Analysis: Miami 4-star WR commit Waden Charles gives Hurricanes a 2025 playmaker
Boynton Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Central four-star Miami receiver commit Waden Charles still has two years before he’ll suit up for the Hurricanes, but the 6-foot-3, 185-pound wideout will give quarterback commit Luke Nickel a consistent, playmaking target when he arrives in Coral Gables.
Charles, a top-300 recruit, may not be a superstar yet, but he’s repeatedly proven why his interest from programs like Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee, Penn State and others.
He’s steadily improved his ability in space, and although his speed is more than enough, he’s not a traditional break-a-tackle-and-turn-on-the-afterburners high school playmaker. Charles is much more comfortable catching the ball short in space and navigating around multiple defenders as opposed to making one cut and streaking for the endzone.
We’ve had the chance to watch Charles work out live and compete against blue-chip South Florida defensive back prospects, and he’s largely performed as well as any four-star, top-300 receiver should. He still has work to do in improving his releases against press man coverage and needs to continue to add weight for help against some hyper-physical cornerbacks, but his big-play ability can’t be overlooked and shouldn’t be underrappreciated.
Charles has big-play ability when gets a matchup that favors him in even the slightest way, and his 6-foot-3 frame makes him a jump-ball deep threat against almost any defensive back he catches in man coverage. His vertical and ability to high point contested catches makes him an obvious No. 1 target in almost any high school offense and has given him a handful of highlights making contested receptions in double teams, and his body build suggests he’ll be able to add weight relatively easy at the college level.
If you’re looking for a skillset comparison to a current Miami receiver, look no further than Colbie Young — tall, long and athletic with the ability to consistently win one-on-one matchups and a handful to deal with in open space. Charles is severely underrated as a route runner for his age and could easily grow to match Young’s 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame by the time his first season of college begins.
He locates passes as well as if not better than any receiver in his class and has exceptional pass-catching ability, although his consistency will play a major factor in determining his recruiting stock over the next 16 months before his signing day.
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