Ermon Lane, 2014 receiver recruit scouting report: the next A.J. Green?

The next elite wide receiver in a state known for producing them could be Ermon Lane, a member of the class of 2014 who plays for Homestead (Fla.) Senior High.

Lane is 6’2,175 pounds, and considered by some to be the best wide receiver in the country. As of February, Lane already has offers from from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Georgia. Lane is a consensus five-star recruit. 247Sports has him as the No. 1 receiver in the country, with Scout keeping him amongst the top 10 at No. 9, and Rivals has him as a four-star and No. 29 overall nationally.

Lane tweets at @_MoneyLane:

Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst: Lane has great size at 6’2 and 180 pounds. And he also has great speed. However, it’s what he does with that frame that makes him special. Many big and fast receivers in high school don’t have a great feel for the position. Lane does. It’s clear that Lane works on being a receiver. He doesn’t simply rely on his substantial physical gifts. He sets up defensive backs and doesn’t tip his route as much as the typical high school receiver.

Watching the highlight, he easily reaches his top speed and doesn’t struggle to accelerate out of his cuts, as many bigger receivers do. He’s also a natural catching the football, being particularly adept at catching the ball over his shoulder. Lane wins a tremendous amount of “50-50” balls because he elevates and catches the ball at its highest point.

Lane profiles as an elite deep threat who can also make the first defender miss on bubble screens. Because he is polished, Lane should either start immediately or play a substantial number of snaps as a freshman. Those looking for a similar receiver should pull up A.J. Green’s highlight film from the class of 2008.

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