By Michael West, Contributing Writer
Dreyden Garner is poised to post another outstanding season as he embarks on his Senior season campaign as the leading Wide Receiver for the University City Centurions. The elusive pass catcher just transferred back to the Centurions after performing very well as one of the leading receivers for Akili Smith Jr’s Lincoln High Hornets.
Max Preps posted his opening season stats from Saturday’s game- a simple, yet dominant 4 catches for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns. Unsurprisingly, the fleet-footed receiver caught one pass that netted 55 yards. Garner accounted for nearly half of University City’s passing yards as the Centurions stomped the Clairmont Chieftans 63-12.
Local sportswriters and journalists wax high praise on the athletic lead man. Cal Sports even wrote a noteworthy piece on Garner-highlighting his illustrious statistics (2,506 all-purpose yards in two years-1,879 receiving yards; 543 kick return yards, 84 rush yards, 18 touchdowns, 85 tackles, and 5 interceptions). They described the 6-foot, 180-pound standout as “one of the nation’s top returning Wide Receivers” with “reliable hands, exceptional separation skills, and downfield speed”.
He caught 36 passes for 812 yards and 9 touchdowns his Sophomore year at University City, then transferred to Lincoln and caught 38 passes for 896 yards and 7 touchdowns last year. The multi-talented Garner is listed as an Athlete by all the major recruiting services, who all note his kickoff return, wide receiver, and defensive back skills.
| Recruiting Service | Grade | Rating | National Rank | QB Rank | State Ranking |
| On3 | 89 | 3 Star | – | 55 | 32 |
| 247 Sports | 88 | 3 Star | – | 54 | 60 |
| ESPN 300 | 79 | 3 Star | – | 76 | 40 |
| Rivals | 5.6 | 3 Star | – | – | 88 |
Ranked as a Four-Star wide receiver as recently as April by On3, and in December by Rivals, local experts are stunned Garner is currently ranked a Three-Star.
Garner is usually so wide open that when he catches passes, his blazing speed usually nets him at least another 10-20 yards.
He is exciting to watch and is an effective player after he catches the ball. Take a look for yourself, I am sure you will agree.
Here is an evaluation by PPR Siver Pigskin Review on Gardner with some highlights: https://x.com/i/status/1826014261052846148 Video Courtesy of PPR Siver Pigskin Review
Here are some Highlights from his Huddle page: https://x.com/i/status/1708610778071494683 Video courtesy of Dreydon Garner from Huddle, posted on X.
Garner currently lists Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, and San Diego State as his top five colleges to attend.
