Ask Farrell: Which 2021 WRs could reach five-star status?
MORE ASK FARRELL: How weak is the 2021 linebacker class?
Wide receiver is a loaded position in the initial 2021 rankings, but what it lacks so far is a five-star even though six players are one notch below achieving that status.
Steilacoom, Wash., standout Emeka Egbuka leads the receiver rankings, followed by Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington’s Jacorey Brooks, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco’s Beaux Collins, Atherton (Calif.) Menlo Atherton’s Troy Franklin, Pickerington (Ohio) Central’s Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Seffner (Fla.) Armwood’s Agiye Hall.
All six prospects are rated as 6.0 four-stars and all have a chance to be really special players. In the first Rivals100 for the 2021 class, there are only seven five-stars with many more to come over the next two years.
Rivals has not been shy when handing out five-star rankings to receivers, especially in recent recruiting cycles. In the 2020 group, there are currently four five-star receivers. In 2019, there were five. The year before that there were seven five-stars.
Every year in Rivals history dating back to 2002 there has been at least one five-star receiver in the class.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell which receivers in the 2021 class he’s most impressed by on film and which ones in the initial rankings does he think has the best chance at staking a future claim for five-star status?
“I like Egbuka and Hall, especially at the wide-out position and think both could be five-stars before long. They each have good hands, adjust to the ball well and make quarterbacks look much better by making tough catches. I don’t think this is a great year at wide receiver, so we might not see as many as we are used to, but it’s still very early. Watch for these two guys especially, and for some serious recruiting battles around them.”