Ranging from wide receiver to tight end, here are the top MHSAA and MAIS receivers returning for the fall ahead of the start of the 2024 high school football season. MAIS games begin Aug. 16, and MHSAA games follow Aug. 23.
Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Best Mississippi high school football receivers for 2024 MHSAA, MAIS seasons.
Tyree Barnett
Hattiesburg
5-foot-10, 170 | Senior
Barnett, a recent transfer from Harrison Central, had 1,005 receiving yards with 63 receptions and nine touchdowns, including 197 return yards. He has offers from Central Arkansas, UT Martin and Northeast College.
Jermarj Bell
Northside
5-7, 150 | Senior
The Central Arkansas commit had 1,775 all-purpose yards with 981 receiving yards on 56 receptions, 14 total touchdowns and two punt returns for scores.
Trent Buckley
Columbia Academy
6-4, 190 | Sophomore
The tight end had 29 receptions for 403 yards with three touchdowns, along with five tackles and two sacks last season.
Jeremiah Cole
McComb
5-11, 160 | Senior
Cole had 46 receptions with 1,012 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns last season, including 210 kick return yards.
Zayion Cotton
Grenada
6-5, 190 | Junior
Cotton, a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, had 36 receptions for 636 yards with five touchdowns in 2023. He has offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
TOP RETURNERS BY POSITION: QBs | RBs
Caleb Cunningham
Choctaw County
6-2, 190 | Senior
The Alabama commit is the No. 1 prospect in Mississippi and the No. 2 wide receiver in the country. Last season he set Choctaw’s season records for receptions (48) and yards receiving (1,138) and scored 14 touchdowns.
Deshawn Dillon
Northwest Rankin
6-2, 170 | Sophomore
The Cougars’ leading receiver had 44 receptions for 660 yards with nine touchdowns. Dillon has offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Sheldon Isaac
McComb
6-2, 170 | Sophomore
Isaac had 15 receptions for 307 yards with five touchdowns in eight games last season. Isaac has offers from Grambling and Florida A&M.
Zechariah Jenkins
Laurel
6-2, 185 | Junior
The three-star recruit produced 36 receptions for 603 yards with three touchdowns last season.
MORE HS FB: Meet Mississippi’s top high school football seniors for 2024 MHSAA, MAIS season
O’Mari Johnson
Wesson
6-0, 170 | Junior
The four-star recruit had 43 receptions for 807 yards and 465 rushing yards on 55 carries with 21 total touchdowns. Johnson has offers from LSU, Florida State, Mississippi State and Arkansas.
Micah Jones
Madison Central
6-5, 245 | Senior
Jones, a Florida commit, is the No. 15 prospect in Mississippi and the No. 28 tight end nationally for the Class of 2025. Last season, Jones recorded 168 receiving yards with a touchdown and helped Madison Central go 8-5.
Tristen Keys
Hattiesburg
6-3, 170 | Junior
Keys, a four-star recruit and the No. 6 overall prospect in Mississippi, has offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Miami.
Aiden Knox
Clinton
6-0, 170 | Junior
The three-star recruit had 178 receiving yards with a touchdown in seven games last season. Knox has offers from Penn State and Toledo.
Anson Lewis
Oak Grove
6-0, 195 | Senior
Lewis is a four-star wideout and No. 12 recruit in the state. His offers include Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri. Lewis has transferred to Oak Grove after spending the past two seasons at Columbia.
Jase Mathews
Greene County
6-2, 180 | Junior
In nine games, the three-star recruit had 25 receptions for 484 yards with two touchdowns and 673 all-purpose yards. Mathews has an offer from Ole Miss.
Xavier McDonald
Morton
6-3, 160 | Junior
McDonald, a four-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state, had 56 receptions for 1,166 yards with 16 touchdowns. McDonald has offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Florida State, Auburn and UCF.
Matthew Nowell
Leake Academy
5-11, 160 | Senior
Nowell recorded 1,129 receiving yards with 62 receptions and 13 touchdowns last season and had five games over 100 receiving yards.
MORE HS FB: Meet Mississippi’s top high school football juniors for 2024 MHSAA, MAIS season
Quincy Phillips Jr.
Brandon
5-10, 190 | Senior
Phillips had 87 receptions for 1,027 yards with six touchdowns in 2023. His receptions broke the school’s season record held by NFL player Jonathan Mingo.
John Austin Sterling
Centreville Academy
6-3, 190 | Junior
Thomas had 58 receptions for 1,120 yards and 22 touchdowns, as well as 219 return yards. Sterling has an offer from Toledo.
Case Thomas
Madison-Ridgeland Academy
6-2, 190 | Junior
Last season, Thomas produced 59 catches for 1,296 yards, which led MAIS, and recorded 17 touchdowns.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Top MHSAA, MAIS football players in 2024? Best WRs in Mississippi
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