Stat Leaders- Who are the AL's Top Recievers? (Week 3)

It's Week 3, and we're taking a look at some of our Stat Leaders!   Today, we're looking at who some of the state's leading receivers are. These guys have been off to a hot start and deserve more eyes, so let's dive in!    [player_tooltip player_id='1877618' first='Taylon' last='Gaiter'] is a speedy WR out of Leeds who's been performing greatly for his team's offense this year.   "Gaiter is a speedster who has become an excellent deep threat in Leeds' offense- consistently making huge plays downfield over the tops of defenses. Gaiter is explosive off the snap and plays with a ton of speed and twitch that allows him to separate from talented DBs easily.   Gaiter is excellent at tracking the ball and has a great set of hands- he can catch off-target passes and still make the most out of plays with how well he controls his body post-catch. Gaiter has shown he can be a reliable weapon at every level of the field,   Gaiter has been off to a hot start this season, hauling in 22 receptions for 396 yards and 5 TDs in the first three weeks. It's been seriously fun to watch. He can attack and produce at every level of the field and is a player we should watch moving forward this year.   Check out some of the film he put together against Springville:      Corey Barber, an Ole Miss commit, has continued his reign over Alabama secondaries this season.   “Barber is highly athletic and plays with a ton of speed and quickness out wide. He flies downfield, gains tons of separation, and constantly finds ways to get open everywhere on the field. Barber is a physical matchup nightmare for DBs- he makes impressive grabs using his size, catch radius, and body control– it's really impressive seeing how he positions himself to haul in passes.   After the catch- good luck stopping Barber, he is a problem and can shake off tackles and create huge plays downfield off of shorter passes.“   Barber has found the same success this season, bringing in 14 receptions for 382 yards and 4 TDs in three games.   Clay Chalkville and QB [player_tooltip player_id='1452292' first='Aaron' last='Frye'] have really benefited from having him out wide. He's an incredibly talented pass catcher who just keeps finding success no matter who he's lined up against. Check out some of his tape below:      [player_tooltip player_id='1355857' first='Cedrick' last='Simmons'] has been a key factor in Southside's offensive success so far this year.   “Simmons is a quick wide receiver who gains tons of separation from his route-running. It's really impressive watching Simmons play as an underclassman- he already has a strong understanding of defenses and what he needs to do to take advantage of them.   Simmons also has a great set of hands that enable him to consistently make catches, regardless of his position on the field. He can get open easily and is a constant threat to secondaries no matter what route he runs.“   Simmons has been dominant so far this season. He's brought in 17 receptions for 344 yards and 4 TDs.   It's clear Simmons has a huge impact on this Southside team. He's been able to make huge plays on both sides of the ball; everyone should be watching him down the stretch.   Make sure you watch his performance against Thomasville- he made some seriously great plays.      [player_tooltip player_id='1225969' first='Kahden' last='Smith'] has been the go-to target for Hillcrest's new starting QB [player_tooltip player_id='1645043' first='Jordan' last='Shambley'].   “Smith is a physical wide receiver who utilizes his size and athleticism to make plays over nearly every defensive back he lines up against. With his speed and quickness, Smith runs great routes, gains tons of separation, and can outrun defenders to make huge plays downfield.   In addition to his speed/explosiveness, Smith has a set of consistent hands he uses to hurt opposing defenses at every level of the field. It's really impressive watching how he secures passes- he does a great job utilizing his size and catch radius to rip the ball away from defenders and make contested catches downfield for huge gains.”   Smith has been terrific so far this season, racking in 12 catches for 334 yards and 4 TDs in just three games.   Smith's most impressive performance so far was against Hoover. He was unstoppable and brought in 8 catches for 187 yards against one of the top defenses in the state. Check out some of his tape from this past Friday:      [player_tooltip player_id='1199600' first='Jalijah' last='Rutledge'] is an electric playmaker out of Moody who's been having an awesome start to his junior season.   "Rutledge is a really impressive route runner who can burn DBs all over the field. He has some great releases off the line of scrimmage and can quickly gain separation downfield to make huge plays.   Rutledge also really impressed me with his blocking downfield- he's a physical WR who isn't afraid to make contact, and consistently helped his teammates by blocking and opening up space for them."   Rutledge has brought in 17 receptions for 326 yards and 2 TDs so far this year, and with how he's been performing, expect him to continue to pile stats up.   Moody's been finding a lot of early success, and Rutledge is a big reason why. He's a complete WR who presents tons of issues to opposing secondaries. Make sure you watch some of his film below:

It's Week 3, and we're taking a look at some of our Stat Leaders!