Ask Farrell: How will William Anderson and Gervon Dexter fare in SEC?
The all-star events are always an incredibly important evaluation tool for the final rankings release because players are in pads against some of the other top recruits nationally.
At the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando and the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, it’s an opportunity for prospects to set themselves apart, make a statement that they’re underranked or even get exposed on the national level against elite recruits.
The two players who made the biggest jumps into five-star status after those two events were Alabama signee William Anderson and Florida signee Gervon Dexter.
Anderson, from Hampton (Ga.) Dutchtown, was outstanding at the All-American Bowl and really made a statement during one-on-ones during the joint practice between two squads where he was unstoppable.
Not only was the Alabama signee fast off the edge but he showed shocking power to stun offensive tackles backward to win reps. In today’s game, where edge rushers who can also play in space are so crucial, Anderson fits the bill perfectly.
MORE ASK FARRELL: How does Bryan Bresee compare?
Dexter has been a point of debate throughout the recruiting cycle as some people have felt strongly for a long time that he was a five-star prospect while others still wanted to see how he did against national competition.
During the week of practice, the Florida signee was unstoppable most of the time, showing an excellent mix of speed and power, getting into the backfield and causing havoc. His length is impressive and his dominant play at the Under Armour game moved him into five-star territory.
In the final rankings, Anderson jumped 137 spots to No. 22 nationally. Dexter went up 45 positions to No. 23 overall. Anderson is now the top-rated weak-side defensive end nationally and Dexter sits third at defensive tackle behind fellow five-stars Bryan Bresee and Justin Rogers.
FARRELL'S TAKE
After watching Dexter all week in person and knowing Anderson well, we ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to draw comparisons for both players and to predict how their college careers will take shape in Tuscaloosa and Gainesville.
“I’ll compare Anderson first because it’s an easy one to me. I think he’s Tim Williams and will have similar if not more success at Alabama. He’s that skinny edge rusher who can also play standing up and has such great closing speed and hustle that he’s hard to contain. I like Anderson at little better at the same stage of development because he plays stronger and sets the edge better and he’s going to be a monster at Alabama.
"As for Dexter he reminds me of another Florida player who continued to rise in the rankings until the end and that’s Dominique Easley. Like Easley, Dexter could play defensive end or defensive tackle and has great athleticism for a big man. He handles himself well against the run and can pursue and run down plays in the backfield. Easley had a very good career at Florida and ended up as a first-round pick before injuries derailed his career, which included just six NFL starts. Dexter could have an Easley-type career at Florida.