Behind the Rankings: 2024 Wide Receivers

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">The 2022 high school football season is in full swing and we have released our initial player rankings for the state of Kentucky. Now that I have covered the class of 2023, I will now turn my attention to the top incoming junior prospects in Kentucky. Over the next few weeks, I will do positional breakdowns and discuss how our rankings came to be. After covering the quarterbacks and running backs, I will turn my attention to some of the best pass catchers in the class. With that being said, here are our top wide receivers in the class of 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_6321332c1580e","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["418716"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Not only is [player_tooltip player_id='418716' first='Max' last='Gainey'] the top wide receiver in the class of 2024 in Kentucky, he is one of the top players in the state, coming in at fourth in our overall rankings. Gainey has burst onto the recruiting scene in the past couple seasons as he has been a key player for a very talented Male football team. The first thing that stands out to me is Gainey's ability to go up and catch contested passes at their highest point. He is trusted in jump ball situations very frequently and comes down with those passes more often than not. Gainey also has the speed to run by defenders in the deep passing game. He also has tremendous ability after the catch as he has the speed to run away from a defense and elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Gainey currently holds an offer from Purdue and I expect more Division 1 offers to pile up for him once he returns from his collarbone injury sometime in October.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["313656"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='313656' first='Shaun' last='Boykins'] is an electric wide receiver that I have had high on my radar for quite some time. He is the type of player where you simply get the ball in his hands and let him do the rest. Boykins has blazing speed which he uses to create separation in the deep passing game and after the catch to pick up big gains. He also runs very impressive routes, using his quickness to create separation in his breaks. When the ball is thrown his way, Boykins uses his athleticism to go up and get the ball at its highest point, even in traffic. Boykins is also used on jet sweeps as a ball carrier and is a very dangerous returner on special teams. Shaun currently holds offers from Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect that list to expand as he is a true Power 5 level talent.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["418717"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='418717' first='Justin' last='Ruffin Jr'] is another Division 1 caliber receiver in the junior class in Kentucky. He thrives out of the slot, using his speed to his advantage to create mismatches in man coverage. Ruffin is able to create separation and catch passes in stride, and then he runs away from the defense as there aren't many defenders that are catching him in the open field. He has also shown the ability to make cuts in the open field after the catch to make defenders miss. Ruffin is often used as a ball carrier on jet sweeps, using his speed to get to the edge and run away from opposing defenses, and is a very skilled returner on special teams as well. Justin currently holds offers from Louisville, South Florida, and James Madison, and I expect that list to grow as he has the skill set to play for a Power 5 program.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["316807"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Male should consider themselves very lucky as they have two Division 1 caliber wide receivers on offense in Gainey and his teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='316807' first='Shammai' last='Gates']. Gates is an impressive route runner, using a quick release to create separation off the line of scrimmage. He also is a very reliable deep threat as he has the speed to run by defenders and is able to use his athleticism to go up and catch contested jump balls on a frequent basis. Gates has also shown the ability to use his speed and elusiveness to turn screens and short passes into big gains. Shammai currently holds offers from Southeast Missouri State and Eastern Kentucky but I expect more to come over the next two years as he is a true Division 1 talent.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["313640"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"A slightly more under-the-radar wide receiver that I am high on in this class is [player_tooltip player_id='313640' first='Francis' last='Saysay']. Francis is a reliable threat all over the field with solid route running ability, speed to create separation, and very good hands, even in traffic. When he is able to catch passes in stride, good luck trying to catch him as he has a very impressive second gear in him with the ability to run away from a defense. He also has the ability to make cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. SaySay also provides special teams value as a returner as he is a threat to return a kick for a touchdown at any given moment. While he doesn't hold any offers currently, I expect them to come very soon as colleges have begun to shown him interest and I believe he has the talent to play as high as the Division 1 level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit"} /--> <!-- wp:heading {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <h2 style="font-size:15px">Best of the Rest (Players included in Top 125):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">6. [player_tooltip player_id='313666' first='Jhaden' last='Vaughn']| 6'5", 180 lbs.| Trigg County High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">7. [player_tooltip player_id='418723' first='Traevon' last='Berry']| 6'3", 185 lbs.| Paul Laurence Dunbar High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">8. [player_tooltip player_id='381899' first='Carson' last='Class']| 6'0", 180 lbs.| Highlands High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">9. [player_tooltip player_id='381875' first='Coryon' last='Alston']| 6'1", 160 lbs.| DuPont Manual High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">10. [player_tooltip player_id='313675' first='Tanner' last='Pedroche']| 6'2", 200 lbs.| Lexington Catholic High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">11. [player_tooltip player_id='418722' first='Logan' last='Rodgers']| 5'10", 160 lbs.| Hopkins County Central High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">12. [player_tooltip player_id='381897' first='Matteo' last='Matteoli']| 6'0", 175 lbs.| Highlands High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">13. [player_tooltip player_id='418719' first='Zander' last='Curry']| 5'11", 175 lbs.| Corbin High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->