Coach’s Take: Miami 4-star WR commit’s biggest improvement coming off the field

Miami 4-star receiver commit Waden Charles did plenty this spring to improve his game between working on cutting in and out of his breaks, adding 10 pounds of muscle to boost his weight from 180 pounds to 190 and improving his run-after-catch ability, but Palm Beach Central receivers coach Jeff Celestin saw the 6-foot-1.5 wideout’s biggest growth off the field.

Charles, the No. 322 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking and a top-50 wideout in the 2025 cycle, has continued to make small adjustments to the nuances of his game as he prepares for his senior season this fall, but Celestin said the four-star prospect’s change in attitude and work ethic have positively affected how he approaches the game. Celestin said he started noticing the change in Charles’ approach when he began approaching Celestin individually for work away from practice.

“The biggest progression I saw was when he called me and said, ‘Coach, where are you?'” Celestin said. “I told him I was at home. He said he’d be there in 20 minutes, and we started working out on the side. It was on a Sunday, early morning, and that’s when I knew (this fall) is going to be a different season for him. He’s more locked in . He’s more focused. He wants to learn a lot more now.”

On the field, Celestin said he and Charles have worked on helping him control his body in the air, overall awareness and surviving hits from defenders. Celestin recalled one day at practice where Charles caught the ball on the left side of his body, spun mid-air and landed on his shoulder to protect his body. But other schools have noticed his progression, too.

Celestin said he’s shown coaches from Miami, UCF and Tennessee (UCF and Tennessee are the main programs trying to sway Charles from Miami) practice tape when they’ve stopped by Palm Beach Central. He said coaches have noticed Charles has been more aggressive as a blocker, is making defensive backs fall on routes and forcing defenders into uncomfortable positions.

Miami receivers coach Kevin Beard , who has been Charles’ primary recruiter since he was hired last February, has told Celestin he believes Charles’ biggest challenge at the college level will be mental, not physical, and has stayed in regular contact with Celestin to talk about Charles’ progress. But he’s expressed his excitement to Celestin about getting Charles on campus next spring.

“(Beard says) it’s all mental, all mental,” Celestin said. “It feels like (Charles) is getting everything he needs right now to get to the next level. Me and coach Beard, we have a good relationship. We communicate on everything Waden needs to do to get better, and we just rep in it practice. And then when Beard sees it, he sees the progression. So everything he has questions about, we improve it.”

CaneSport’s Take

Beard’s relationship with Charles and his receivers coach could play an important role in where Charles ultimately signs in December. UCF and Tennessee are both making strong pushes and will both receive official visits this summer.

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