High school football watchlist: Top 10 wide receivers from Class of 2025

Dallas Wilson impressed with 872 yards and nine touchdowns over 11 games last year, but given as those numbers are very similar to his 874 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games as a sophomore, this year will be a test to see if the Tampa Bay Tech receiver has another level to his game. Universities sure seem to think so, given as the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Oregon commit had 28 offers. Ranked the No. 5 receiver in the class, his progress will be key to keeping his five-star ranking (247Sports grades him at four stars).

Andrew Marsh has improved dramatically each season. After an impressive freshman season with 411 yards and five touchdowns, he doubled his stats to 845 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, per 247Sports. He reached elite status in his junior year, accumulating 1,158 yards and 15 scores. Where does he go from here? He has made visits to Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, USC and Washington.

With 1,404 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, Vernell Brown III dominated for the Fightin’ Tigers of Jones High School. He’s listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, so his continued development as an explosive and quick receiver will be paramount to success of this level as he prepares for Division I football. He has 41 offers, and if you’re a fan of one of these 11 schools, you should be watching.

The No. 2 wide receiver on the 247Sports composite, Caleb Cunningham recorded 48 receptions for 1,138 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He released his top 12 schools in January, meaning there are a lot of collegiate teams that can pay attention to Choctaw County High School to see the star they’ll have a chance at nabbing. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds with high school experience on basketball and long jump, triple jump and high jump on track and field, he has the size, strength and verticality to nab anything in reach.

One of the top players on Super 25 Bergen Catholic last year, Quincy Porter starred on both sides of the ball. He recorded 969 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns while catching five interceptions on defense. It’ll be curious to see if he continues playing both offense and defense and if he sets a goal to play both in college à la Travis Hunter.

With a 6-foot-7 wingspan, according to 247Sports, Kaliq Lockett has a formidable reach. How tough is he to defend? Fast forward to the clip 30 seconds into this hudl reel. After over-running and under-thrown pass, he Mosses a receiver from a full yard behind. He recorded 1,299 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior, leaving the 31 schools that have offered him waiting to see even more.

After Jaime Ffrench Jr. decommitment from Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, teams are alert to see how the No. 3 receiver in the country follows up his junior season of 1,247 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named the “Alpha Dog” of 247Sports’ combine in January, as he showed his ability to break away from coverage, scoring “just shy of a dozen” touchdowns in 1-on-1s. Ffrench is listed at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds.

Dakorien Moore, a star of Duncanville’s 14-1 championship season last year, is ranked as the No. 1 receiver and No. 3 player overall on the 247Sports Composite. With 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns, he drove the Panthers’ offense with speed and athleticism honed in 100-meter races, relays, and long jump on track and field. Moore is committed to LSU, and the 5-foot-11, 175-pound receiver will have one more year in high school before donning the purple and gold.

As a junior, Daylan McCutcheon outperformed his four-star and No. 12 wide receiver rankings — he was ranked No. 93 overall on the composite, while 247Sports doesn’t list him in the top-200 overall — by recording otherworldly stats of 92 receptions, 1,423 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’s shifty with the ball, with seemingly half his Hudl highlights being broken tackles after short receptions, but the other half are of McCutcheon beating defenders or making one-handed grabs. He’s second on the watch list not as a snub to other receivers on the list, but based off the pure interest level of if he is able to build his recruitment, continue posting excellent numbers and prove analysts wrong.

It’s unfair to compare high school players to college and professional legends, but Derick Smith’s junior season line of 1,487 receiving yards, 1,036 rushing yards and 25 total touchdowns (including two passing TDs!) makes one dream of the Percy Harvins or Tavon Austins or Christian McCaffreys of the world. But that’s not all — Smith also plays free safety, and accumulated 74 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks as a junior.

Over three seasons of play, the Alabama commit has 6,859 combined rushing and receiving yards, 268 total tackles, 29.0 tackles for loss, 16.0 sacks, and 21 interceptions, according to MaxPreps. He was a star the moment he set foot on campus, recording 1,197 receiving yards, 96 tackles and 13 interceptions as a freshman, per MaxPreps. How much of that is raw talent and how much is going against relatively weaker 3A competition? Does it even matter? If Alabama believes, we do too.