A Step Ahead: Jim Stefani's Underclassmen Football Recruiting Blog

Class of 2008: Some Elite Wide Receivers (Part II)

Michael Floyd WR/DB 6'3 190 4.50 St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Minnesota

Floyd is the midwest’s candidate when talk turns to the top prep receiver in the talent-laden Class of 2008. After a relatively weak in-state Class of 2007, Floyd leads a very strong group of 2008 in-staters and is the rare blue-chip skill athlete to emerge out of Minnesota…………The best player in Minnesota as a junior……A consensus First Team All-State selection as a junior and also named a Second Team All-American by USA Today………..As a junior, he caught 63 passes for 1,240 yards (19.0 average) and scored 16 TDs. He also carried the ball 12 times for 246 yards and 3 scores….…As a sophomore, he had 22 receptions for 665 yards (30.2 ypc) and 6 TDs.……Has the combination of great size and speed that seems to be a common denominator among most of the nation’s elite receivers this year. Yet another receiver who can make the difficult catch looks easy due to his speed, strength and ability to go vertical to catch the ball. Is exceptional when going up for the ball in traffic……..Very physical and athletic……Plays for one of the state’s top programs……The best receiver to emerge from the state since Larry Fitzgerald (with whom he has drawn comparisons) and will be even more heavily recruited………Also a standout basketball player who averaged just under 11 points per game as a sophomore in leading Cretin Derham Hall to a 26-3 record……… As of early January 2007 he had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Ohio State, UCLA, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas State.


Gerell Robinson WR/DB/QB 6'4 225 4.60 Chandler Hamilton Arizona Arizona

Robinson is the Southwest’s candidate for top receiver in the Class of 2008……….His stock shot through the roof after earning Offensive MVP honors while testing at WR at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine. He ran great routes and with his frame and outstanding athleticism it was difficult for the DBs to match up with him in one-on-one drills. Coupled with his fine speed he had no problem in creating separation from some of the nation’s top DB prospects. He also showed off a soft pair of hands, scooping in everything in his vicinity………You see, he was primarily being recruited as a QB/ATH before his splendid camp showing, and although he was drawing comparisons to Vince Young in term’s of his athleticism as a QB it was clear that his throwing mechanics were nowhere near Mr. Young’s…….. He plays for one of the better programs in Arizona after having transferred in for his junior season from Phoenix Desert Vista (where he was drawing comparisons to former Desert Vista star Zach Miller)…..As a junior, he earned Honorable Mention All-State recognition as a DB aafter registering 50 tackles and 8 INTs for the state Class 5A1 champions…………..As a sophomore at Desert Vista, he accounted for 1,200 yards (394 rushing, 812 passing) and 11 TDs passing and running the ball……..3.5 GPA and a hard worker both on and off the field…..Solid character………He committed as a QB prospect to Arizona in October 2006 over offers from Nebraska, Colorado and UTEP.


Dan Buckner WR 6'5 200 4.47 Allen Texas

Buckner is the Texas candidate for top WR in the nation. Some, including the turtle-necked one, believe that he is the top nation’s best WR and have compared him to the likes of Randy Moss……..A First Team All District 9-5A pick as a junior……Tall and graceful with fine speed (sub 4.5), he just needs to polish his route-running. He has solid hands and has the height and vertical to really go up and get the ball. A bit more raw than most of the other elite receivers but his ceiling could be the highest of the bunch……As a junior, he had 46 receptions for over 660 yards……As a sophomore, he had 24 receptions for 401 yards and 3 TDs…….He was very, very impressive at the 2006 Notre Dame summer camp…..He plans on starting college in January 2008…….As of early January, he had offers from such schools as Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Boston College, Texas A&M and Baylor.


Jonathan Baldwin WR/LB/TE 6'5 215 4.40 Aliquippa Pennsylvania

Baldwin is one of two outstanding versatile receiver/athletes in Pennsylvania (the other being Terrelle Pryor, who is the best prospect in the state and I have as the top TE in the country although h wants to play QB in college) and he ranks up there with the best receivers in the nation……….I project him as a WR due to his fine athleticism, speed (reportedly clocked a 4.31 forty at the 2006 Pittsburgh summer camp) and soft hands, but he could grow into a TE or play OLB in college. Played TE out of necessity as a junior……….Has an excellent frame combined with fine agility, strength (315 bench), hops and quickness. Really excels in picking up yards after the catch…..As a junior, he was named Second Team AP Class AA All-State as a defensive specialist (although he was nominated as a TE) after catching 21 passes for 370 yards from his TE spot and being a force from his DE position. Also named All-Area by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…….Stars in basketball and already has an early offer in that sport from Marquette…….Has played varsity hoops and football since his freshman year…….A very hard worker who keeps at it in the off-season……3.0 GPA…..Baldwin’s father, Jeffrey, played football for Pitt and his cousin is NFL All-Pro and former Michigan CB Ty Law……As of early January he has football offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.


Jameel Owens WR 6'4 200 4.50 Muskogee Oklahoma

Owens is probably the top overall prospect in Oklahoma and ranks among the nation’s elite receivers.......Was named Second Team All-State by the Daily Oklahoman as a junior after grabbing 24 passes for 537 yards and 9 TDs…..As a sophomore, he earned All-Muskogee area honors after recording 40catches for over 900 yards and 10 TDs……Plays for a team with a lot of talent, and he’s the most highly regarded of the bunch…….Has been a varsity starter since his freshman season…..He has excellent height, hands, ball skills, speed and athleticism. He plays centerfield for the baseball team and runs the 110-meter hurdles and high jumps and long jumps in track……Solid strength (280+ bench, 450+ squat) helps make him an effective blocker as well as difficult to slow down with the bump-and-run……As of early January, he had offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas Tech, Kansas and Tulsa.

posted by Jim Stefani @ 6:46 AM