2021 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the wide receivers

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, August 19, 2021 | 1:34 PM

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TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top wide receivers for the 2021 season.

1. Robert Dickerson

North Hills

Senior, 6-0, 185

Nobody can accuse Dickerson of being one dimensional. The two-sport star did a little of everything for the Indians last fall while scoring nine of his team’s 18 TDs and totaling more than 1,000 all-purpose yards. His longest scoring plays were kickoff returns of 93 and 86 yards, an 84-yard run and a 55-yard catch. As a receiver, he had 22 catches. He lists college offers from Colgate, Fordham and Holy Cross, among others. He may play both football and baseball in college.

Watch Robert Dickerson highlights

2. Quinton Martin

Belle Vernon

Sophomore, 6-3, 180

Is Martin a running back or slot receiver? It’s hard for even him to say because he’s expected to split time between those spots this fall. Either way, the star sophomore is dangerous with the ball in his hands. After one year of varsity football, Martin already has offers from Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Maryland, Rutgers and Virginia Tech. He ran for 425 yards and six touchdowns and also caught two TDs last year. With his 6-foot-3 height — and still likely growing — he’ll have the size and quickness to become an elite receiver.

Watch Quinton Martin highlights

3. Lorenzo Jenkins

Blackhawk

Senior, 6-4, 175

Jenkins caught seven touchdowns and earned all-conference wide receiver honors at Fox Chapel last fall before transferring to Blackhawk. He finished his junior season with 31 catches for 492 yards. As a sophomore, Jenkins had 36 catches, 511 yards and seven TDs. His longest touchdown last fall was a 66-yard catch. He lists a Division I offer from Old Dominion.

Watch Lorenzo Jenkins highlights

4. Eli Heidenreich

Mt. Lebanon

Senior, 6-0, 185

Heidenreich has committed to Navy to play receiver or H-back for the Midshipmen, a role that suits his versatility. A year ago, he saw snaps at wide receiver, running back and quarterback for Mt. Lebanon and converted those chances into seven TDs. He scored at least once in every regular season game. His longest was a 78-yard touchdown catch against Central Catholic. Defensively, he added 45 tackles and two interceptions at safety.

Watch Eli Heidenreich highlights

5. Brett Birch

Gateway

Senior, 5-10, 170

Birch ranks first among returning WPIAL receivers with 46 catches last season. He finished his junior year with 669 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as Jeannette won the WPIAL Class A title. This fall, he’ll challenge 5A defenses. He and younger brother Brad both transferred to Gateway, where they’ll try to reboot their dynamic wide receiver and quarterback combination.

Watch Brett Birch highlights

ONE TO WATCH

Dwayne Taylor

North Allegheny

Senior, 6-4, 205

Taylor didn’t reach the end zone last season but that seems certain to change this fall. The WPIAL triple jump champion provides an ideal downfield threat for a North Allegheny offense that graduated last year’s leading receiver, Khalil Dinkins, who’s now at Penn State. Taylor had nine catches for 141 yards in his first season at NA after moving from Bakersfield, Calif.

Watch Dwayne Taylor highlights

• • • • •

POSITION BREAKDOWNS

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

Top five coaching changes for 2021

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: Belle Vernon, Blackhawk, Gateway, Mt. lebanon, North Allegheny, North Hills