2023 Prospect Film Review: Miami Edison Wide Receiver Nathaniel "Ray Ray" Joseph
When watching a wide receiver right before one's eyes, there are certainly players that just possess an extra gear that cannot be denied. At Edison High School in Miami, Fla., a player fitting that same description will be a junior this fall.
When the Edison Red Raider wide receiver catches a pass, that’s when the entertainment begins. Defenses need to be positioned to stop him from catching the football, and even more prepared after the football gets into his hands. As a prospect, this young man also possesses a very strong academic background, helping to make him one of the top Dade County players to watch for the class of 2023.
Nathaniel “Ray Ray” Joseph
Nathaniel "Ray Ray" Joseph playing for South Florida Express 7v7
Vitals: 5’10”, 165-pounds
School: Miami (Fla.) Edison
Recruitment: offers from UCF, Alabama, LSU, Miami, Clemson, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, West Virginia, Syracuse, Texas A&M, Texas, South Carolina, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Duke and Penn State among others.
He’s been busy visiting college football programs, with stops at programs such as UCF, Clemson, Alabama, Florida and Florida State among others. Look for Joseph to take more unofficial visits this fall.
Frame: Built like a sprinter, Joseph provides a compact build that’s well proportioned within his lower body and upper body. He’s quite muscular for his size, and will likely add 10 to pounds of muscle once he reaches college.
Sheer Speed: Joseph ran by defensive backs in the toughest city Public League in the country -- Miami -- during his sophomore campaign, and continued using his speed to run by top-notch seven-on-seven competition for South Florida Express 7v7 during the spring and summer months. The Edison schedule is legit, and Joseph proved he could run with any player in Miami. For those that know the speed of South Florida prospects, that makes a wide receiver a Division I prospect from get-go. He’s also adept at making that speed work in different ways.
After catching the football, Joseph will stop-and-start to gain extra yards and leave defenders behind him. He also proved that while weaving in and out of traffic that he could stay at a high rate of speed. Out of all of Joseph’s skills, that’s one of the most important. With this ability, Joseph can make a catch within the middle of the field and separate with moves and speed to get away from linebackers and safeties.
Versatility: Edison’s coaching staff moves Joseph to different positions. He will line up at running back, slot wide receiver or to the outside of the wide receiver formation to keep a defense from knowing what Joseph will do. His adaptation to the offensive philosophy and all of its intricacies helped to better understand how Joseph can make plays, and it also represented a better understanding of how he can learn a playbook. The last point of versatility is one that changes games immediately.
Special teams often dictate the outcome of a football game regardless of the level of play. Joseph’s speed, desire to hit the crease at full speed, and toughness to break tackles make him one of America’s top return specialists. Very few players possess the game-breaking ability of Joseph, and those exploits came to light several times during his sophomore season with big-time kickoff returns. Here's an overview of Joseph's skills, with three video clips that were analyzed.
Toughness: While reviewing Joseph’s film, one of his traits that continually displayed itself would be the willingness to take contact and not shy away from it. Joseph fought for extra yards, spun off tackles, and consistently produced big plays from what would otherwise have been a short gain if it were not for his effort to break tackles.
Final Thoughts
One of the most exciting players within the class of 2023 regardless of position, Joseph is an explosive athlete on the gridiron, an exceptional student in the classroom, and a really great young man. This is the type of all-around student athlete that college football coaches want to add to their respective programs.
You will find me on Twitter @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation
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