Ivan Carreon is not your typical high school wide receiver.
The junior, who stands at six-feet, six-inches tall, barely makes his way around the Odessa High School entryways without ducking his head.
Carreon’s size also dwarfs opposing secondaries on the gridiron.
Because of his height and speed, Carreon has already broken multiple Bronchos’ career records, including most receptions (117), most receiving yards (2,057) and most touchdown receptions (17).
The players in second place in each of these statistical categories are Gabriel Rodriguez, who had 83 catches and 1,128 receiving yards in his three years at Odessa High, and Tyler McQueen, who had 16 total receiving touchdowns from 2007 to 2009.
Carreon will continue to rewrite the record book the rest of this season and 2023 as well.
He added to his numbers with a 2o5-yard, eight-reception, two-touchdown effort a week ago against San Angelo Central.
“That’s just becoming the norm around here,” offensive coordinator Creighton Reed said of Carreon’s weekly performances.
“He’s got all of the talent in the world and we just got to find ways through game plans to get him open and move him around and let him make plays, but he’s been doing a good job,” Reed continued.
To put in perspective the type of season Carreon is having this year, his receiving yardage total (943 yards) puts him 10th among all Texas high school receivers.
“That mark speaks for itself, right?” Bronchos head coach Dusty Ortiz said. “He’s going against 6A competition, week in and week out.
“It’s not easy. Carreon is doing it while not single covered, but he’s double covered. And, just to see him still put up those kinds of numbers is impressive.”
Carreon said that being in 10th place also highlights his teammates.
“I like that it makes our team stand out,” Carreon said. “It makes everybody else around me look good as well.”
These eye-popping numbers are garnering attention from Division I schools.
After Monday morning’s weight session, Ortiz handed Carreon a black folder with an orange “T” emblazoned on the front – the Tennessee Volunteers asking about Carreon’s services at the collegiate level.
Yes, the same Volunteers program that is currently ranked third in the nation and just upset then-number one Alabama Saturday night.
“He’s starting to get a lot more mail through here,” Ortiz said. “Kansas started sending some stuff.
“Both Tennessee and Notre Dame are inquiring about him, as well as Rice University.”
Reed said schools actually have offered Carreon, and that the junior has his eye on one school in particular.
“Carreon has offers from Southeast Missouri State, Texas State and Texas Tech, and I know Texas Tech is really high on him,” Reed said. “I’m sure by the end of the year, once his highlight reel starts getting out, he’ll start picking up offers from elsewhere, but I know that he’s really fond of Texas Tech and they’re really high on him.”
Ortiz marvels at what Carreon has done the past two seasons, despite what the opposition is throwing at the junior receiver.
“Last year, defenders really didn’t play him the way they’re playing him this year,” Ortiz stated. “They are using bracket coverage to defend him and he feels like he can still win those matchups.”
Carreon started playing football in the fifth grade, and was under center at quarterback – not out wide at the receiver position.
Carreon felt that he has learned quite a bit transitioning from his middle school days at quarterback.
“Reading defensive coverages and seeing how the defense is going to play (helped my transition to wide receiver),” Carreon said.
Reed felt that the sky is the limit for Carreon.
“When he gets into college and you’re putting him at tight end, are you going to put a linebacker on him?” Reed questioned. “Well, not many linebackers can run with him because he runs a 4.5 (40-yard dash) and he’s still pretty fast for a receiver.
“I think he’s a mismatch nightmare for defensive coordinators at the next level.”
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