The class of 2021 player rankings were recently released and it got us thinking about who some of these high school stars remind us of. We break them down 10 at a time this week.
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Comparing 2021 prospects to past stars: Nos. 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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No. 20: Corey Collier
Overview: In early August, Collier committed to Florida over Miami and Alabama. It was a big month for the Gators since they also landed four-star DB Jason Marshall as well out of South Florida. Collier is a long, physical defensive back who can play all over the place but is probably best-suited to stay at safety. With his athletic ability and frame to pack on extra pounds, Collier has a high ceiling in this class - very high.
Comparison: Savion Smith, Alabama
Farrell’s take: Smith was a prospect who started off as a five-star corner and moved to a four-star safety because of coverage questions. He had a solid career and had a ton of talent. His situation reminds of the Collier debates we have today.
No. 19: Blake Fisher
Overview: A commitment to Notre Dame since June 2019, Fisher is all of 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds but he moves so well and is light on his feet for someone so big. Fisher is not only a good athlete, though, he also delivers power when needed. He’s a fantastic run and pass blocker and he could be in the argument as being the top-rated offensive tackle in the 2021 class.
Comparison: Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Farrell’s take: Fisher isn’t as big as Becton, but who is? But he’s a big, athletic kid who can move well. The newly minted five-star has impressive upside.
No. 18 James Williams
Overview: Miami beat out Georgia in a massive recruiting victory for the Hurricanes and he has superstar potential mainly because he has such unique physical characteristics. Williams is 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds but moves so well that he can cover in space, come down and make plays and possibly grow into an athletic linebacker in the coming years. Williams is not as physical as his frame would suggest, so that’s something to work on, but he has all the potential in the world to be a stud in Miami’s defense.
Comparison: Taylor Mays, USC
Farrell’s take: Mays was an elite safety out of high school and one of the most athletic I’ve seen. He had a great career at USC and Williams has the same potential.
No. 17: Ty Thompson
Overview: In March after a big visit to Oregon, Thompson committed to the Ducks over Iowa, Iowa State, Cal and LSU and Clemson was also showing some serious interest. Now the second-best dual-threat quarterback in the class, Thompson prefers to sit in the pocket and deliver passes all over the field but he can also get out and make his feet a weapon in the run game. Quiet and steady, Thompson has a big-time arm, he’s cool under pressure and has had arguably the best offseason of any quarterback in the class.
Comparison: Josh Allen, Wyoming
Farrell’s take: Allen was an unknown in high school so this comparison is from his college days. Thompson has the same big arm and mobility.
No. 16: Donovan Jackson
Overview: Ohio State beat out Texas, Georgia and others in early January as Jackson has family connections to the state and the Buckeyes were always a serious player in his recruitment. Listed as a five-star offensive guard, Jackson can play inside, has the toughness to mix it up in the trenches, or he has the athletic ability at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds to move outside and have an impact at offensive tackle as well.
Comparison: David DeCastro, Stanford
Farrell’s take: DeCastro was a center out of high school who had an exceptional career and was a great downfield blocker. That’s exactly what we see in Jackson.
No. 15: Tristan Leigh
Overview: Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma are still competing to land the commitment of Leigh, who had a fantastic showing at the All-American Combine in San Antonio over the holidays and has continued to prove he’s one of the best - and most athletic - offensive tackles in the class. Leigh is athletic but he also plays with a tough mentality where he wants to grind down defensive ends. At 290 pounds or so, Leigh still has some significant room to add good weight and to get even more powerful at the next level.
Comparison: Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Farrell’s take: This has nothing to do with first names it has more to do with the athleticism of each player which is a rarity at their size. Leigh has the same chance to develop and be a first-rounder.
No. 14: Tunmise Adeleye
Overview: Adeleye backed off his Ohio State pledge in early August and now Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Florida and Alabama are trying to stay involved in his recruitment. The process took another interesting turn when Adeleye returned to Texas to attend Katy (Texas) Tompkins before ever playing a down at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy. At 255 pounds, Adeleye can overpower offensive linemen but he also has the agility to get to the outside and keep them honest. However, Adeleye is not expected to play high school football this season, so the next time we see him in action could be in college.
Comparison: JR “Ego” Ferguson, LSU
Farrell’s take: You may or may not remember Ego Ferguson but I do and he was similar to Adeleye. They both have size and ability and excellent inside moves. Ferguson ended up as a second-rounder and Adeleye has an even higher ceiling.
No. 13: Sam Huard
Overview: Huard has been committed to Washington since November 2018 but other programs are still pursuing him. The lefty quarterback is deadly accurate, almost never throws a bad ball, throws it only where his receivers can get it and Huard is also a fantastic decision-maker. The five-star is not a fiery guy but he’s super competitive, stays even-keeled and does an excellent job running the offense in any setting.
Comparison: Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Farrell’s take: Huard is a smooth lefty with great accuracy and control of the field. I can’t think of a better comparison than Tagovaioloa.
No. 12: Mario Williams
Overview: In May, Oklahoma scored a massive recruiting victory over Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama even though he hadn’t visited the Norman campus. Still, the Sooners will take it because Williams is an electric receiver who is a highlight-reel waiting to happen. He’s undersized but that almost adds to the excitement he brings to the football field because Williams is impossible to corral in space, he has thickness so he won’t get pushed around and in Oklahoma’s offense, watch out.
Comparison: Stefon Diggs, Maryland
Farrell’s take: Everyone knows how much I liked Diggs out of high school, so this is a heady comparison but the competitive nature and route running are similar.
No. 11: Emeka Egbuka
Overview: Ohio State could still hold a lead in Egbuka’s recruitment but Oklahoma and Washington along with Clemson are still sticking around in his recruitment and the five-star receiver might not rush a decision. Egbuka is a fantastic route runner who can create space against any cornerback in this class, he wins 50/50 balls because of his athleticism and he can turn on another gear to stretch the field when needed. There haven’t been many times where we’ve seen Egbuka and he hasn’t just completely dominated on the field.
Comparison: Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
Farrell’s take: Speaking of route running, Jeudy is a master and Egbuka is excellent as well. They can each dominate whenever they want.
