Ranking WNC WRs in 2024 NC high school football season

From Sawyer Belue to Hayezon Tobe, the Citizen Times and Times ranked the top wide receivers for the 2024 NC high school football season in WNC.

Asheville Citizen Times

The start of football practices in North Carolina is a month away. Western North Carolina teams are hard at work in summer workouts and 7-on-7s to prepare for the upcoming NCHSAA and NCISAA seasons.

With the season on the way, the Citizen Times and Times-News are highlighting the top wide receivers in 2024, like Asheville School's Hayezon Tobe and Asheville Christian Academy's Zamarian James.

Here's the Citizen Times and Times-News ranking of the WNC's best wide receivers, ranked from 10 to 1.

Best North Carolina high school football WRs in WNC area for 2024

10. Elijah Lineberry

Cherokee

Vitals: 5-11, 150, Sr.

Lineberry caught 28 passes for 419 yards with four touchdowns in 2023.

9. Oak Markland

Avery County

Vitals: 6-2, 190, Jr.

Markland caught 26 passes for 491 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

8. Landon Noel

East Henderson

Vitals: 5-5, 140, Sr.

Noel had 27 catches for 468 yards with two touchdowns. He will be a key piece if East Henderson snaps a los streak that stands at 16-game as the 2024 season begins.

7. Gavin Gault

Madison

Vitals: 6-0, 150, Jr.

Gault was one of the bright spots in a down year for Madison. He caught 36 passes for 542 yards with three touchdowns.

6. Lawson Reynolds

Erwin

Vitals: 6-0, 170, Jr.

Reynolds was one of quarterback Cade Ingle's favorite targets in 2023. He finished with 41 catches for 420 yards and three touchdowns.

5. Sawyer Belue

Pisgah

Vitals: 5-10, 155, Sr.

Offers: Averett (Va.), Hampden-Sydney (Va.), Limestone (S.C.), Maryville (Tenn.), Rochester, St. Andrews

Belue is a dynamic playmaker for the Bears. A year ago, he had 493 receiving yards with five touchdowns. New coach Ricky Brindley will try to put the ball in his hands as much as possible.

4. Darion Ledbetter

Robbinsville

Vitals: 6-1, 180, Sr.

Ledbetter helped Robbinsville advance to the NCHSAA 1A regional final. He hauled in 35 passes for 586 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Eli Griffin

Brevard

Vitals: 6-1, 160, Sr.

Griffin made 28 catches for 515 yards with eight touchdowns while guiding Brevard to the third round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs and a Mountain Foothills 7 conference championship.

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2. Zamarian James

Asheville Christian Academy

Vitals: 5-5, 140, Sr.

James caught 65 passes for 929 yards with eight touchdowns as the Lions' second-leading receiver last season. His numbers should improve as he becomes the top target after the graduation of star receiver Jeremiah Dodd.

1. Hayezon Tobe

Asheville School

Vitals: 6-0, 169, Sr.

Tobe hauled in 51 receptions for 817 yards and nine touchdowns last season with the Blues.

Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times and Times-News.