Checking in on one of the best 2028 wide receivers in Pennsylvania, and arguably one of the best regardless of class. I might have dropped Howard Holton a little too far in our most recent rankings update. He is a prospect who should never leave the top 50 in the state. The real question is whether he belongs inside the top 25, which I think is absolutely doable.

He posted his first four game midseason tape back on September 22, giving me nearly three minutes of production to evaluate.

Bishop McDevitt obviously has no problem leaving Holton on an island. Working as a flanker, his first rep is a fantastic example of his elite ability to manipulate defenders and accelerate through his routes.

The defensive back is already aligned eight yards off the ball and still has absolutely no chance of keeping up with Holton. Within a second of the snap, Holton has already put the defender in a terrible position.

His spectacular release and ability to eat up cushion in a heartbeat forces the defensive back to flip his hips in the wrong direction on an inside move. Once that happens, there is no recovering against a player like Holton.

He has power four level acceleration and is, flat out, as good a route runner as there is in Pennsylvania.

His second rep is another impressive one. He catches a crossing route outside the hash marks with three defenders in his immediate vicinity. Normally, even a talented prospect might make one or two defenders miss before eventually being brought down.

This is not a situation where significant yards after the catch should be available. Yet Holton creates them anyway because of his special ability to shift his weight, change gears and manipulate defenders in space.

His third rep is just ridiculous.

The elusiveness he showcases is something I have previously seen him demonstrate in a T-shirt and shorts during camp settings. Now, he is doing it in live game action, making roughly six defenders look silly within a five to ten yard radius.

This is exactly what people mean when they talk about a wide receiver being able to get open in a phone booth.

His ability to separate, his eye discipline, his lateral agility and his ability to stop and start on command all come together in this rep. Defenders have almost no opportunity to square him up because he is constantly changing their pursuit angles and forcing them to react.

There are very few prospects in Pennsylvania who can create this much separation and make this many defenders miss in such a confined area.

Holton is one of the best pure playmakers in the state, regardless of graduating class. His third rep alone is a tremendous reminder of just how special his movement skills are.

After revisiting this tape, I have to seriously consider whether I was too aggressive in dropping him during our last rankings update. A top 25 ranking is absolutely within reach, and his ability as a route runner and playmaker gives him every reason to be in that conversation.

Holton caught four passes for 60 yards and one touchdown. What the stat sheet won’t tell you is that his quickness out of his breaks caused a couple of pass-interference calls. Like Quick, he’ll be sharing targets with two other talented receivers. Quickness and sharp route-running are two of his biggest traits. I’m betting on him topping his 30 catches for 482 yards and eight touchdowns performance from last season.

Howard Holton Jr. Howard Holton Jr. 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR/ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2028 State PA adds speed and explosiveness to Bishop McDevitt’s receiving corps entering the 2026 season. His quickness and change of direction make him a dangerous weapon from the slot. Holton has the ability to create separation underneath while turning short catches into significant gains. His versatility gives the offense another dynamic playmaker in space. Look for him to continue developing into one of the Crusaders’ exciting young offensive threats.

Howard Holton Jr. Howard Holton Jr. 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR/ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2028 State PA is an elite athlete with special wide receiver skills. He has some of the best moves I have seen from a wide receiver in a long time. His ability to make defenders miss in the open field is special. He looks like he is a video game with his ability to make defenders miss in the open field. His nickname should be the human joystick, given his ability to make defenders miss. He also has elite speed, allowing him to run by defenders. Then he has exceptional hands, and he catches anything near him. The other part of his game is his route running. He makes subtle moves to make defenders miss. Holton Jr. is a legit wide receiver who projects as a Division One slot receiver.

Howard Holton is a difference-making athlete and receiver for Bishop McDevitt. In Friday’s game against McDevitt, he only caught 3 passes, but 2 of them resulted in touchdown receptions. Holton’s special ability is to make defenders miss after he catches the ball. He is a yards after the catch monster. Holton is a talented player who helped McDevitt Friday night, and I expect him to continue to make an impact for Bishop McDevitt.

I remember the 1st time I saw Howard Horton Jr, it was at a 7 on 7 tournament, and I was blown away by his skills as an 8th grader. Fast forward to after a strong Freshman year, getting spot duty on a talented Bishop McDevitt team, and Holton’s recruitment is already starting. Holton is a talented slot receiver who has the skills to be a dynamic player at the next level. So far, he has picked up offers from Sacramento State and Delaware State. Both offers are well deserved, and I believe that after a strong Sophomore season, his offers will continue to grow.

5’8, 150 pounds. Can dominate at either slot position out of a trips look, can likely dabble with the DB position too. Has a history with the back position too, yet I ranked him as the third-best athlete among 2028s in Pennsylvania. Howard Holton Jr. Howard Holton Jr. 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR/ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2028 State PA currently sits as the highest-ranking prospect currently unoffered.

An easy sell to college coaches, in my opinion. I have gone on record several times voicing that Holton Jr. is arguably the best route-runner and pass-catcher this class has to offer, not named Jett Harrison Jett Harrison 6'1" | 178 lbs | WR St. Joseph's Prep | 2028 State PA . Holton has proven that to me each time I get the chance to watch him work in person. MVP of our stacked PRZ PA showcase back in January. Was the best 15U player in attendance at our DMV 7v7. Holton has proven himself to me, which is why I don’t shy away from ranking him accordingly, despite relative quietness in recruiting early on. A freshman who was able to carve out a role for himself on a loaded Bishop McDevitt offense. His tape shows he was trusted to work with Stone Saunders Stone Saunders 6'1" | 205 lbs | QB Bishop McDevitt | 2025 State PA and the offense as an inside/outside slot option, often running outs, overs, hitches, and occasional seam benders. There are freshmen with much less on their plate who have received more love in recruiting than Holton has seen. I preach patience here, however. Holton Jr. will likely tear through defenses as a sophomore, applying further pressure to coaches on the fence about his capabilities.

Howard Holton has some of the best quickness and bursts I have seen from a prospect in a long time. When he runs routes his ability to be tight out of the breaks and make defenders miss is special. Several times during the Prep Redzone Showcase, defenders fell trying to guard him because of how quickly he is out of his breaks. He also has put in the effort and runs some of the best routes you see from a high school player. His subtle moves are impressive. Then you add in the fact he is a good athlete, and you have a dynamic player. Holton has a chance to be a great player for Bishop McDevitt.

An unreal performance put forth by one of the best freshman wideout prospects Pennsylvania has to offer. Bishop McDevitt’s Howard Holton Jr. Howard Holton Jr. 5'10" | 160 lbs | WR/ATH Bishop McDevitt | 2028 State PA took home WR MVP honors, while also being labeled the overall camp MVP. The best player in attendance, bar none. As you can tell by his debut ranking released prior to this Fall season, this shouldn’t be too surprising to anyone.

Speaking about his performance. Fantastic inside and outside leverage seller. Holton is twitchy and can explode and separate with any given step, Holton Jr. forced DBs to respect/honor initial movements at the LOS. This allowed Holton to toy with defenders with each passing rep. An ultimate route manipulator who had talented DBs on skates seemingly every time I looked up. Subtle footwork, head fakes, eye discipline, you name it, Holton Jr. was putting on a tech clinic. Holton had an answer for any alignment, post-snap leverage, and counter-move sent his way. No predictable releases, no telegraphing routes. Even if Holton did, this kid has a gear he can kick into to separate solely based on acceleration. Great shielder for someone weighing 150 pounds soaking wet. Doesn’t let physical DBs get into his chest. Holton Jr. might be slight in frame, yet only the best DBs will have a shot at jamming him at the LOS. If you aren’t able to annoy/disrupt Holton Jr.’s game plan after the snap, he’s going to toy with you in 1v1 situations. This is exactly what he did in front of coaches this past weekend. Incredible to see such a young prospect be this far ahead in development. I don’t see too many upperclassmen with this kind of leverage understanding.

Holton Jr. is already high on our ranks, I’m inclined to raise him even further.

Good luck trying to stop McDevitt in the future with Larue and Howard Holton. Holton probably projects more as a slot wide receiver, but he has the potential to play as both a running back and a wide receiver. As a wide receiver, he shows great quickness and speed. He is excellent at catching short passes and making defenders miss in space. For a 9th grader last year his route running was excellent. Holton has a chance to be a special player for McDevitt.