PRZ WI Showcase: Best of the Athletically Gifted WRs

The WR and TE positions were absolutely overflowing with talent at the PRZ WI Showcase! So much so that we are going to split it into two articles. This article is going to focus on the more agile, explosive, athletic mismatches. The kids that win with their speed, balance, and burst out wide. Kids that can line up out wide or dominate from the slot. These are kids that give DBs nightmares because of their athletic traits. They are athletes who put on a show during 1 on 1s and also during the combine. Most importantly, they are kids that college recruiters and coaches need to know about. The MVP of this group was Whitnall's Will Williams Jr. Make sure to check out the MVP article for his breakdown. For the rest of the position, tune in here and the following article where we look at the big WRs and TE standouts. Let's get right into it.    Max left no doubt that he is going to be one of the skill players to know in the Class of 2027. The junior provides a wide catch radius supplied by his 6'3" wingspan. What is even more impressive is how explosive the WR is when it comes to short area movement and change of direction. It first appeared in the combine with elite numbers such as a 4.16 and 4.06 in the shuttle, a 9' broad jump, and a 6.28 L-Drill. For being a longer athlete out wide Max is a very agile athlete. Those numbers translated to really good route running, getting in and out of breaks to open up space, accelerating instantly out of those breaks, and providing excellent hands downfield. Max understands timing and did a great job of going and getting the football instead of waiting. It was a great showing for the De Pere Redbird.     Sam is continuing his run in the argument for best route runner in the state of Wisconsin. The junior WR has great feet and balance. He is so efficient with his movements in his route breaks and in those movements every step is backed by a powerful lower body. That explosive power was verified by a 4.81 40, 4.31 shuttle, 9'4" broad jump, and a 6.23 L-Drill. Sam was one of my must watch kids in the 1 on 1 battles. First and foremost to see that route running open up separation rep after rep. Second was to watch his ball skills. Sam is not only nuanced with his route running. He is also skilled on the receiving end. He made some elite last second adjustments, flashed late hands on deep routes, and his concentration through contact showed up on multiple reps too. It was another great day for the 2027 WR.     Dejon was a favorite of the coaching staffs in attendance. The junior athlete took reps at WR and DB and shined at both. The coaching staff was actually split on if he was better at WR or DB. Dejon has a 6'3" wingspan, 4.84 40 speed, ran a 4.41 shuttle, jumped 9'1", and ran a 6.47 L-Drill. Even with those great numbers, Dejon plays even faster on the field. He sets up DBs, putting them in bad leverage positions, explodes through route breaks, and the 2027 WR has some of the best hands of the attendees. Make sure to check out the tape from his first year as a consistent varsity contributor because the traits shine in his highlights as well.     The freshman WR out of Racine Case has a bright future. His hard work has landed him in a tier of his own. It started with one of the best combines of the day. 5'11" 160 lbs with a 6'3" wingspan and 9.5" hands. The freshman WR ran a 4.56 40, 4.00 shuttle, jumped 9'2", and hit 6.91 in the L-Drill. Elite numbers, especially for a kid who just wrapped up his first high school season. On the field, Payne already is an unfair matchup. The athletic tools make him an excellent route runner. They also make him a nightmare at the catch where he can go up over the head of DBs. The freshman is working hard to make himself an FBS recruit. He is definitely on the path. If you don't know about Nicholas yet, you need to change that.     Jaylin was my first standout from the WR position. He crushed the combine. The 5'9" 135 lbs junior WR has a 6' wingspan, ran a 4.62 40, 4.55 shuttle, jumped 9'5" and 9'6", and rand 6.78 in the L-Drill. Jaylin is obviously an undersized athlete, so for him to make an impact he needs to be able to find an advantage. That advantage has become his athleticism. Jaylin effortlessly gets to top speed off the line or coming out of his routes. He has an elusive release making it hard for DBs to try and overpower him at the line. Jaylin is learning how to win with his traits. A big offseason is ahead of him. Can't wait to see the numbers he puts up all summer.     Samuel put together a breakout performance on Sunday. He is a long WR with a 6'3" wingspan and 10" hands. The long, lean WR ran a 4.77 40, 4.57 shuttle, 9'6" and 9'9" broad jump, and ran a 7.03 L-Drill. Over and over Sam was catching my attention throughout the day following the combine. Multiple times his agile route running caught my attention as he was opening up space so quickly and easily. The junior also was piling up win after win in 1 on 1 battles. Duran left no doubt that he can be a mismatch out wide with his ability to win with his routes and with his catch radius.     The 5'9" 145 lbs sophomore WR was one of the more dominant athletes in the combine. 4.84 40, 4.4 shuttle, 9'4" broad jump, and 6.5 in the L-Drill. Kylor was dominant with his start/stops and can get to top speed within a couple strides. If you give him space off the line his acceleration can close the gap on deep routes or easily cross the face of the DB and pull away for an easy target for his QB. The explosive athlete has the skill set to shine in the slot.     CJ is not shy when it comes to competition. Going back to last summer we saw him at several camps and playing several positions from RB to WR to DB. The senior ATH remains uncommitted so he came to ball out at the PRZ WI Showcase. The 5'11" 175 lbs athlete has 10" hands and a 6'2" wingspan. His 4.6 shuttle and 7.13 L-Drill check the boxes of agility and short area burst/acceleration. The senior was clearly ahead of the rest of the field in his experience on the field and it allowed him to win a lot of reps by setting up DBs with his leverage and route running. Check out the senior.     Oliver is a big WR/DB prospect with a strong frame and he uses that to his advantages. The 2027 can play either side of the ball. On Sunday we got to see what he can do at WR. The 6'1" 190 lbs junior muscled his way off the line and once he got into the route he could use that strength to box out DBs and make catches with his strong, 10" hands. The junior was pretty fluid with his change of direction too, running a 4.34 shuttle and 7.07 L-Drill. Don't sleep on the two-way standout.     Isho is an under the radar senior WR to steal at the last minute. He put together a solid combine with a 4.81 40, 4.50 shuttle, 8'11" broad jump, and a 6.82 L-Drill. All numbers that can translate to the college level. The senior WR was all over the Rufus King offense too. TE, WR, wing and he has highlights showing he could create separation and win from all those alignments. Isho was at his best getting open quickly, leaning on those agility numbers and his balance through his routes. Take a look at the 2026 WR and his season highlights.     I have a feeling this kid is about to blow up physically. He currently stands at 5'10" 160 lbs, but he has 9.5" hands and an insane 6'4" wingspan. That type of length could suggest that he could continue to grow to match that wingspan. That could turn the 2028 into quite the weapon because he already is putting up great combine numbers. A 4.34 shuttle, 9'1" broad jump, and a 7.00 L-Drill. The sophomore has a wide catch radius for his QB to target and you can bet he is going to fight for the ball when it is in the air. The traits are developing and coming together. I'm very excited for Jamarion's future. Keep a close eye on him.     Another exciting up and coming underclassman at WR to have your eyes on is Kettle Moraine's [player_tooltip player_id='1140755' first='Brody' last='Schimpf']. Brody started the day with a great combine. 4.9 40, 4.26 shuttle, and a 6.78 L-Drill. The play on the field matches the combine results. Brody excels with his quickness over his pure speed. He is so sudden and explosive. His ability to create space quickly and not needing much space to do it separates him from the crowd and earned him valuable experience this past season. Brody is just scratching the surface. I'm excited to see what another offseason of work can do to his numbers by the time the spring/summer roll around.     What a day for the junior WR out of Waunakee. Andrew shined from the jump. His combine was one of the best of the day with his 4.62 40, 4.63 shuttle, and 7.03 L-Drill. Andrew was even more of a standout on the field. Quick off the line to avoid jams, and accelerating quickly to his break. In terms of his actual route running the junior is raw but his athletic tools can be molded into a legitimate weapon out wide. He can make you miss 1 on 1 and he can make it look easy cutting on a dime. The athletic tools and ball skills are there. I'm looking forward to him honing his skills over time. He has tools you can't teach.     West Bend West has a strong roster and one of the up and coming kids on the team is [player_tooltip player_id='1648383' first='Andrew' last='Thierer']. The sophomore has a strong base of athletic toots to build on. Numbers like a 4.91 40, 4.59 shuttle, and 6.75 L-Drill. The long speed is coming with time and work, but it is hard to teach the quick twitch agility that Andrew plays with. It is one thing to have it in drills, but the sophomore was a tough cover because he can do so much damage vs a DB so quickly. He can open up space early in the route and once the ball is in the air Andrew is a natural at fighting to it and securing it with strong hands. Strong day from the WBW athlete.

The WR and TE positions were absolutely overflowing with talent at the PRZ WI Showcase! So much so that we are going to split it into two articles. This article is going to focus on the more agile, explosive, athletic mismatches. The kids that win with their speed, balance, and burst out wide. Kids that can line up out wide or dominate from the slot. These are kids that give DBs nightmares because of their athletic traits. They are athletes who put on a show during 1 on 1s and also during the combine. Most importantly, they are kids that college recruiters and coaches need to know about. The MVP of this group was Whitnall's Will Williams Jr. Make sure to check out the MVP article for his breakdown. For the rest of the position, tune in here and the following article where we look at the big WRs and TE standouts. Let's get right into it.