The class of 2012 in Missouri is shaping up to be very strong at the wide receiver position, highlighted by Brandon Shepard (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central). Shepard, a 6-foot-3, 195-pounder with 4.47 speed in the 40-yard dash, already holds an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes."He will pass the eyeball test with the college coaches when they come passing through next spring," Parkway coach Mark Goldenberg said. "Brandon also has all the tools to play wide receiver at the highest level, there's no doubt about that."Brandon needs to take care of business in the classroom. That's a big effort we are making right now and everything is looking good today. Brandon knows what's at stake here. We want to make sure that he's able to look at all the opportunities that will come his way."We brought Brandon up as a freshman. Physically, he could play with anyone in the school. We watched him play in our youth program and knew that he'd be a special football player. As a sophomore, he played receiver and defensive back. This year, we lined Brandon up at linebacker and receiver. He's a difference maker in every sense of the word."Shepard, whose relatives include former NFL running back Terrell Davis and cross-town phenom Kortland Webb (St. Louis, Mo./Ladue Horton Watkins), is ready to take his game to the next level."My freshman year was a feeling out year for me," Shepard said. "The hitting part came natural but it was the speed of the game and learning the playbook that was the most difficult part. I knew I could compete physically. "My sophomore year is when I matured and I became a threat on the team. I was named first team wide receiver as a sophomore and again this year. I'm always trying to get better. I'm never satisfied and that's what I feel separates myself from everybody else."Shepard says his first scholarship offer was a bit of a surprise."I really didn't know much about Iowa when I went to camp there last year." he said. "After camp, Iowa offered me a scholarship and I came home and did a little research on the school and the program."I wanted to check out the academics. I wanted to see what the depth chart looked like at my position and if they had success at putting players in the league (NFL). Iowa definitely passed the test and they are one of my favorites."But the Hawkeyes are not the only ones showing interest."Things with LSU have picked up recently and I really like them," he said. "I'm getting hand-written mail from schools. Mostly from Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, the schools I like the most right now are those three schools and also UCLA, Texas, Oregon, Alabama and Florida."