OCVarsity rankings: Top receivers and tight ends

Servites' Equanimeous St. Brown tops OCVarsity's list of top wide receivers/tight end going into the 2014 season. Keep clicking through the slideshow to see the other players who made the top 10.
Santa Margarita senior Kyle Sweet hauled in 53 catches for 920 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He had two games of 200-plus yards receiving.
Buena Park's Jaylinn Hawkins grabbed 54 passes for 777 yards a year ago. He has offers from Cal, Oregon, Washington and Northwestern, among others.
Trabuco Hills' Jacob Breeland, who is committed Oregon, was one of the county's best red zone threats a year ago. He had 11 touchdown receptions and he averaged 20.8 yards per reception.
El Toro's Taylor Dodds recorded four 100-yard receiving games as a junior. He finished with 770 yards.
Tesoro's Jake Smeltzer finished last season with 43 catches and 630 yards. He has already received offers from Air Force, Navy, Harvard and Yale among others.
Cypress' Quinten Pounds showed his versatility last season as he hauled in 42 balls for 772 yards, in addition to rushing for 352 yards. Pounds has been offered by Boise State, Cal, Utah and Washington.
Senior Cole Collins caught 54 passes for 867 yards last season as Corona del Mar went 16-0 and won a state title.
Mater Dei's Ben Humphreys has committed to play linebacker at Duke next fall. Despite missing four games to injury in 2013, he still finished as Mater Dei's third-leading receiver (17 catches for 276 yards).
JSerra's Ethan Aguayo was the team's second leading receiver in 2013, finishing with 41 receptions for 601 yards.

By Kenny Connolly | kconnolly@scng.com | Orange County Register

August 14, 2014 at 1:05 p.m.

With the start of the high school season quickly approaching, the Register has put together its lists of the top 10 players in the county at each position.

These lists are based on the observations of the Register’s reporters, the input of football coaches around the county and the amount of interest shown by college scouts.

Here is a look at the top wide receivers and tight ends going into the season:

1. Equanimeous St. Brown, Servite, Sr.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound wideout is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the state. Despite missing two games a season ago to injury, St. Brown tallied 42 catches for 725 yards, good for over 17 yards a reception. With a full season of A.J. Gass’ system under his belt and an improved Travis Waller (the Register’s top-ranked passer) under center, there’s no reason to think St. Brown won’t shine. The Friars’ go-to target is the No. 20 receiving prospect in the country according to Rivals.com and has been offered by every major college program on the west coast, while also boasting offers from Notre Dame, LSU, Penn State and Miami among others.

2. Kyle Sweet, Santa Margarita, Sr.

After serving as the Eagles’ quarterback his sophomore season, Sweet showed his versatility as a junior, quickly establishing himself as a dangerous weapon as a pass catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pound wideout returns as the county’s second-leading receiver after hauling in 53 catches for 920 yards and nine touchdowns last year. An All-County second-team selection in 2013, Sweet accounted for over 50 percent of Santa Margarita’s aerial yardage, thanks in large part to two monster games of 200-plus yards receiving. With quarterback KJ Costello entering his second full season as the starting signal caller, look for Sweet to put up eye-popping numbers yet again this fall.

3. Jaylinn Hawkins, Buena Park, Sr.

With Deven Boston and Nik Needham graduated, opposing defenses will make shutting down Hawkins a top priority. Being the elite athlete he is, the Coyotes’ two-way star will still find ways to have a huge impact on games. A year after grabbing 54 passes for 777 yards, look for Buena Park to get the ball in Hawkins’ hands several ways – screens, end-arounds, wildcat, etc. With offers from Cal, Oregon, Washington and Northwestern already on the table, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder figures to add to that list as the season progresses.

4. Jacob Breeland, Trabuco Hills, Sr.

Breeland, who is committed Oregon as a tight end, lined up on the outside as a receiver plenty of times last season. His 6-foot-6, 205-pound build not only made him one of the county’s best red zone threats (11 touchdowns), it also proved he was a nightmare for smaller defensive backs to tackle in the open field (20.8 yards per reception). A willingness to block downfield in the running game make Breeland one of the most well-rounded receivers the county has to offer.

5. Taylor Dodds, El Toro, Sr.

The Chargers’ second-leading pass catcher in 2013, Dodds is poised for a breakout campaign in El Toro’s pass-happy scheme. With Dominic Collins out of the picture, the Chargers lose a player who caught 106 balls for 1,328 yards. Dodds will undoubtedly see a spike in production as Trey Tinsley’s new No. 1 option. After recording four 100-yard receiving games as a junior – tied for tops on this list – look for Dodds to top his 770-yard showing from last season.

6. Jake Smeltzer, Tesoro, Sr.

Smeltzer will benefit from having a full year of playing experience in second-year coach Matt Poston’s offensive system. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver played well as a junior, accounting for 43 catches and 630 yards. If junior quarterback Devon Modster has the breakout season many people believe he can, the primary beneficiary will be Smeltzer. The wideout has already received offers from Air Force, Navy, Harvard and Yale among others.

7. Quinten Pounds, Cypress, Sr.

Pounds lines up in a lot of different places for the Centurions. As their clear cut No. 1 weapon, the 6-foot-1 speedster was isolated on the outside, spent time in the slot, lined up at quarterback in the wildcat and played some snaps at running back a year ago. As a result, Pounds hauled in 42 balls for 772 yards, in addition to rushing for 352 yards. Expect more of the same this upcoming season. Pounds has been offered by Boise State, Cal, Utah and Washington.

8. Cole Collins, Corona del Mar, Sr.

Collins lines up alongside Bo St. Geme, giving the Sea Kings one of the best receiving tandems in the county. As the leading receiver on last season’s 16-0 state championship squad, Collins caught 54 passes for 867 yards. Having a pair of battle-tested receivers on the outside will help the development of CdM’s new quarterback, Peter Bush, this fall.

9. Ben Humphreys, Mater Dei, Sr.

Humphreys has committed to play linebacker at Duke next fall, but the Monarchs senior has demonstrated he’s a capable receiver as well. Despite missing four games to injury in 2013, Humphreys still finished as Mater Dei’s third-leading receiver with 17 catches for 276 yards. If he can stay healthy, expect those numbers to spike dramatically. Humphreys will be a reliable target for first-year starter Jack Lowary.

10. Ethan Aguayo, JSerra, Sr.

In Nick Robinson, the Lions return one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the county, but they are without two of last season’s key playmakers, Dante Pettis and Casey Eugenio. Aguayo – the team’s second leading receiver in 2013 – will see his involvement in the offense increase as the Lions look to build off an impressive 7-3 campaign. The senior could be one of the breakout performers this season, building off of a 41-catch, 601-yard showing as a junior.

Others to watch: (listed alphabetically) Keaton Cablay, Newport Harbor, Sr.; Joey Cox, Calvary Chapel, Sr.; Noah Evans, Whittier Christian, Sr.; Jake Favreau, Edison, Sr.; Edrick Flores, La Habra, Sr.; Cole Harlow, San Clemente, Sr.; Connor Hill, Mission Viejo, Sr.; Kyle Penniston, Mater Dei, Sr.; Bo St. Geme, Corona del Mar, Sr.; Nolan Thompson, Huntington Beach, Sr.; George Wilson, Tustin, Sr.; Joe Wysocki, Los Alamitos, Sr.