Can This Viral High School Football Player Be the Tallest Receiver in NFL history?
Anwar Stetson
This Class of 2026 multi-sport athlete continuously goes viral for literally towering above his competition. Mike Broxton Jr. is a 6-foot-10 wide receiver. Few people have ever seen someone like him on the gridiron before.
It’s something a lot of casual football fans may think: “Just get a really tall dude to catch every pass, he’d be unstoppable.” Much like some casual hockey fans might think, “Why not get a really wide sumo wrestler to be a goalie? No one would score on him!” Well, sports are often a little bit more complicated than that.
Football is one of the most physically diverse sports in the world. The college and pro ranks have seen 5’6” speed demons and 400-pound behemoths share the same field. However, when a player 6’7” or taller hops onto a football field, most coaches would point them in the direction of a local basketball court.
The tallest players on a football field are usually offensive linemen, with bodies crafted to take punishment to protect their quarterbacks. Skill positions, like quarterback, wide receiver, and running back, are not usually suited for extreme heights.
That’s what makes Mike Broxton Jr. so unique.
At 6-foot-10, the Gibbs High School (St. Petersburg, FL) standout is hoping to be an outlier. He would be one of the tallest athletes to ever play college football, and there’s currently no NFL player as tall as the Florida native, especially not at wide receiver.
The tallest pass catcher in league history was the late Morris Stroud, a 6’10” tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Back in those days, tight ends spent more time as blockers than playmakers. The tallest wide receiver in NFL history is 6’8” Harold Carmichael, a Philadelphia Eagles legend from the ‘70s and early ‘80s.
While several former basketball players have found success in the NFL, like Hall of Famers Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez, they were much shorter than Broxton Jr. and built more like tanks.
But Broxton Jr. isn’t letting the odds stop him. He’s determined to be a star on both the grass and the hardwood.
The Gibbs High School senior is ranked as the 17th-best 2026 power forward in Florida by Prep Hoops, and recently won MVP at a Tampa Bay Celebrity Basketball Event. Though he only averaged 4.6 points per game his junior year, he’s determined to be a multi-hyphenated star at the next level.
In June, Broxton Jr. posted on X, “My recruitment is still 1000% open! Just want a school, program and coach that is ready to believe in me and take their program to the next level and also want to pave a way for tall athletes and dual-sport athletes!!!!!”
It’s not just the internet that’s taken notice of Broxton Jr.’s height and talents. College coaches and scouts are showing interest, too. Broxton Jr. has football scholarship offers from multiple Division 1 programs, including Sacramento State, Jackson State, and Eastern Kentucky. He’s also received an offer to play basketball for Division 1 Toledo.
As the prep football season gets underway, Mike Broxton Jr. will likely go viral again. This time, though, it might not just be for his height, but for his commitment to a D1 program and taking another step towards history as one of the tallest football players ever.