Original Article <div align="center">An Early Look at the Class of 2009: The Wide Receivers <span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%">by J. Chase Boyadjian</span></div> With the stars of the Class of 2008 having now signed their letters of intent, it’s time to focus on what looks to be another great group of high school athletes in the class of 2009. It’s never too early to begin evaluating potential prospects, and over the next three weeks sportstwo.com will assess and rank some of the top recruits in the country for the upcoming class. Next up are the wide receivers. The Class of 2008 was quite deep at the wide receiver position, led by the #4 overall recruit, Julio Jones (AL). After Jones, there were five more five star wide receivers, AJ Green and DeAndre Brown among them. While the Class of 2009 doesn’t seem to have as many big time threats, it promises to be just as deep as last years class in terms of overall quality. Here’s a look at the top receivers in 2009. Reuben Randle (Bastrop, LA – Bastrop High) The top receiver in the class will once again come from a southern state, this time Louisiana. Reuben Randle has the size, the speed, and the natural wide out abilities that all schools covet in a wide receiver. He is, without a doubt, the best route runner in next years class and has the explosion and moves after the catch to take it to the house on any given reception. Although he has yet to receive an offer, Reuben is garnering interest from top schools such as Alabama, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma, Miami, and Tennessee. Marlon Brown (Memphis, TN - Harding Academy) The biggest wide receiver in the Class of 2009, Marlon Brown stands tall at 6’5” and 205 pounds. As with Randle, Brown is fantastic after the catch, something his high school team utilized in the short passing game. Despite his large stature, Brown is surprisingly fast and mobile. One area in which he will need to work on in the future is his hands. Though he is solid the majority of the time, he tends to bobble easy passes on occasion. He already has offers from Auburn, Clemson, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Yes, quite impressive. He is also an outstanding basketball player. Je’Ron Stokes (Philadelphia, PA – Northeast) One of the top prospects out of Pennsylvania this year, Stokes has some of the best big play ability out of any receiver in 2009. Stokes has amazing hands and body control in the air. He is a terrific long ball threat and is great after the catch. He is a little bit on the shorter side at 6’1” but still has a lot of time to grow. He recently won offensive MVP honors at the Rutgers Five Star Academy Showcase held on February 17. He currently has offers from the likes of Illinois, Penn State, Rutgers, and Tennessee. Shaquelle Evans (Inglewood, CA) Evans is a fantastic prospect out of California in 2009. He has a great combination of strength and speed that makes him one of the toughest receivers to guard in this years class. His hands are outstanding and some of his catches remind will remind you of a nice NFL receiver names Randy Moss. Ever heard of him? Evans boasts offers from Cal, LSU, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Southern Cal. Keenan Davis (Cedar Rapids, IA – Washington High School) Davis is a very physical receiver with above average hands. His route running is already fantastic and he plays like a natural wide out. His potential on special teams is also very high as his vision and block reading ability make him a big play threat any time the ball is in his hands. He has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Others to watch for: Joshua Adams (MA), Kraig Appleton (IL), Emory Blake (TX), Corey Brown (PA), Randall Carroll (CA), Willie Downs (FL), Chris Fields (OH), Terry Hawthorne (IL), Aaron Hayward (NJ), Logan Heastie (VA), James Jackson (MI), Rolando Jefferson (CA), Braxton Lane (GA), Nu'Keese Richardson (FL), Brandon Scott (VA), Todd Thomas (PA), Greg Timmons (TX), Vondrae Tostenson (NE), Terdema Ussery (TX)
