2008 Top 25 Positioner: Wide Receivers

Class' deepest position has 17 ranked in Top 100 overall

Sept. 25, 2007

By Tom Lemming

Special to CSTV.com

	TOM LEMMING Tom is CSTV's college football recruiting analyst, and writes for CSTV.com regularly. E-mail here!

        ---   Column Archive   --- RANKINGS 1/23: Final Class Of 2008 Top 100 1/11: Stock Watch - 2009 Potential All-Americans 1/5: Stock Watch - All-American Bowl 1/4: Stock Watch - All-American Practice Week 8/2: 2008 Top 100 Overview 4/9: 2008 Updated Watch List 2/8: 2008 Early Watch List 2/5: Top 100 Latest 1/29: 2007 - Final Rankings 1/23: 2006 - Final Rankings 2008 TOP 25s 11/15: Inside Linebackers 11/14: Outside Linebackers 11/13: Athletes 11/13: Cornerbacks 11/12: Fullbacks 11/08: OGuards/Centers 11/01: Offensive Tackles 10/20: Defensive Ends 10/14: Tight Ends 10/04: Safeties 9/19: Defensive Tackles 9/12: Tailbacks 9/5: Pro-Style QBs 8/28: Dual Threat QBs ROAD TRIP 2007 12/16: Ten With Tom - Rich Rodriguez Edition 11/29: Ten With Tom - Recruiting Road to the BCS 6/7: Mailbag 5/23: History Lesson 5/11: Ten With Tom 3/29: North Carolina 3/16: East Coast Swing 2/28: Setting Up Shop 2/26: Texas NFL DRAFT 4/27: From Five-Star to First Rounder CONFERENCE BREAKDOWNS 07 2/13: SEC Breakdown 2/12: Pac-10 Breakdown 2/11: Big Ten Breakdown 2/10: Big East Breakdown 2/9: Big 12 Breakdown 2/8: ACC Breakdown SIGNING DAY 2/7: Winners and Losers 1/22: Countdown to Signing Day 1/15: Best Available BCS BOWLS 1/5: BCS Championship Game 12/31: BCS Orange Bowl 12/30: BCS Sugar Bowl 12/30: BCS Fiesta Bowl 12/30: BCS Rose Bowl CONFERENCE BREAKDOWNS 06 4/28: Pac-10 4/25: Big East 4/19: ACC 4/14: Big 12 4/12: Big Ten 4/6: SEC ROAD TRIP 06 7/14: Part IX 6/22: Part VIII 6/2: Utah 5/26: Colorado 5/16: Illinois 1/19: Part IV 1/12: Part III 1/06: Part II 12/30: Part I

CSTV Recruiting Expert Tom Lemming has highlighted the top recruits in the country with his Class of 2008 Top 100. Now he's broken down each position into its own Top 25. With the season underway and signing day rapidly approaching, CSTV.com will highlight the top recruits at each position with Lemming's personal insights on the players who will be the next stars of college football.

Top 25 Wide Receivers

I traveled down to Foley twice this year to see Julio, one time at a track meet in which he triple-jumped close to 47 inches and both times I came away exceptionally impressed. In the year of the great wide receiver, there aren't many that could stay with him. Everything about him is off the charts from size, speed, vertical jump and strength.

The first thing that you notice is his ability to get off the line, outmuscle the pressman, catch the ball with his hands and his great separation speed. It is rare to find a big guy with such good overall athletic ability. He shows very good shiftiness and explosiveness and can make the tough catch over the middle. He shows the kind of top-end speed that scares the defense to death. You could make a good argument that Julio is the No. 1 prospect in the nation. He shows outstanding body control for his size, great running instincts and is very difficult to matchup with because of his height, strength and leaping ability. He is a difference-maker type of player who should be an instant impact player in college.

He caught 75 passes for 1,333 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior on his way to earning All-State honors.

He has long jumped 23 feet, four inches and is the state triple jump champ with a leap of 47 feet, five inches and he has also high jumped six feet, eight inches.

Ranked No. 3 overall in the Class of 2008.

2. A.J. Green (Committed to Georgia - 6-4, 190, 4.5 - Summerville, S.C.)

He is the No. 1 prospect in the state of South Carolina and one of the nation's premiere players.

I first met A.J. as a freshman at Summerville. Back then, I had recommended him as the No. 1 freshmen in the country. He hasn't done a whole lot to discredit that statement. In fact, this guy has piled on First Team All-State honors for each of the past three years. Over the past three years not much has changed, as he has gotten about 10 pounds heavier and added some strength. His speed has remained the same, and he is very fluid in his movements with exceptional body control. He does a great job of adjusting to the ball while it is in the air and can create after the catch. I am still amazed at his superior athletic ability, burst, hands and instincts.

The first freshmen ever to start for the storied Summerville program, Green has caught close to 200 passes for over 4,000 yards. He's a difference-maker and a go-to guy with the ability to make an impact on offense.

Ranked No. 8 overall in the Class of 2008.

3. Mike Floyd (6-3, 200, 4.5 - St. Paul-Cretin-Derham, Minn.)

Michael has to rank as one of the nation's premier ball players. In the year of the great wide receivers, I've seen them all on film, and Mike takes a backseat to no one.

He has to be the most physical of all the great wide receivers. He is sort of a Michael Irvin type. Last season, he appeared to be a man among boys in a very competitive area. After all, this is a school that has produced Joe Mauer, Ryan Harris and Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke. When his prep career is over, Mike will rank with the very best this school has every produced. He dominated every game he played in last year. He is terrific when competing for the ball in traffic, he shows good speed and can escape defenders after the catch. Instinctive once he gets open, he can create as well as any wide receiver around. He caught 10 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown in the archrival game, despite being double and triple-teamed. A marked man since his sophomore year, he still found ways to get open. He is a great combination of size, speed, strength and leaping ability. He can make the difficult catch look routine and appears born to play the wide receiver position. He is exceptionally quick in and out of his breaks and is a go-to guy who should start day one in college.

He caught 65 passes for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 20 yards per catch.

Ranked No. 12 overall in the Class of 2008.

4. DeAndre Brown (6-5, 218, 4.5 - Ocean Springs, Miss.)

The No. 1 prospect in the state of Mississippi is also one of the nation's premiere players. I have had the privilege to watch Brown play twice this past year, once during my trips last fall and then during basketball season in the winter.

He is a big, physical receiver who goes up and gets the ball no matter where it is thrown. He has great speed for a big guy, sure and strong hands and a lot of confidence. He is not yet a great route runner, but that will come with practice. He plays on a run oriented team but has Calvin Johnson type of ability. I am sure Ocean Springs will find more ways to use him this coming season. In the division game against George County, he had five catches for 175 yards and a touchdown. If I was his coach, I would give him the ball at least 10 times a game and let him do his thing. Believe me, he is an impact player, and barring injury, he will be playing ball on Sundays.

He caught 21 passes for 345 yards and seven touchdowns and also carried the ball 12 times for 350 yards and six scores. He completed 3-of-5 passes for 57 yards and one touchdown. He totaled 15 tackles and one interception in seeing spot duty at strong safety.

Ranked No. 19 overall in the Class of 2008.

5. Deion Walker (6-3, 187, 4.47 - Christchurch, Va.)

Walker shows the size, speed, hands and footwork to dominate his position, and he certainly does. He shows exceptional leaping ability, anticipation and timing while catching the ball at its highest point. He does a real good job of catching the ball in stride and shows breakaway speed after the catch. He shows the body control to make an acrobatic catch look easy, competes for the ball at all times and is a physical mismatch to almost every defensive back he goes up against. He excelled in the state championship game last November. I can't say enough good things about Deion's potential. He should be a difference-maker and a go-to guy from the get go next fall.

He caught 41 passes for 472 yards and seven touchdowns and also carried the ball 15 times for 330 yards and one score. He totaled 31 tackles and picked off eight passes at cornerback, so don't rule out that position. However, at 6-foot-3 3/4, he might be a little too tall for the cornerback slot.

Ranked No. 25 overall in the Class of 2008.

6. Jameel Owens (6-3, 210, 4.45 -Muskogee, Okla.)

A high school version of Calvin Johnson. This kid is amazing at both wide receiver and free safety. He catches everything within reach, has big hands and can make tough catches look easy. He does a good job of adjusting to the ball and can make acrobatic catches every now and then. Owens is a very good combination of size and speed.

In the past two years, he has caught 69 passes for 1,326 yards and 14 touchdowns in 20 games. He did that despite the fact that he is double-teamed all the time and sometimes triple-teamed. This guy appears to have it all and is unstoppable in his local league. In his best game, he had seven catches for 205 yards. He should become a game-breaker. He's an intriguing blend of size, speed, balance, body control and burst. He knows how to get the job done.

Ranked No. 26 overall in the Class of 2008.

7. Aldarius Johnson (Committed to Miami - 6-3, 205, 4.4 - Miami-Northwestern, Fla.)

One of the premier players in the country, Aldarius not only has the height, hands, speed and body control to be a great wide receiver, but he also has the most important thing: production.

He runs precise pass routes and catches the ball away from his body and in stride. He competes for the ball every time it's thrown in his direction and has the kind of speed that keeps defenders honest. He can create after the catch, showing outstanding moves in the open field. Johnson's a go-to guy and a difference-maker in high school and he will be the same in college.

He caught 77 passes for 1,346 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 20 yards per catch on his way to earning All-State honors.

Ranked No. 38 overall in the Class of 2008.

8. D.J. Shoemate (Committed to USC - 6-1, 208, 4.5 - Anaheim-Servite, Calif.)

He will probably be a five-star player by the end of the season. He missed his whole junior year due to a foot injury. He is a great athlete with a bright future.

D.J. shows the size, strength, quickness and hands to become a dominating receiver at the next level. He has a knack for finding the ball. He catches the ball away from his body and can turn up field in a flash. His sophomore film showed a player who can consistently separate from double coverage and take over a game. Blessed with big hands, he can make the acrobatic catch look routine. He is not super fast but has a great initial burst, which can surprise a cornerback. Too physical for most high school defensive backs, he kind of reminds me of Arrelious Benn. I watched his game against Long Beach Poly in 2005 in which he had five catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns in addition to 65 yards rushing. That game brought him local fame and everyone in the Los Angeles area can't wait to see him as a senior. He has the ability to play wide receiver or free safety at an All-American level.

Ranked No. 44 overall in the Class of 2008.

9. Brice Butler (Committed to USC - 6-3, 187, 4.5 - Norcross, Ga.)

He is the son of former Atlanta Falcon all-pro cornerback, Bobby Butler. Brice is now ready to take center stage as one of the nation's premiere football players.

I have mentioned several times before that it is the year of the wide receiver, but believe me, there are not many better then Brice Butler. His film shows an acrobatic, athletic wide receiver who is at the top of his game. He shows good speed but exceptional quickness, timing, anticipation and the toughness needed to become a difference-maker at the college level. I had met Brice before I watched his highlight tape, and he is a tall, athletic-looking kid, but that tape blows you away. This guy runs exceptionally well for a 187-pounder, gets in and out of his cuts quickly, runs precise routes and has the surest hands this side of the Mississippi River. For verification, just watch the Regional Championship game in which he had five catches for 117 yards and a score despite being double and triple-teamed the entire game.

He caught 35 passes for 680 yards and nine touchdowns averaging close to 20 yards per catch.

Ranked No. 46 overall in the Class of 2008

10. Jeff Fuller (Committed to Oklahoma - 6-4, 200, 4.5 - McKinney-Boyd, Texas)

His five-star rating may come as a surprise, but believe me, I've watched a lot of film and interviewed Jeff a couple of times and I came away with the knowledge that he will be playing on Sundays within four years. Jeff is a muscular receiver with strong hands, terrific leaping ability and surprising speed. He can make people miss after the catch and does a good job in separating himself from the defenders. He has good open-field vision and shows good change of direction skills. He can pluck and run with the best of them. When I first saw Jeff, I thought he was a linebacker. He's a big muscular kid with the frame to weigh around 230. He could wind up playing on the defensive side of the ball and he certainly has that kind of ability.

Fuller averaged over 15 yards per catch and proved to be a load to bring down.

Ranked No. 58 overall in the Class of 2008.

11. Chris Tolliver (No. 69 overall - 6-1, 190, 4.6 - Rayville, LA)

12. Kenny Tate (No. 76 overall - 6-4, 210, 4.5 - Hyattasville-DeMatha, MD)

13. Kevin Dorsey (No. 79 overall - Committed to Maryland - 6-3, 186, 4.4 - Forestville, MD)

14. Darryl Stonum (No. 80 overall - Committed to Michigan - 6-2, 180, 4.4 - Sugarland-Dulles, TX)

15. Devier Posey (No. 83 overall - Committed to Ohio State - 6-2, 190, 4.5 - Cincinnati-LaSalle, OH)

16. Melvin Ray (No. 91 overall - Committed to Alabama - 6-4, 196, 4.4 - Tallahassee-N.F.C., FL)

17. Dan Buckner (No. 95 overall - Committed to Texas - 6-5, 200, 4.55 - Allen, TX)

18. John Goodman (Committed to Notre Dame - 6-4, 186, 4.5 - Fort Wayne-Dwenger, IN)

19. Desean Hales (Committed to Texas - 5-11, 170, 4.4 - Spring Klein Oak, TX)

20. Chris Polk (Committed to USC - 6-0, 200, 4.45 - Redland E. Valley, CA)

21. Fred Smith (Committed to Michigan State - 6-3, 215, 4.4 - Detroit Southeastern, MI)

22. Laron Byrd (6-4, 210, 4.4 - Boutre Hahnville, LA)

23. DeJuan Miller (Committed to Oklahoma - 6-5, 200, 4.5 - Metuchen, N.J.)

24. Omarius Hines (6-2, 190, 4.4 - Corsicana, TX)

25. Jarrell Barbour (Committed to Arizona State - 6-3, 190, 4.4 - Peoria Centennial, AZ)