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Posted on 6/14/18 at 9:56 am to TideSaint
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:32 am to TideSaint
2019 Position Rankings Update: Running back
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Rivals.com continues to roll out its updating rankings with a closer look at the pecking order at each position. Here we take a look at a deep group of running backs led by five-star Trey Sanders of Florida’s IMG Academy. Below are notes on the position rankings and a link to the full list of the nation’s top running backs.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:32 am to TideSaint
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PLAYER TO WATCH: TREY SANDERS
The top-ranked running back in the country, Sanders was once committed to Alabama but parted ways with the Crimson Tide months ago. These days, the five-star prospect boats a recruitment that includes Miami, LSU, Alabama, Texas and others. He recently visited Texas but has no plans to commit in the near future. Sanders is the type of player that could take his recruitment down to the wire and create Signing Day drama capable of dominating the headlines down the stretch.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:34 am to TideSaint
New Rivals250 rankings: By the numbers
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The newest version of the Rivals250 was released earlier today and a rankings update always sparks debate. Here are some facts and figures that emerged that make this one of the more unique classes in recent years.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:34 am to TideSaint
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6: The number of prospects from Arizona in the Rivals250
The usual suspects dominated the top 15 states with the most players in the Rivals250, but one that sticks out is Arizona. The state usually has a couple major prospects, but six is a lot for the Grand Canyon State. In fact, the state of Arizona hasn't had six players in the Rivals250 since the 2011 class, when it had eight. Quarterback Spencer Rattler and athlete Jake Smith are inside the Rivals100, while Brayden Liebrock, Ty Robinson, Noa Pola-Gates and Matthew Pola-Mao made the Rivals250. Pola-Mao, at No. 152, is the lowest ranked of the group, but solidly inside the Rivals250.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:41 am to TideSaint
New Rivals250 released: Analysts debate risers, sliders, more
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The latest version of the 2019 Rivals250 has been released with plenty of changes, prospects soaring and sliding, and debates to be ignited. #RivalsRankingsWeek continues today with another new release, along with insight behind the decisions made and debates that were had among the Rivals.com team of recruiting analysts.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:42 am to TideSaint
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1. Whose big jump surprises you the most?
Rob Cassidy (Southeast/Florida): Nakobe Dean coming up 28 spots kind of shocked me because of how sawed off he is. Dean is a playmaker, sure, but he lacks ideal length. Seeing him overtake a traditional-looking linebacker such as Owen Pappoe in the Rivals100 was unexpected.
Mike Farrell (National): Adisa Isaac is a good player, but jumping into the Rivals250 at No. 203 might be a bit too high for him because of his small frame. He’s a bit of a tweener and not as explosive as I expected. Sitting at 203 isn’t that high, but I felt he would be a four-star kid outside the Rivals250.
Adam Friedman (Mid-Atlantic): The move up by Alabama quarterback commit Taulia Tagovailoa caught me a little off guard. Not having seen him in person and only really seeing his film, Tagovailoa looked to have more work to do. Clearly, the work that he has put in this offseason did him a lot of good.
Adam Gorney (National/West Coast): Hesperia, Calif., is located in the high desert of Southern California and not exactly a breeding ground for high-end talent, but Jason Rodriguez could be special. The four-star offensive lineman moved all the way up to No. 106 overall in the class after an impressive offseason. When he shakes your hand he almost rips it right off of your arm. He’s so strong, really put together well, could play tackle or even guard long-term, and he’s a kid who could blast up the rankings even higher.
Josh Helmholdt (Midwest): Branson Bragg won offensive line MVP at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Dallas, but I thought we had him rated about right as a fringe Rivals250 guy.
Nick Krueger (Texas): I love Elijah Higgins as a wide receiver, but I hadn’t planned to advocate him making such a jump from being an unranked prospect to a nearly top 125 player. Opinion about what his potential is as a receiver varies a bit, but there is no denying how well he uses his physical tools to his advantage. I have seen him make so many highlight-quality catches with defenders seemingly draped all over him and it hasn’t stopped him yet. He’s shown well in every type of event he’s competed in this spring and is another player we have high expectations for heading into his appearance at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas.
Chad Simmons (Southeast): I would have to say the move quarterback Ryan Hilinski made. He is not in my area, so I do not know a lot about him and I have not seen him live, but anyone going from unranked to the No. 55 prospect in the country is going to surprise me. So, not only did he jump into the Rivals250, but the Rivals100. He made a strong impression on our team of analysts that saw him this spring.
Woody Wommack (Southeast): I was surprised to see Te'Cory Couch go from outside the Rivals250 all the way up to No. 178. I like Couch's game and think he's pretty talented, but I worry a little bit about his size and how he will translate to the next level. There's no doubt he's a four-star talent, but top 200 is a little high for me.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:44 am to TideSaint
Ask Farrell: Who do you most regret not ranking higher in the past?
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The latest Rivals.com rankings update continued on Wednesday with the reveal of the updated Rivals250. Obviously, it’s quite an honor to be included in the Rivals100 considering that by the end of cycle there are more than 2,000 players with star rankings. The same can be said for the Rivals250, which is loaded with future college and NFL stars. In fact, there are plenty of years where players who finished just on the fringe of the Rivals100 ended up making us look silly in retrospect for not having them higher.
The ultimate gatekeeper when it comes to the Rivals rankings is National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell, so who better to ask about which players in the current Rivals250 have a chance to break into the Rivals100 and which former fringe top 100 players still stick in his craw.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:45 am to TideSaint
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“Which former fringe Rivals100 player do regret not pushing higher in the rankings? And which player or players do you see making their way into the Rivals100 by the time the ranking cycle is complete?”
The obvious answer is Saquon Barkley because there has to be something I missed. He was a talented kid no doubt, could catch the ball, break it outside and was elusive but he was a more upright back then than he was at Penn State and more of a target. And he certainly was not the physical freak we saw in his last couple of years.
As for this year, watch out for Sheridan Jones, who is headed to Clemson and is ranked No. 119. He could be the next great Clemson cornerback if he fills out his frame and develops under coaching. I should pick an offensive player because they will get more attention, but something tells me Jones could be a star.
Former borderline Rivals100 players who went on to become stars:
2017: Sam Ehlinger (No. 115)
2016: Khalil Tate (No. 103)
2015: Saquon Barkley (No. 117)
2014: Isaiah Wynn (No. 102)
2013: Hunter Henry (No. 102)
2012: Sterling Shepard (No. 131)
2011: Devonta Freeman (No. 108)
2010: Arie Kouandjio (No. 117)
2009: Eddie Lacy (No. 116)
2008: Courtney Upshaw (No. 131)
2007: Golden Tate (No. 101)
2006: Sam Shields (No. 117)
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:46 am to TideSaint
Take Two: Are the Sooners primed to add five-star CB Daxton Hill?
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Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:47 am to TideSaint
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THE STORYLINE
Daxton Hill has moved up to become the top-rated safety in this recruiting class and a five-star prospect.
The Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington standout is phenomenally athletic and special in many ways and he has the impressive offer list to back it up.
Whether it’s Hill breaking on a pass, making a big tackle, intercepting a pass and running it back showing off outlandish speed or even showing his special abilities at receiver, the new five-star definitely has earned his ranking.
But who’s going to earn his commitment? Alabama and Ohio State along with Oklahoma State seem like players, but is Hill’s recruitment setting up big for Oklahoma to land another five-star in this class?
The Sooners already have one of the best recruiting classes nationally. Can they land a local five-star prospect and keep other big names like Alabama and Ohio State from getting the state’s best player?
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:47 am to TideSaint
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FIRST TAKE: JOSH MCCUISTION, SOONERSCOOP.COM
"Through recent years the state of Oklahoma has had plenty of safeties that were recruited to an elite level, Steven Parker, Josh Proctor, Will Sunderland, and the list goes on, but unlike each that seemed to have a glaring question, there just isn’t a hole to be found in Hill’s game.
"Size and length he has had since he was a freshman and was offered by Oklahoma following a spring practice. Speed and agility he has shown off the last two years at Nike camps; notably this spring posting the fastest 40 time at the Dallas event, edging out national No. 1 overall player Derek Stingley Jr. in a head-to-head race.
"Hill could be a proficient recruit as a wide receiver, and a fairly high-level one as just a cornerback, but when you take in all of those traits and put them into a safety whose frame hasn’t even begun to truly fill out, you’ve got an absurd athlete.
"But then you turn on the tape and see Hill making 90-yard defensive touchdowns in the state semifinals or game-changing interceptions for an eventual Oklahoma state champion team and you just find a player that, again, has no question the he hasn’t answered.
"I think his top six are all viable options though the more I talk to people the more it seems that Oklahoma, Alabama, and Ohio State have caught his attention in particular. Hill plays things very close to the vest, so none of the six being his eventual choice should come as any huge surprise but at this moment, I might lean ever so slightly toward Alabama as it’s a place that has impressed him as of late."
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:48 am to TideSaint
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SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
"He’s a freak athlete. He doesn’t play corner as much, so he’s not playing the sexy position like Derek Stingley but he’s a guy who could play corner at the next level with his ability or be that Jalen Ramsey-type who starts at safety and moves to corner and works at nickel.
"He has so much speed and so much talent, a super-explosive kid. He has make-up speed, closes on the football really well, plays against the run and runs things down as well. His catch-up speed is elite and if he does make a mistake, he has the quickness to make up for it. You just don’t find too many explosive defensive backs with that combination.
“I think he stays home at Oklahoma, although Ohio State and Alabama are options. The Sooners are too hot on the recruiting trail to lose such an important in-state target."
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:49 am to TideSaint
Rivals Rankings Week: Who will make each analyst look wise?
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As Rivals.com unveils its new rankings for the 2019 class, we are lifting the curtain a bit on the rankings discussions. Today, we asked the Rivals team to discuss players they felt most strongly about as the final Rivals250 was compiled.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:50 am to TideSaint
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QUESTION OF THE DAY: Who did you personally go to bat for during rankings meetings that will make you look wise down the road?
Rob Cassidy (Florida): "I really like South Carolina quarterback commit Ryan Hilinski. I lobbied to raise his ranking and also to invite him to the Rivasl100 Five-Star Challenge on the spot after the LA camp. I was overruled on the latter, but he eventually got his invite. When it comes to his ranking, I feel his slot now more accurately reflects his impressive skill set."
Mike Farrell (National): "Offensive lineman Saleem Worley was in line for a bump after a great spring, but I think I might have pushed him up to No. 103 a bit higher than some expected. I think he’s one of the better guard prospects in the country and has great feet so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him continue to climb the charts and have a great college career and be an NFL guy down the line.”
Adam Friedman (Mid-Atlantic): "The most movement in the Mid-Atlantic came at defensive back. Duke commit Tony Davis and Shyheim Battle moved into the Rivals250 and Nick Cross moved into the Rivals100. Cross is an elite prospect that has a chance to move even higher in the rankings as the process continues. Battle is a well-known prospect that has been on the rise throughout the last six months. He's become move aggressive and athletic prospect. I took a chance on ranking Davis so highly. He is just as tall as Battle and his frame is more filled out. Davis is a more physical prospect that seems to fly to the ball better."
Adam Gorney (National/West Coast): "When I saw Brayden Liebrock this offseason I was impressed by his athleticism, his fluidity, his route running and his excellent hands and I knew having him as a high three-star was definitely the wrong ranking. So when we met to redo the 2019 class I was adamant that he had to be one of the top tight ends in the country and he made a huge move up to right outside the top 100. I still think that might be too low, the Texas commit could be the best tight end in this class, and if he puts up nice numbers in his senior season then Liebrock could be going even higher. He reminds me of former Penn State tight end Mike Gesicki so much."
Josh Helmholdt (Midwest): "I kicked off the Daxton Hill-to-five-star discussion that ultimately passed out of committee and was ratified. We did not have a lot of new information to evaluate - some spring practice film and he had put up ridiculous testing numbers this spring - but that was enough to confirm that even at No. 44 in the Rivals100 we did not have him ranked high enough. The kid has "can't-miss" written all over him, and I am confident in the move to five-stars we made on him."
Nick Krueger (Texas): "I was one of the voices firmly in the camp of making Derek Stingley the top player in the country after seeing him several times this spring. I just don't see where the downside is with him, both in his style of play and in his physical growth. It's pretty clear that he can have his way with whomever he's lined up against on defense - and on offense, if he wants to - and has reached a level of confidence where he just knows he's always got the upper hand. When you add in the fact that he is one of the younger players in his class, all the qualities that factor into his potential make him a pretty sound choice to be the top dog."
Chad Simmons (Southeast): "Running back John Emery is one I went to bat for this time around. After seeing him live last month, I was sold. Early in his high school career, he was more of a speed back, but now, there is no question, he is a complete back. He has great size, he has a blend of power and finesse and he is a back that can stay on the field all three downs and make plays. I love his running style, how he is driven to be the best and it is easy to see why Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State and so many others want him."
Woody Wommack (Southeast): "I went to bat for Derek Stingley to take over the No. 1 spot. He's as close to a can't-miss prospect as you will find and with the spring he had combined with his film and measurables it was an easy argument to make."
Posted on 6/14/18 at 10:51 am to TideSaint
New Five-Star: Akeem Dent w/video
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Mike Farrell breaks down defensive back Akeem Dent and what makes him a five-star prospect in the new Rivals100.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 11:10 am to TideSaint
Alabama is Expected to Pull In Some Impressive Defensive Backs
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Nick Saban and his coaching staff were able to work some of their magic on 4-Star Safety, DeMarcco Hellams, during his official visit. As a result, they got their 3rd defensive back commit in their 2019 recruiting class.
Alabama knew they had to make a splash in the secondary during last year’s recruiting cycle and boy did they ever. What some considered a down year for the Tide, in terms of recruiting, was no fault to the talent defensive back class they landed. The class was lead by 5-Star Patrick Surtain and was rounded out with 4-Star Josh Jobe, 4-Star Jalyn Armour-Davis, 4-Star Saivion Smith and 3-Star Eddie Smith. This impressive feat gave the Tide some talented young guys and added depth to a secondary that lost all if its starters the previous season.
The Crimson Tide are once again on the hunt for defensive backs and this class could very well match the Tide’s 2018 freshmen group. Alabama currently has verbal commitments from three defensive backs: 4-Star Christian Williams, 4-Star Brandon Turnage and 4-Star Demarcco Hellams.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 11:10 am to TideSaint
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Christian Williams has great speed and knows how to judge the ball in the air. The 4-Star Alabama product is one of those guys that can compete for those 50/50 balls and come down with the pigskin.
Posted on 6/14/18 at 11:11 am to TideSaint
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Brandon Turnage is one of the more athletic guys in this class and could honestly play on the offensive side of the ball as well. He is very explosive and uses his offensive knowledge to aid him on defense. It is easy to tell this guy knows how to detect plays early and stop them in their tracks.
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