Vote: Who is the top returning wide receiver in New Jersey heading into 2025?

These are 10 wide receivers that we've identified heading into the 2025 season

Winslow's Nyqir Helton in action during the State Group 4 football final between Winslow and Phillipsburg played at SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Winslow defeated Phillipsburg, 35-0. / CHRIS LACHALL/USA TODAY NETWORK ATLANTIC GROUP / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Jersey high school football doesn’t have spring football practices, but regardless the Garden State consistently produces some of the top talent coming out of the Northeast United States.

Things kick off in the Garden State on August 28 at The Battle at the Beach 2025 Classic, a day that will feature a four-game affair and include national powers Bergen Catholic, East St. Louis (Illinois) and IMG Academy (Florida).

The following is a list and voting poll of top returning New Jersey wide receivers heading into the 2025 spring. Take a look at our nominees and then vote in our poll that’s at the bottom of the page.

Know of another? Send a note to jbeisser86@gmail.com  with some details on your nominee.

Voting will conclude Thursday, May 1st, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.

Here are the nominees:

Trey McFadden, Montgomery

Trey McFadden is coming off a junior season where he had 42 catches for 514 yards and six touchdowns. He will enter his senior season with 69 receptions for 917 yards and eight touchdowns. The tall, rangy 6-3, 190-pound McFadden had a career-high 11 receptions for 145 yards vs. Woodbridge and eight grabs for a career-best 183 yards vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro.

Tyree Roane, Paul VI

Tyree Roane had 43 receptions for 630 yards and six touchdowns as a junior. For his career, Roane has 101 receptions for 1,496 yards and 19 touchdowns. The 5-10, 180-pound Roane posted career highs with 10 receptions for 100 yards vs. Notre Dame.

Amari Sabb, Glassboro

Amari Sabb will be looking to take his game to even another level as a senior after snaring 62 receptions (7th in the state) for 1,116 yards (6th in the state), which computes to an 18.0 yards/catch average. His 62 catches last season are tops among all returning receivers in the state. For his career, the shifty 5-9, 155-pound slot back has 91 receptions for 1,424 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Xavier Sabb, Glassboro

Offering a second big-play weapon for the Bulldogs is Amari’s younger brother,  6-1, 180-pound junior Xavier Sabb, who’s regarded by many as the top receiver in the class of 2027. Perhaps the state’s best sophomore talent a year ago, his numbers weren’t too shabby either, as he came up with 48 receptions, 843 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

Note: The bloodlines run deep for the Sabb brothers as their older brother, Keon, helped lead Michigan to the 2024 national championship from his safety position before transferring to, and starring in the secondary, at Alabama last season. After flirting with the idea of putting his name in the 2025 NFL draft, Keon has elected to return to Alabama for the 2025 season.

Nyqir Helton, Winslow Township

Nyqir Helton had 47 receptions for 852 yards and 13 touchdowns (18.1 yards/catch average) as a junior. The 6-0, 175-pound Helton had three 100 yard-plus receiving days with a high of 148 yards, along with three scores, vs. Highland Regional. Helton will enter his senior season with 82 receptions for 1,484 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Josiah Zayas, St. Thomas Aquinas

Josiah Zayas will enter his senior season coming off a 41-catch, 1,063-yard year, which included 19 touchdown receptions. His eye-popping 25.9 yards/reception average was among the state’s best. The 6-2, 190-pounder had six games of 100-plus receiving yards, topped by a five-catch, 161-yard effort vs. Franklin. His breakout junior season gives him 68 career receptions for 1,416 yards and 20 TDs.

Jake Blum, Mainland Regional

Jake Blum enjoyed a breakout junior season when the 6-1, 180-pounder had 52 receptions for 1,287 yards, the latter of which ranked third in state and tops among all returning wide receivers. That reception/yards average of 24.75 was also among the state’s best. He enjoyed six 100 yard-plus games, highlighted by two monster efforts – four receptions for a whopping 242 yards vs. Hammonton and a 10-catch, 175-yard effort vs. Somerville.

Abel Paul, Livingston

Another dandy from the class of 2027, 5-10, 170-pound Abel Paul broke onto the scene with 48 receptions for 854 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore a year ago. He had three 100 yard-plus receiving days highlighted by a huge game vs. Union in the season finale when he went off for 10 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns.

Nyzier Matthews, Brick Memorial

Nyzier Matthews enjoyed a 31-catch, 837-yard season, which competes to a jaw-dropping 27.0 yards/reception average, to go with nine touchdowns. The 6-0, 175-pound Matthews topped the 100-yard receiving mark on three occasions, highlighted by a career-best 132 yards at Donovan Catholic which came on just two receptions. This is a big-play threat who can take it to the house from anywhere on the field.

Isaiah Alvarez, Don Bosco Prep

Isaiah Alvarez quickly made a name for himself at a tradition-laden program where, as a sophomore, he had 48 receptions for 721 yards and nine touchdowns. His signature game against traditional state power St. Joseph of Montvale when the 6-1, 170-pound Alvarez stepped up to the tune of 126 yards on six receptions, an effort that raised eyebrows throughout North Jersey.

Note: All statistics courtesy of nj.com.

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