2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the wide receivers

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, August 15, 2024 | 6:01 AM

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top wide receivers for the 2024 season.

1. Scoop Smith

Woodland Hills

Junior, 5-7, 150

Smith’s speed and big-play ability make him a concern for opposing defenses. The reigning WPIAL 100-meter dash champion scored three touchdowns longer than 80 yards last season, including a 99-yard kickoff return. In all, Smith had 44 catches for 851 yards and scored 17 touchdowns. He lists college offers from Nebraska, Robert Morris, Temple, Toledo, UMass and UNLV. He ran 10.64 seconds in the 100-meter finals in May to win the WPIAL 3A title. A three-sport athlete, he announced a couple of college basketball offers two summers ago. Northeast coaches voted him a first-team all-conference wide receiver last season.

Watch Scoop Smith highlights

2. Khalil Taylor

Seton LaSalle

Sophomore, 5-11, 180

Taylor made a big impression as a freshman, scoring 13 touchdowns and earning first-team all-conference honors. He also drew the attention of college coaches, adding offers from Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Akron, Maryland, Nebraska, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, UConn and UNLV. He finished his ninth grade season with 35 catches for 501 yards. His longest touchdowns included a 72-yard catch and kickoff returns of 88 and 95 yards.

Watch Khalil Taylor highlights

3. Kenny Lewis

Gateway

Senior, 5-10, 175

Lewis ranks first among returning WPIAL receivers with 54 catches. Typically a slot receiver, the Gators can use the versatile pass-catcher in various ways. He piled up 934 receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns last season, including on punt returns of 62 and 88 yards. A two-way standout, Lewis earned first-team all-conference honors at defensive back in the Big East. His list of college offers includes Bryant, Marshall, Robert Morris, Temple and UNLV.

Watch Kenny Lewis highlights

4. Amari Jackson

Beaver

Senior, 6-1, 175

Jackson is another two-way standout who is electric on special teams. The Bobcats find ways to get the ball in his hands. The Villanova commit caught 34 passes last season for 913 yards – a 26.6 yards per catch average – and scored 13 times. He scored four different ways: receiving, rushing, kickoff return and interception return. His longest touchdown was an 89-yard kickoff return. Coaches voted him first-team all-conference for offense, defense and special teams.

Watch Amari Jackson highlights

5. Gabe Hein

Mars

Junior, 6-0, 175

Hein was possibly on his way to leading the WPIAL in receptions last season, a feat he’ll try to accomplish this fall instead. He had 43 catches and 774 yards in his first seven games — an average of 110.6 yards per game — before an injury cut his sophomore season short. Quarterback Luke Goodworth is back for his senior season, so they’ve already got chemistry. The QB-WR tandem combined for eight touchdowns and both earned first-team all-conference honors.

Watch Gabe Hein highlights

One to watch

Ryan Petras

Bethel Park

Senior, 5-9, 180

Petras is one of the WPIAL’s top pass-catchers, but shoulder surgery has him sidelined for at least a couple of months. The Black Hawks will miss him since he caught 52 passes for 734 yards and scored 14 touchdowns last season. He also added another 509 yards rushing on 53 carries, earning first-team all-conference honors in the Allegheny Six. The multi-sport athlete plays shortstop for Bethel Park’s baseball team which reached the WPIAL finals in May. He initially committed to play baseball at Northwestern but reconsidered after drawing 16 college football offers. He recently committed to Princeton.

Watch Ryan Petras highlights

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Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

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Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

Tags: Beaver, Bethel Park, Gateway, Mars, Seton La Salle, Woodland Hills