Loatman finished 2025 with 691 yards and 12 touchdowns, including the big game against Hunt. Standing at 6’4 185 pounds, Loatman poses matchup nightmare against most high school defensive backs. On 45 catches, he averaged 15.5 yards per catch, proving he is hard to contain. Having already committed to Elon, the sky is the limit for how much more he can improve this fall.

Loatman was one of Finch’s favorite targets this past season, and pledged to the Phoenix about a month after his quarterback committed. Loatman has the ideal size to be a dominant X receiver. What impressed me about his junior film is that while he has the size and hands to win at the catch point (which he does often), he’s just as comfortable with the ball in his hands after the catch. Teams typically play off coverage against the bigger receiver, meaning he often had space to operate underneath, and he made defenses pay.

When the matchup is right, Loatman can go off, with multiple three-touchdown games in 2025. That included a loss to eventual 5A East Regional champion Hunt. He opened the season with three touchdowns on four catches, and also took over in a shootout against Ashley. His size and speed make him tough to cover, and with a bit more consistency, he could find himself atop this list.

Loatman made himself known with a three-touchdown, 101-yard outing in the opener against North Moore for Fike, and since then, he’s proven to be a versatile receiver. While he does a lot of his damage on jump balls down the field, he’s also shown the ability to make people miss and pick up yards after the catch.