We’ve had several requests to cover more G5 prospects. This is part three of a four-part series on incoming G5 recruits. I’ll do some breakdowns on the top 20 recruits to sign at each offensive skill position. I’ll gauge how much value each prospect has for College Fantasy owners as well as Devy owners.
The following table is sorted by 247Sports Composite ranks. The CFF and Devy columns are my attempt to gauge each prospect’s value on a 1-5 scale.
Jadon Thompson, Cincinnati:
Thompson, a one-time Illinois commit, signed with the Bearcats as the top 247Sports Composite ranked receiver. During his senior year, he hauled in 46 receptions for 657 yards (14.3 YPC) and 9 TDs. Listed at 160 lbs, Thompson will desperately need to add weight and muscle, but he can be a constant college contributor. Above-average speed but shows good burst off the line of scrimmage. Despite his low weight, Thompson does a nice job of breaking tackles at the high school level. As a good route runner, he lets the ball get into his chest often. Capable of returning punts as well. He looks to be an average contributor for Cincinnati despite his high ranking.
Thad Johnson, SMU:
Johnson signed with SMU over P5 offers from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, and Oregon. Capping off his high school career with 71 catches for 1,213 yards (17.3 YPC) and 14 TDs. Johnson also ran for 235 yards on 23 attempts against Texas’ highest level of competition. Johnson has good speed, capable of being a home-run threat. Good enough athlete to be a YAC threat on short to intermediate routes. He has a good burst off the line and in and out of his routes. I like Johnson’s upside that he possesses due to his athletic ability.
LaTrell Caples, Boise State:
The Texas native signed with Boise State over his only other team that he officially visited, Missouri. As a senior, Caples hauled in 59 passes for 1021(17.3 YPC) yards and 12 TDs. While listed at 6 foot tall, realistically, he’s probably just a hair under six-foot. Caples has above-average speed but shows the skills to be a big-play threat. Has a good get off from the line, able to defeat his defender pretty quickly. Shows above-average ability to run routes for a high schooler. Displays strong hands. Potential to be a multi-year starter for the Broncos.
Jhari Patterson, Marshall:
Patterson signed with the Thundering Herd over other regional offers. Very little can be found about Patterson’s recruitment, he was on the radar of bigger schools like North Carolina and South Carolina during the early stages of his recruitment. However, he signed with Marshall after months of silence from the recruiting front. During his senior year, Patterson hauled in 1,192 yards (17.8 YPC) and 10 TDs to go along with 243 rushing yards and two more TDs. Patterson is a very sudden player with great explosion and change of direction. Playing with good speed, he has all the makings of a big-time playmaker for Marshall. Patterson is a very gifted and versatile prospect. I’m excited to see him develop. He’s one of the prospects that you don’t understand why he slipped to a G5 school.
DeMeer Blankumsee, Toledo:
Blankumsee committed to Toledo before his senior year. He later decommitted from the Rockets, but in the end, he signed with Toledo. Stats for the Ohio native were hard to come by, but I’m sure they would be quite impressive after seeing his highlight reel. Currently, he’s very skinny and has plenty of room to fill out before seeing the college field. Blankumsee is a playmaker as a rusher, receiver, and return man. He shows good speed and burst. He has the makings of a receiver who can be a big-play threat, no matter the depth of pass. Blankumsee has very good yard-after-catch ability. He’s a future All-MAC performer and multi-year starter.
Kody Epps, BYU:
Epps picked BYU after a monster senior year for Mater Dei High School in California. He was on the receiving of 98 passes from Bryce Young tallying 1,735 yards (17.7 YPC) and 28 TDs. Epps Had a two-game stretch in the playoffs where he amassed 21/507/10 via his BYU bio page. He is a bit undersized, most likely in the 160 lbs. as a senior. However, Epps is a dangerous slot receiver with speed to get over the top of defenses. He bursts off the line of scrimmage and is able to defeat his defender with ease. His speed and quickness within his routes just eats high school defenders alive, able to create a ton of separation. They have no chance in space to cover him. Epps is a very exciting and intriguing prospect for college fantasy, but we question his overall NFL upside due to his size.
Marquez Bell, Cincinnati:
Bell is the second Bearcat to make the list already, picking Cincinnati over Indiana and Virginia after being a one-time USF commit. As a senior, Bell tallied 58 receptions for 1,126 yards (19.4 YPC) and 12 TDs. Bell is another sub-170 lb. undersized receiver. He has good speed and ample ability after the catch to be a big-play threat. He was a good return man at the high school level. Bell is most likely a slot receiver. He has some upside for college fantasy, but he lacks NFL-upside due to size.
Ja’Cyais Credle, UCF:
The 6’4” wideout finally brings some size to the list. He is an under-the-radar recruitment with very little information outside of his commitment to UCF. Credle also had very lackluster stats with 1,500 yards and 16 TDs in 34 career games. A big-bodied receiver, who was used a lot in a redzone, he shows above-average straight-line speed. However, we don’t see much laterally out of him. He displays strong hands and shows some upside but still has a ways to go.
Chris Scott, Cincinnati:
Scott is now the third Cincinnati signee to make the top-nine G5 incoming receivers. He picked the Bearcats over Kentucky, Iowa St, and Pittsburgh. As a senior, Scott caught 67 balls for 987 yards (14.7 YPC) and 10 TDs. Scott ran a very disappointing 4.8 40-yard dash in the spring of 2018. Despite his poor testing numbers, Scott appears to have above-average speed for a G5 recruit. While not a blazer, it is adequate enough to succeed at the G5 level. Scott is a decent route-runner and shows solid hands. He’s a very solid prospect, but nothing to get too excited about on either front (CFF or Devy). Scott has the makings of a multi-year starter.
Ja’Marquis Johnson, FAU:
Johnson played all over for his high school team. During his senior year, he rushed for over 600 yards, but only caught 7 balls for 140 yards. As a junior, he caught 22 passes for over 600 yards. Johnson played quarterback and safety as a senior. While he stands out on both sides of the ball, he is currently listed as a linebacker on the FAU depth chart. So, this write-up might be a moot point (shrugging arms emoji). If Johnson does land at receiver, he’s a big kid with a great frame. He shows good straight-line speed. While raw, he definitely has some upside if he’s able to learn the position. I gave Johnson a low grade in the above chart due to being listed as a linebacker.
Khi Mathieu, Memphis:
Mathieu is a cousin of former LSU Tiger and current NFL player Tyrann Mathieu. Accurate stats for Mathieu were hard to come by. One site stated one thing, while another site would state something different for his junior stats. His senior stats are a big mystery. What’s not a mystery is Mathieu’s age. I was able to find out that he won’t be 18 until late November of his freshman year. Mathieu adds to the list of receivers in the 160 lb. range, which is not ideal. Despite his size, he shows the ability to leave the ground and make acrobatic catches. He has above-average speed and good hands. The Memphis 247Sports page believes Mathieu can become an early contributor due to the lack of depth on the Tigers. I’ve been a fan of Mathieu since watching his film upon his commitment to Memphis last July. While I like his college fantasy upside, he lacks NFL upside due to his stature.
Isaiah Davis, UTSA:
Davis was a very lightly recruited prospect out of El Paso, Texas. He only received offers from UTSA and his home town UTEP. As a senior, Davis caught 58 balls for 912 yards (15.7 YPC) and 14 TDs. Davis also has an 11.19 100-meter dash run on his record, while not blazing, it still shows good speed. A long and lanky kid, Davis possesses a really good frame to get well above 200 lbs. during college. Plays with good speed and has the skills to stretch out a defense. Davis looks to have some decent with his game. Only logging two offers during his recruitment is a bit shocking, but he looks to be a multi-year starter for the Road Runners.
Reginald Johnson, ULL:
Johnson was previously committed to the Houston Cougars but had a late flip to his in-state Ragin’ Cajuns. His final year of high school saw him bring in 65 passes for 1,306 (20.1 YPC) yards and 20 TDs. Johnson plays with above-average speed, clocked a 4.67 40 in the spring of 2018. He looks like a good route-runner with good hands. He doesn’t appear to be a dynamic athlete, but has enough athletic ability to succeed in the Sun-Belt.
Stan Ellis, App. State:
The South Carolina native signed with App. State during the early signing period of 2019. He had no other major offers. Ellis caught 31 balls for 710 yards (22.9 YPC) and 8 TDs as a junior (Senior stats aren’t listed, and he missed some time due to injury). Currently, Ellis is listed as a defensive back on the Mountaineers roster. The vast majority of his senior film was also as a defensive back, so I think the writing is on the wall. When he was on offense, he showed good straight-line speed and was mainly used as a vertical threat. Ellis could definitely have a role on the App State offense if he flipped to that side of the ball, but appears to be destined for the defensive side.
Qian Magwood, Ball State:
Magwood signed with Ball State over other MAC offers, but did generate some late interest from Michigan State. He is the cousin of former NFL 1st overall draft pick Ki-Jana Carter. As a senior, Magwood brought in 39 balls for 554 yards (14.2 YPC) and 15 TDs. He plays with above-average speed, but his test numbers were disappointing, including a sub 30” vertical. Magwood looks like a solid MAC level contributor, but nothing to get excited about.
DeTraveon Brown, North Texas:
Brown gained notoriety on signing day, as he committed to signing with Ole Miss, but never had an official offer from the Rebels. Brown stated that the Ole Miss staff misled him. After being embarrassed by the incident, Brown found his way to North Texas. As a senior, Brown caught 57 passes for 904 yards (15.6 YPC) and 20 TDs. He has a good frame that can easily support over 200 lbs. Brown plays with good straight-line speed and is able to be a vertical threat at the high school level. Brown runs good routes and displays good hands. He is a potential All-CUSA player and multi-year starter.
Kyren Lacy, ULL:
If you look just at the 247Sports rank, Lacy was a 4-star prospect and the fifth overall receiver but was heavily dragged down by the other sites in the composite ranks (which is what I am using, hence his low ranking on this article). Lacy claimed late offers from Miami-FL and Houston, but stuck to his ULL commitment. The 6’2” 210 lb. receiver had a nice senior year catching 54 balls for 864 yards (16 YPC) and 18 TDs. Lacy also excelled on the hardwood; his ULL bio page lists him at 20 PPG, 12 Rebs, and 6 Blks per game. Lacy is a big-bodied receiver with above-average speed. Lacy has a good get-off of the line of scrimmage and is physical after the catch. As you would expect with his basketball background, he shows good leaping ability and is able to come down with 50/50 balls, something that has been lacking on this list so far. Lacy is a potential early contributor for the Cagins with future All-Sun-Belt potential.
Jacob Freeman, Georgia State:
Recruiting background and high school stats are hard to come by for Freeman, outside of a 4.78 40 run in the spring of 2018. Freeman is pretty average overall, including his size, speed, and athletic ability. Nothing about Freeman on the field really stands out either.
Kaevion Mack, Western Michigan:
The former Northern Illinois commitment signs with conference foe Western Michigan. Mack went for 883 yards (15.8 YPC) and 10 TDs on 56 receptions. He runs with short choppy steps, but shows above-average speed. He also shows the ability to get open deep, with good tracking ability on deep balls. Mack has the potential to be a multi-year starter for the Broncos.
Dylan Robinson, Houston:
We couldn’t find full stats on Robinson, but over his final two years of high school, he caught 51 balls for 1,118 yards (23.3 YPC) and 17 TDs. Robinson has a good frame, and can potentially get over 200 lbs. He has really good straight-line speed, and potential game-breaker speed. Robinson shows great leaping ability and an explosive lower body. I like Robinson’s upside. His size, frame, and speed could enable him to be a real threat in the AAC. Robinson is a potential All-Conference performer.
Marcayll Jones, Memphis:
Jones had a record-setting junior year of high school. Hauling in a Georgia State record 2,046 yards (17.8 YPC) on 115 catches and just 4 TDS. His senior year was quite disappointing by comparison, bringing in just 41 catches for 773 (18.9 YPC) yards and 2 TDs. I believe his TD numbers are inaccurate. Judging by his highlight reel, he caught more than 2 TDs as a senior. Jones is the shortest player on this list; realistically, he’s probably 5’8”ish. Jones plays with above-average straight-line speed and shows good lateral quickness. He can turn short routes into big gainers and has good YAC capabilities. His height definitely caps his NFL upside, but I can see a solid college fantasy producer.
