#NVprepsfb top wide receiver/pass catcher countdown — No. 4
Desert Pines’ Jaden Mitchell comes in at No. 4 on our #NVprepsfb list of Southern Nevada’s top wide receivers/pass catchers.
To create the list, we spoke with coaches from the Sunrise and Sunset Regions in both Class 4A and 3A. A couple of the base questions were: “Who is the top high school pass catcher today?” and “Who would you pick to start a team?”
Then we grabbed the statistics from last season, looked at the player’s collective rankings on recruiting websites and used our own judgment to fill holes.
This resulted in the #NVprepsfb wide receiver/pass catcher rankings. The list is based off high school productivity and not college or professional potential. Stay tuned for our defensive player list next week.
#NVprepsfb Wide Receiver/Pass Catcher Rank: Desert Pines’ Jaden Mitchell No. 4
Class
2018
Vitals
5 feet, 11 inches; 175 pounds
Honors
First-team All-Southwest League (2016)
Recruiting
Mitchell, a consensus three-star recruit, committed to Arizona on April 28. He chose the Wildcats over scholarship offers from Hawaii and UNLV.
Last Year’s Stats
Mitchell played all over the field for Desert Oasis during the 2016-17 season, racking up 110 passing yards, 283 rushing yards and 262 receiving yards. He scored four of the Diamondbacks’ 12 touchdowns on the season. Mitchell, who is working on becoming eligible after moving across town, will benefit from joining Desert Pines — last year’s Class 3A state champion — and focusing solely on the wide receiver position.
What they are saying?
— “He’s a tough kid — tough as nails,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “He’s explosive and a good route runner. When he has the ball in his hands, he’s special.”
— “He’s good,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “I didn’t think he was Pac-12 (Conference) good. But his athleticism and speed helped him get Power-5 interest. He was on a terrible team last year and he did everything. He’s a versatile kid.”
— “The kid is phenomenal,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “He has all the swag to go with the game.”
— “When I saw him, he was playing quarterback so it’s hard to make a determination for him as a receiver,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “But he didn’t have a whole lot around him.”
— “He’s a good talent,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “But from what I hear, I think he’s a head case. He’s got talent, but I’m not sure it’s Division I. He has to work on some things.”
— “He’s a kid you’re not going to get a very good read on because he played at (Desert Oasis) last year,” one Sunrise Region fooball coach said.
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#NVprepsfb Wide Receiver/Pass Catcher Rank: Liberty’s Marquez Powell No. 5
Class
2018
Vitals
6 feet, 2 inches; 174 pounds
Honors
First-team All-Southeast League (2015); All-state honorable mention (2015)
Recruiting
Powell has one scholarship offer from Hawaii.
Last Year’s Stats
In his first year with the Patriots, Powell caught 41 passes for 538 yards and seven touchdowns behind all-state receivers Darion Acohido and Ethan Dedeaux. He excelled as a sophomore at Green Valley in 2015, leading the team in receptions (46), receiving yards (593) and touchdowns (8). Look for him to be a top target for Liberty quarterback Kenyon Oblad in 2017.
What they are saying?
— “I think he’s an athletic freak,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “He can jump out the chains and try to get that ball.”
— “Powell is a specimen,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “But he’s kind of an underachiever. From the moment he got to Liberty, he hasn’t been what he was supposed to be. All their little guys have shown out.”
— He’s a freak. It’s pretty amazing,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “He’s got above-average hands and is able to do a lot of things. He does have the potential to be something special. Just a freak of an athlete.”
— “Going off last year, he needed to improve his hands. And he’s done that,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “He’s money on fade routes. He outjumps people. … He’s going to have a great year, especially now that Ethan (Dedeaux) and Darion (Acohido) are off to college. Kenyon will look to him more.”
— “He does one thing well — runs the fades well,” one Sunset Region football coach said. “But he is not consistent. Just looking at him, physically, I can see why he’s a top-five kid.”
— “He’s pretty decent. His mouth is a little more than his play,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “That stands out more than his play. But he has the ability. When he focuses more on the craft, rather than the extra, he has potential to be great.”
— “He’s a big, tall kid,” one Sunrise Region football coach said. “But we played against him at Liberty and Green Valley, and I wouldn’t say he was a top receiver unless he’s improved a lot. Last year, he was the third receiver on Liberty. But he does have the body, for sure.”
To get involved in the discussion, use #NVprepsfb on Twitter. You also can follow along @nevadapreps.
