receiver that uses his body well and can shield defenders in tight spaces but the main thing that we witnessed is his ability to run past defenders. He's a big target at 6-foot-3 but his ability to move around and find the open creases in the defense is something that impresses. He sits down well in a zone and gives his quarterback a nice area in which to throw the ball. And because he's so big, he isn't afraid to block on the perimeter and open things up in the running game.    WILD CARD   [player_tooltip player_id='591391' first='Blake' last='Betette'] WR/DB, AC Flora   Betette was the top receiving option at Richland Northeast last season with 81 receptions for 1,158 yards and 10 touchdowns. He finished with 1,294 all-purpose yards. But it was the way he played that garnered enough attention for him to commit to Dartmouth before his senior season. He's a great route runner with excellent hands. And he's faster than a lot of people might think. He's moved over to AC Flora and joins an offense that averaged 31 points per game and features four excellent receivers to go along with quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1025784' first='Roper' last='Wentzky'].Betette has also played safety in the preseason and could become a nice defensive addition for the Falcons.

The depth and outright production from the Class of 2026 receivers and tight ends can be attributed to several factors. One, offenses these days are more apt to throw it all over the field instead of lining it up and running it right at you.