After doing the article on running backs, I felt it was appropriate to jump over and talk about the receivers, who I think are rated too low on the recruiting services. Since my model does factor in junior and senior production as part of the process, I have already started figuring out how this class may change. The same rule will apply where I avoid talking about the top ten players in the composite service rankings as of today.
Jase Mathews- Greene County- Mississippi
Jase Mathews currently sits as WR27 in 247Sports services and WR12 in the composite (0.9543). He holds fourteen reported offers with some of the top names, including Miami, Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, Colorado, and LSU. Mathews also has official visits with the first five universities this summer. His strength of schedule only checked in at 11.4, so that is one downside. He fits the stereotypical mold that people look for with a 6’1”, 182 lb. frame. Mathews is also a multi-sport athlete who plays basketball and track.
The breakout junior season was crazy and a great sign for senior year. While 68 catches for 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns are not as high as some others, it is more impressive on a per-game basis. Accounting for only ten games played, those numbers per game put Mathews seventh in catches, twelfth in receiving yards, and tied fifth in touchdowns. That is a fairly impressive standard to help offset his schedule strength.
The way my model grades him today would put him tied sixth highest all-time! That list is 771 receivers deep for context. His score is tied with fellow 2026 recruit Cederian Morgan. It includes hits and misses, Jeremiah Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Luther Burden, Gatlin Blair, Julian Fleming, and Tyron Johnson. That is a pretty drastic difference from the services having him outside the top 10 of 2026.
Kaydon Finley- Aledo- Texas
Kaydon Finley currently checks in as WR16 for the composite (0.9501) or WR35 for 247Sports. In my model with only junior year, he sits in third place in the class. Finley also checks in as a basketball and track guy, which helps to see how he used the extra training for his big breakout. Finley has NFL connections, too, as his dad is Jeremichael Finley, who played at Texas and then played six seasons at Green Bay as a tight end.
He currently holds 36 reported offers with visits scheduled for Texas, Notre Dame, and Arizona State. He is also high on Texas A&M, but outside of those, he holds nine other SEC offers, eight ACC offers, six Big 10 offers, and five from the Big 12 conference. It also helps that Finley plays in a decent area that checked in at 22.2 strength of schedule. Kaydon is well built, too, checking in at 6’0” and 200 pounds.
His junior season saw him continue the climb he started as a sophomore across 14 games by gathering 81 catches, 1,432 yards, and 21 touchdowns. Finley’s film shows him playing up to his size and using his frame to break tackles for additional yards. The clips showed him used downfield, over the middle (sweet slants), and even in motion through the backfield with the little touch passes to get him going. His stats on a per-game basis fall very similar to Mathews, which is excellent because that places him tied for 20th in all classes. Those numbers also have the same score (for now; senior year to come) as Puka Nacua, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Tetairoa McMillan.
Kenny Darby- Airline- Louisiana
Kenny Darby could be the next great Louisiana receiver we get to know in the 2026 class. The composite services (0.9328) have him at WR24 for now, and 247Sports seems lower on him with a WR33 spot. Darby, for me, checks in at WR5 in the class. Notice taken in my opinion. He has 20 offers on 247, with the top schools for him being LSU, committed, but still warm on Alabama and Tennessee. He has a handful of other program offers like Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Texas A&M. Darby also competes in track and field, which helps those of us who want to see these guys be multi-sport players. His strength of schedule did check in at 20.4, which is not awful.
In 12 games this year, Darby went off. He reeled in 100 catches, 1,764 yards, and 24 touchdowns. The yardage puts him at 64th percentile historically if he did not play any more high school football; the kid has a whole season left to add to that! On a per-game level, he sits sixth, sixth, and seventh all-time in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. While everyone is focused on Tristen Keys and Jabari Mack, Darby may be a much cheaper value play.
Corey Barber- Spain Park- Alabama
Corey Barber is in my top eight on the model, appearing as WR46 in the composite (0.9077) and WR47 for 247sports. The recruitment is not a concern, as 247Sports reports 28 offers with visits scheduled for Tennessee and Miami. Being in Alabama, Corey has already attracted attention with offers from several programs around the southeastern United States, along with Oregon, Washington, and Penn State. He also participates in track and field. Strength of schedule is a respectable 23.5, so he is not skating by against easy opponents each week.
Out of 771 receivers to date, Barber checks in at 52nd with his junior year of production. Across 13 games, he went for 74 catches, 1,429 yards, and 18 touchdowns with seven runs for another 59 yards. We may see Barber climb higher, with a small bump in production per game and some extra scoring as a senior. I am curious to see if the services will catch up if he takes another step forward.
Chase Campbell- Frenship- Texas
My last name for today to discuss is Chase Campbell, a 4-star receiver from Texas. He sits at WR22 in the composite with a 0.9330 rating and WR20 for 247Sports. My model has him closer to WR13, showing a potential gap we can take advantage of in leagues that allow high school players. Campbell also plays basketball and runs track. Arkansas, Kansas State, and Texas Tech are the top three schools being considered. Several other quality schools, though, have sent out offers, with 21 reported offers. His junior season also checked in with a 25 strength of schedule rating.
The exciting part for Campbell comes with the production, as he is one of only seven receivers in the 2026 class currently sitting with an “iconic” recruit type. That tag signifies he hit all top metrics for production on a per-game basis. In 12 games, he got 81 catches, 1,497 yards, and 18 touchdowns. He also shows some versatility on the ground with 38 rushes, 314 yards, and another six touchdowns. The main goal for Campbell is to stack another good season on top of this with a little less rushing work. Doing so will keep him highly rated and push him into the low 90s for my recruit score with some favorable names historically.
