All the way up to Football Friday Night, the 5NEWS Sports crew is going to be breaking down our top local players to watch at every position. This week, it's the wide receivers, presented in alphabetical order:
Landon Beeler, Bentonville
The tight end has always been valuable for the Betonville offense and now it's Beeler's turn to take over the main role. He turned two of his seven catches in 2017 into touchdowns and averaged nearly ten yards per catch.
Bryant Burns, Ozark
The junior returns as the top pass catching tight end in our area as the coach's son hauled in 34 passes for 748 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. The 6-foot-3 target is already receiving college interest and will be one of the top positional prospects this time next fall.
James Clayton, Northside
Clayton hauled in four touchdown passes as a sophomore in 2017 and gives the Grizzlies a big target in the middle of the field. His presence could lead to another big statistical year for quarterback Derrick Wise.
Anthony Collins, Hackett
Though he's a weapon on both sides of the ball, an average of more than 25 yards per catch will put defenses on notice for the Hornets' senior. Collins had 11 catches for 295 yards and four touchdowns in 2017.
Logan Humphreys, Van Buren
Van Buren has a bright spot returning from 2017 as their tight end caught 32 passes for 418 yards and two scores. In comes new head coach Casey Dick and a new offense, Humphreys should see his numbers rise as a senior.
Honorable Mention
Johnson Bowman, Fayetteville
Braydon Grace, Lamar
Brayden Ralph, Pea Ridge
Brock Strother, Mena