In advance of the 2026 high school football season, the Gainesville Sun is honoring who are the best of the best at each position in the Gainesville area.
So far, we named the top quarterbacks and running backs. Now we’ve moved onto the third of four offensive position groups – wide receivers.
At first glance, the talent might not seem the strongest. But we assure you, it is. Of the seven best wide receivers we listed, three have major Division I commitments. A fourth holds Power 4 offers.
Here are the top seven pass catchers in the Gainesville-area.
Kyren Caldwell, Columbia
Caldwell, in the footsteps of Justin Williams the year before, is the latest of the top 50 ranked Florida commits. The senior held an offer from Florida itself, along with other major SEC programs like Alabama – where he was expected to commit. However, on July 4, he surprised all by committing to Maryland. Caldwell, despite quarterback troubles in Lake City in 2025, still had 701 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Dominick Harvey, Buchholz
The biggest wide receiver transfer in the area saw a cross-county move as Dominick Harvey moved from Hawthorne – where he won a state championship in 2025 – to Buchholz, where he hopes to deliver its first since 1990. Harvey’s had a busy summer. In addition to the transfer, he committed to Florida Atlantic with offers from Virginia Tech and Boston College. He had 665 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as he moves from Richard Roundtree to Andrew Whittemore at the helm.
Raheem Moore, Hawthorne
With the graduation of Darian Bowie and Harvey’s transfer to Buchholz, Moore is left to lead the Hornets offense that still features Richard Roundtree at QB. He had 364 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2025, including 110 yards and a touchdown in the historic 34-16 win over Melbourne Central Catholic that saw Cornelius Ingram reach his 100th win as Hornets coach.
BJ Johnson, Oak Hall
One of the best two-way players in the area, Johnson was a key cog in the Eagles engine that won an SSAA championship. QB Aaron Akins is gone for UPenn, but Johnson returns and will look to improve upon his 481 receiving yards.
Koy Frier, Suwannee
The Bulldogs were much better than their 1-9 record in 2025, and Frier was a big reason why. The senior has offers from Georgia Tech and West Virginia. Despite only playing in seven games, Frier had 408 receiving yards and two touchdowns. This includes 102 yards and a touchdown vs. Lafayette.
Javeon Long, Newberry
Long has absolutely massive shoes to fill with the departure of Hayden Moore to Minnesota. Injuries plagued Long’s 2025 season as he played just five games. However, the potential is clearly still there – especially with a more veteran offensive line and the transfer of QB Kieran Whiteside to Santa Fe.
Jordan Cason, Bradford
Chase Phillips, the Tornadoes top receiver in 2025, followed coach Jamie Rodgers from Bradford to Baker County. Cason, though, chose to stick around. Luckily for new coach Ross Baker, Cason is a true talent who can play both ways. A 3-star recruit, Cason committed to Northwestern with offers from Duke, Rutgers and more. Cason had 435 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2025, including six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in the 14-12 win over South Sumter.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1, Instagram @Ramreporter and Facebook Noah Ram – Reporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Here are the seven best wide receivers for the Gainesville area in 2026
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
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By Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
