It has been a very unique journey for Maryland wide receiver Kaden Prather , who is one of the more underrated prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class early on. With almost no fanfare this preseason, it appears the media is a lot lower than the NFL is currently.
For a player who was well regarded, the lack of hype is pretty surprising. You would be wise to get Prather on your radar now, with a breakout season seemingly on the horizon. Vaulting himself into a top 50 player in 2025, or even potentially a first round pick is not out of the realm of possibility.
Northwest High School
Coming out of Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland, Prather was considered a consensus four-star recruit by every major recruiting platform. Prather ended up ranked as the No. 191 overall player and No. 30 wide receiver on the On3 Industry ranking in the 2021 recruiting class.
He held offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Miami, Michigan, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida State, Texas A&M, Penn State, Auburn, Ole Miss, Maryland, Arizona State and West Virginia among many others. There were a lot of options available to the talented pass catcher.
Prather was a dynamic deep threat in high school, hauling in 42 receptions for 895 yards, and nine touchdowns during his career. Unfortunately that would end up being the end of Prather’s high school career. Northwest High School was not able to compete during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Despite high interest from several of the top programs in all of college football, Prather would opt for the Mountaineers. He would spend two seasons with the West Virginia program, playing in a total of 20 games during that stretch.
Prather didn’t make a massive impact during that first season In 2021, hauling in 12 receptions for 175 yards. His bigger impact would come as a sophomore in 2022, where the Maryland native would make 52 receptions for 501 yards, and three touchdowns. Those receptions would be second on the team, seemingly being a good stepping stone for a junior breakout.
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After some offensive staff turnover for the Mountaineers, Prather decided that the transfer portal would be the best option for him. The next move would bring him back home to Maryland, where he would play for the Terrapins and head coach Mike Locksley.
During his lone season with Maryland thus far, Prather would show off some of the talent that once made him such a highly recruited pass catcher. In 13 games, Prather would haul in 42 receptions for 666 yards and five touchdowns. That 15.9 yards per reception average would finish first among wide receivers on the team.
It’s been pretty interesting to see some of the wide receiver units that Prather has played with during his three years at West Virginia and Maryland. While the win-loss record left something to be desired, there was a lot of NFL talent out wide.
While a part of the Mountaineers, Prather would play with guys like Bryce Ford-Wheaton, Samuel Brown and Winston Wright. With the Terrapins, he played with Tai Felton and Jeshaun Jones. Each of those players are, or will get an opportunity to play on the next level.
Now a senior, Prather is expected to take an even bigger step in 2024. The talent has always been there, and we saw even more glimpses of that upside this past season. Keep an eye out for No. 1 in the turtle shell uniform this fall.
2025 NFL Draft
Despite some evaluators still waiting for Prather to fully tap into his upside, there are a lot of Day Two (rounds 2-3) grades out there on the Maryland wideout. The upside is buoying that grade right now, hoping that Prather could actualize that potential this season.
If he can, the raw tools are as good as just about any wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Blessed with great size and length at a verified 6-4 and 211 pounds, Prather has the looks of a big boundary receiver on the next level. The intriguing part about him is that his skill set is not just that. He has a lot of “small man game” despite having a bigger body.
You could see the overall athleticism against Ohio State this past season. Prather was open all day, and if the quarterback play and offensive structure was better, he would have had a massive game against the Buckeyes. Instead, we only got to see those moments in flashes despite being open all day.
One of the more impressive plays came off of a mesh concept. Getting open off of the pick wasn’t the impressive part. You could see Prather open up his stride after the catch and showcase his straight line speed. This is a player who can really chew up grass with his stride length and explosiveness.
Against Michigan, you also saw the type of plays you would expect from Prather, contested catch flashes. While he has the talent to do that, it isn’t surprising with his size and length. It’s obviously nice to see, to verify that ability with the football in the air.
The more interesting play came against Northwestern, where the Terps decided to give Prather an end around, which he took for a huge gain. You just don’t see big bodied wide receivers get end arounds often. That ability to affect and navigate space is very unique for Prather’s body type.
So we have a 6-4, 211-pound wide receiver who can win contested catches, make plays after the catch and even do some gadget stuff at times? That uniqueness is pretty special. While he’s not there yet, there’s a reality where Prather becomes one of the biggest risers in the 2025 wide receiver class.
The talent is there. The flashes are plentiful. Now it’s about being consistent, and getting him the football more. The 2024 season could be the breakout we have been waiting for.
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