All-Underappretiated Team: Wide Receivers

As we continue to approach the start of the year, we've been highlighting players who could have breakout years in 2024. Along the way, I discovered another category of player: the players who have the past production, but haven't gotten the recruiting or overall statewide attention they deserve. Welcome to the All-Underappreciated Team. First up, the wide receivers.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Five Underappreciated Wide Receivers</h2>    Driver had four games as a sophomore with over 100 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns, yet across the state know his name or are familiar with his game. Davie County has a history of putting out stat monsters who excel in college despite being under-recruited and Driver could be the next one. A superb route runner, he excels at finding space in coverage and getting open.     A two-way player, Cleaves has just started to receive a bit of recognition on the camp circuit this summer, but his film and numbers are too good to ignore. He projects best as a wide receiver because he stacks his routes extremely well and is explosive in and out of cuts, both before and after the catch. Colleges are sometimes apprehensive about smaller receivers, but if you haven't seen Cleaves' explosiveness in person, you're missing out.     Cartwright had a breakout year as a junior for West Carteret, averaging over 16 yards a catch and nearly reaching the 1,000-yard mark. Still, he doesn't have a ton of recruiting interest and isn't being talked about much among the state's best receivers. Despite not being the tallest receiver, he excels in jump ball situations and is, at times, uncoverable. As a senior, he'll have an excellent shot at becoming the first 1,000-yard receiver in school history.     Wynn led the state in receiving last season and yet hasn't gotten much recognition statewide in the past. Wynn will fly up our rankings board when the rankings get updated, thanks to his ability after the catch. Wynn has a great feel for the game and makes subtle adjustments in his route running and with the ball in the air to maximize his yardage after the catch. He's transferred to Hough, which will automatically put more eyes on him.     Finnerty has a strong release package and is quick off the line, showcasing good lateral agility. He's able to get on top of corners and pressure opposing coverages, covering a good amount of ground off the snap. He's not the biggest receiver, but isn't afraid to be physical. As a junior, he just missed 1,000 receiving yards, and could hit that number in 2024.

As we continue to approach the start of the year, we've been highlighting players who could have breakout years in 2024. Along the way, I discovered another category of player: the players who have the past production, but haven't gotten the recruiting or overall statewide attention they deserve. Welcome to the All-Underappreciated Team. First up, the wide receivers.