Fayetteville’s top high school wide receivers to watch in 2023 football season
Eight wide receivers are among Fayetteville’s top players to watch in the 2023 high school football season.
Cumberland County’s wide receiver room lost Terry Sanford’s Patrick Shook, South View’s Brandon Sanders and Seventy-First’s Aaron Downing to graduation, opening the door for some other standouts to emerge.
Four all-conference wideouts are back and two others are primed for breakout seasons as Division I recruits.
Here’s a look at eight wide receivers to keep an eye on on Friday nights. The Cumberland County Football Jamboree is scheduled for Aug. 11 and the regular season kicks off Aug. 18.
Latrell Carter, Pine Forest
The All American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year in 2021, Carter had a breakout season as a receiver last season with 29 catches for 412 yards and seven touchdowns in an all-conference campaign as a junior.
JAMBOREE SCHEDULE: Schedule set for 2023 Cumberland County Football Jamboree. Here are the top 3 matchups
TOP GUYS IN THE TRENCHES: Fayetteville’s top high school linemen to watch in 2023 football season
Tyler Davis, Gray’s Creek
The senior saw time at quarterback, running back and wide receiver in his first three seasons. An all-conference wideout in 2022, Davis had 15 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns. He also had six rushing TDs.
Deshaun Johnson, South View
With Brandon Sanders gone, Johnson is in position to join Donavan Pauling-Outlaw as one of the Tigers’ top options. Johnson had 18 catches for 233 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games as a junior.
Rashid Jones, Terry Sanford
The senior had 533 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 36 catches last season. Jones can help take the pressure off Kamal Thames, a two-way player who had six receiving TDs in 2022.
Ricardo McDonald, Cape Fear
The senior had 32 catches for 526 yards and six touchdowns last season as an all-conference performer. He’s the leading returner at the position in the United 8 Conference.
Jeremiah Melvin, Cape Fear
A Wake Forest recruit as a 6-foot-6 target, Melvin was injured for most of the 2022 season. He has 654 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games.
Jadon Rourk, Westover
One of the top players at his position as a freshman, Rourk had 68 catches for 842 yards and five touchdowns last season. The all-conference selection is the leading returning receiver in the All American Conference.
Fonzy Smith, Trinity Christian
The junior has received interest from several Division I programs, including UNC. He had seven touchdowns last season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville’s top high school wide receivers to watch in 2023
