Ten Florida receivers who have shined this fall

We're just past the midway point of the high school season for Florida. Most teams now have six games in the books, and some players in the passing game have really started to break away from the pack. Here's eight ten receivers (well, actually, nine receivers and a tight end) who have emerged this fall. Some were already well-known coming into the season. Some of the others? Well, they weren't quite as well known before this fall.

Now, keep in mind, I'm not advocating that these are the eight best wide receiver prospects in Florida. There have been a number of top prospects (Ermon Lane, Ja'Von Harrison, Corey Holmes and Artavis Scott among them) whose numbers haven't matched those of the players in this post for one reason or another. However, the below-listed prospects have raised their level of play this fall, without a doubt.

Ryan Sousa (6-0, 177, Lake Nona) – The prolific senior out of the Orlando area continues to put up big numbers. Sousa had over 2,400 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and his numbers continue to trend up for Lake Nona. Through six games this fall, Sousa has grabbed 59 receptions for 901 yards (15.3 ypc) and 10 scores. FSU commitment.



Natrelle Jamerson (6-0, 175, Ocala Vanguard) – Jamerson has been a part of a prolific offensive attack for the Knights this fall. Through six games, Jamerson has 39 receptions for 785 yards (20.1 ypc) and eight scores. Tight end Elkanah Dillon has also been very effective for the Vanguard passing game this season, as the Knights are 3-3 on the season.



Mike Boone (5-9, 175, Glen St. Mary Baker County) – Following a 46-7 victory against Paxon on Friday night, the FIU pledge had nabbed 48 receptions for 841 yards (17.5 ypc) and 11 scores through seven games for 5-2 Baker County.



Jordan Franks (6-4, 210, Crawfordville Wakulla) – The senior tight end has thrived with brother Feleipe throwing him passes this fall. Franks had notched 40 receptions for 742 yards (18.6 ypc) and seven scores for the 6-1 War Eagles, before a 28-7 victory over Starke Bradford on Friday night.



Anthony "Shug" Rhynes (5-11, 190, Tampa Middleton) – Rhynes' performance has been overshadowed by the fact he competes on a 1-5 team. Still, the senior receiver had 23 receptions for 811 yards and seven scores following into a 26-21 victory for Middleton on Friday night against Blake, the Tigers' first victory of the season. Rhynes had a 70-yard pass reception for a score in the game.

Travis Rudolph (6-1, 188, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman) – The Under Armour All-American has put together good numbers on the ground and as a receiver over the past three seasons. But nothing like he's done so far this fall. Through seven games, Rudolph already has career highs of 36 receptions, 762 yards (21.2 ypc) and 11 touchdowns for the 4-2 Crusaders. Rudolph has certainly emerged as one of the top prospects in the state of Florida at the wide receiver position, if not the best.



J.C. Jackson (5-10, 185, Immokalee) – After another big game for the Florida commitment on Friday night in a win over Naples, Jackson now has 18 receptions for 615 yards (34.2 ypc) and 9 scores for Immokalee, despite the fact he's only played in five games for the Indians, who are now 5-2 on the season. Jackson now has two games of 200+ receiving yards in the last three weeks for Immokalee.



Stephen Denmark (6-3, 200, Tallahassee Rickards) – Denmark has been a standout on a surprising 6-0 Rickards squad. He has 23 receptions for 632 yards (27.5 ypc) and eight scores for the season. He also added an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against FAMU High on Thursday, demonstrating why his stock should continue to rise over the course of this season and heading into the weeks leading up to National Signing Day.

Garrett Johnson (5-10, 168, Winter Garden West Orange) – The explosive slot receiver has been incredibly productive once against for West Orange this fall, nabbing 38 receptions for 607 yards (16.0 ypc) and nine touchdowns for the 6-1 Warriors before a 56-7 win over Cypress Creek on Friday night. Johnson had a 63-yard reception for a touchdown and also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in that contest as well. Johnson is committed to Kentucky.



Ny'Qwan Murray (5-11, 170, Orlando Oak Ridge) – The central Florida speedster recently picked up his first FBS offer from Cincinnati. Murray had 41 receptions for 788 yards (19.2 ypc) and 10 scores before a 23-20 win over Ocoee to move their record to 4-3 on the year. Murray had a 99-yard TD reception against East Ridge earlier this season, which is linked below.

Six more names to keep an eye on

Last week, we took a look at five prospects making a name for themselves this fall with their play on the gridiron. Today, we do the same. Six more prospects worth shining a light on with their performances through the month of September:

1. WR Stephen Denmark (6-3, 200, Tallahassee Rickards) – Rickards is off to a 4-0 start on the season, and coming off a stunning 43-42 triple overtime upset of Lincoln last week. A big reason for the Raiders' success is Denmark, who has already grabbed 20 receptions for 484 yards and six scores through four games. Denmark's stats are backed up by excellent Nike SPARQ testing numbers from the spring: a 4.70 40, 4.44 seconds in the short shuttle and a 36.5" vertical leap. Clearly a name to watch moving forward. Denmark doesn't look particularly "sudden" on film, but he does have enough size, speed and leaping ability to help stretch a defense from an outside receiver position.

2. TE Elkanah Dillon (6-5, 220, Ocala Vanguard) – With so few tight ends in the state of Florida, Dillon figures to pick up interest as he continues to pile up numbers this season. Through five games, Dillon has 22 receptions for 304 yards and six touchdowns for Vanguard. Good athlete for his size. He's a long, athletic player on film. More receiver than tight end at this point, but the frame is there. Looks like a small forward playing football, to be frank. He certainly seems to have more upside than a prospect like Moral Stephens in the Class of 2014.

3. Malik Robinson (6-7, 260, Tampa Freedom) – Robinson plays tight end and defensive end at the prep level. He's athletic for his size, but a bit lumbering to play those positions at the college level? Offensive tackle? Now that makes a lot more sense. Add 30 pounds to Robinson, and watch out! Definitely a bit of a project, but Robinson is a player with quite a bit of upside if the right team can tap into it.



4. OL R.J. Scaife (6-6, 260, Dade City Pasco) – Another Tampa-area big body who is primed to play major college football. Scaife has played tight end and on the defensive line for Pasco, but has now settled in at offensive tackle, where he projects to play on the next level. Scaife obviously has good length and moves well for his size. College recruiters are quite familiar with Pasco, so Scaife figures to see his recruitment pick up at some point in the near future.

5. DB JyQuis Thomas (6-1, 184, Plant City) – Has nice combo of size and speed (4.59 40) at the defensive back position. Has filled up the stat sheet so far this fall: 28 tackles (3.0 for loss), 1 interception, 3 PBU, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked punt and a sack on the season through four games. Plays for a program that has produced a lot of talent in recent years. He's a physical and willing tackler on film. Not on the level of a Matt Elam, for instance, but if a team is looking at him to play corner, he's well above average for what is expected out of that position in terms of tackling ability.

6. WR/TE Jordan Franks (6-4, 210, Crawfordville Wakulla) – The brother of standout 2016 QB prospect Feleipe Franks, Jordan has been impressing in his own right this fall as the brothers have made for a prolific duo through the air. Franks has 37 receptions for 669 yards and 6 scores through the first five games as Wakulla is off to a 5-0 start. Franks would obviously fit into the "move" or "joker" tight end trend that has evolved in recent years.