Summer Standouts: Assessing the top WRs on the camp circuit
Note: Players are listed in alphabetical order, not by star ranking.
• Alvin Bailey, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood: Bailey concluded his strong summer by leading his team to the Gridiron Kings title in Orlando. He was also a top performer at the IMG 7-on-7 Championships in June, and he was named one of the top three receivers at The Opening in July. Bailey was not afraid to put his skills on display against any highly touted competition, and his stock is on the rise as a result.
• Tyler Boyd, Clairton, Pa.: Strong spring performances led to more opportunities for Boyd over the summer. He was invited to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge and the Gridiron Kings event, and he proved that he is more than capable of getting the best of some of the top defensive backs in the country. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder will play on the outside in college and can stretch the field vertically with his speed.
• Dhameer Bradley, Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy: UConn appears to have landed a game-changing talent in Bradley. At just 5-foot-10 and 166 pounds, Bradley isn't the biggest receiver around, but he is explosively fast and incredibly elusive. Expected to serve as a slot receiver at the next level, Bradley can take a short pass and turn it into a major gain. He did that several times at the NLA 7-on-7 National Championships, and again at the Rutgers 7-on-7 tournament in June.
• KD Cannon, Mount Pleasant, Tex. (2014): The highlight of Cannon's summer was taking home MVP honors at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas, where he ranked atop 190 of the most sought after recruits in the 2014 and '15 classes. He was also very impressive at Top Gun in July. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound receiver looks to be the top prospect at his position in the Lone Star State for the class of 2014.
• Darren Carrington, San Diego (Calif.) Horizon: Carrington made quite the impression at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta, leaving his mark as one of the top receivers at the event. He followed that up with a standout showing at the Gridiron Kings event in late July. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Carrington is a big-play receiver. He is not going to log a ton of receptions, but he can haul in some extremely difficult catches that few others can make.
• Shelton Gibson, Cleveland Heights, Ohio: We didn't see Gibson until the final weekend of the summer camp season, but the Rivals250 prospect made a strong case to be included on this list. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect looked to be in great shape -- and was routinely flew by defensive backs -- at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights Camp. Quarterbacks couldn't adjust to his Gibson's speed, as they regularly underthrew him.
• Torii Hunter Jr., Prosper, Texas: The Texas prospect with a famous name showed he has a big-time game to match, as he rose to the occasion on one of the summer's biggest stages. Hunter keyed his 7-on-7 team's victory at Nike's The Opening in July. The 6-foot, 172-pound wideout is not the biggest wide receiver around, but he proved to be very productive in Oregon. His stock is on the rise following his performance.
• Andre Levrone, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel: Levrone went to the Top Gun Camp in Virginia last month hoping to gain more national recognition. He made a strong case to be considered for a bump in the rankings. Levrone has great size for a wide receiver at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, and he compliments that with sure hands and deceptive downfield speed. He's certainly one to keep an eye on.
• Josh Malone, Gallatin (Tenn.) Station Camp (2014): Malone entered the summer circuit with eight scholarship offers to his name. Plenty more should filter in soon, as he continued to raise his stock with performances at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas and the Top Gun Camp in Virginia. The 6-foot-3, 186-pound Malone has great size for the position, but he also is deceptively quick and a precise route-runner.
• Steven Mitchell, Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany: Ranked as one of the nation's top wide receivers in the class of 2013, Mitchell was highly regarded heading into summer. He backed up his lofty status with terrific performances at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, The Opening and Top Gun. At 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Mitchell isn't a physically imposing wide receiver, but he has shown the ability to play on the outside or in the slot at the next level.
• Speedy Noil, New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr (2014): Though Noil's real name is Devante, the nickname "Speedy" certainly fits. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound prospect explodes off the line of scrimmage, a skill he showcased at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge. Noil is the cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Mike Wallace, and, though early, he's shown flashes of similar game-breaking potential.
• James Onwualu, St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall: The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Onwualu came into the recruiting process as an athlete, but he's settled into the wide receiver role and is expected to play there at Notre Dame. Active on the camp and combine scene since the end of his junior year, Onwualu turned in his best offseason performances at the Illinois Nike Camp and the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp in Detroit.
• Earnest Robinson, Pinson Valley, Ala.: The Southeast team at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge was loaded at wide receiver, but by week's end, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Robinson had separated from the pack. Thanks to his smooth style of play and consistent productivity, he was tabbed as the top wide receiver at the event -- and a prospect whose stock is on the rise heading into the fall.
• Artavis Scott, Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake (2014): The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Scott is both a wide receiver and defensive back; he played both at several camp stops this summer, including Ohio State's Friday Night Lights Camp. Scott was also a standout at Florida State's camp and the IMG 7-on-7 National Championships in July, and he has solidified his place among the prospects to watch from the Sunshine State in 2014.
• Tony Stevens, Orlando (Fla.) Evans: Committed to Florida State since February, Stevens primarily limited himself to 7-on-7 tournaments this summer. He proved to be a strong starter, earning a top performer nod on the first day of the IMG 7-on-7 Championships and locking down top offensive performer honors during round robin play at Gridiron Kings. The 6-foot-3, 187-pounder's stock is rapidly climbing.
• Stanvon Taylor, Tulsa (Okla.) East Central: Listed as a cornerback prospect and headed to Oklahoma to play that position for the Sooners, Taylor did most of his damage from the wide receiver position over the summer. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound prospect was dubbed as one of the top wideouts at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, and he finished his summer with a strong effort at the Gridiron Kings in Orlando.
• Laquon Treadwell, Crete-Monee (Ill.): The wide receiver rankings are likely to see as much shakeup as any position when they're updated later this month, and the potential for a new No. 1 exists. After a consistently impressive summer, Treadwell has put himself in the conversation for the top spot. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound receiver wowed scouts at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, The Opening, Gridiron Kings and the Illinois NIKE Camp.
• Levonte Whitfield, Orlando (Fla.) Jones: Whitfield earned rave reviews, not only from the media, but also from the defensive backs he faced this summer. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound prospect has slot-receiver size but showed he can also stretch the field vertically with his speed. Besides boasting top-flight quickness, Whitfield is a very sure-handed receiver. He had dazzling performances at The Opening and Gridiron Kings events.
• K.J. Williams, Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty (2014): The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams started off the summer by picking up his second scholarship offer after camping at in-state school Pittsburgh. He followed that up with a standout showing at the New Level Athletics 7-on-7 National Championship, and he was named one of the top wide receiver performers at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas.
