The class of 2022 player rankings were recently released and it got us interested in comparing these stars of tomorrow to college and NFL standouts of today. We are breaking them down 10 at a time this week, and today we review Nos. 31-40.
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2022 COMPARISONS: Nos. 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. 40 Keon Sabb
Overview: Penn State, Michigan, Florida and Ole Miss are some early contenders for Sabb, who has kept his recruitment open. Sabb has a lot of good qualities since he has length, a frame that can definitely add some weight which should make him even more physical and he’s also a basketball player so athletic ability is not questioned.
Even if he could add some weight, Sabb is still not hesitant to go in there and try to knock people around and try to pop the ball out as he has a physical style on the back end.
Comparison: JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC
Farrell’s take: JuJu is high praise for a comparison, but I like Sabb a lot as a kid who could play offense or defense in college. He’s more likely to play defense, unlike JuJu, but he has those ball skills and great size he can utilize there.
No. 39 Zion Branch
Overview: USC was Branch’s dream school growing up so the Trojans are positioned well, but Oklahoma is right there and then Ohio State, Texas and others are involved as well.
The thing that stands out most about Branch is that he’s comfortable in coverage, he moves like a cornerback, he’s fluid and then he attacks the ball and gets after it.
Comparison: Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt
Farrell’s take: Williams was known as a fluid defensive back and Branch does everything with effortless motion and is more advanced at the same stage.
No. 38 Jaishawn Barham
Overview: It’s really early in Barham’s recruitment but Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina and many others are in the mix.
Whichever program gets Barham is landing a stud linebacker who can play inside or outside, who attacks the quarterback or running back, who can wade through blockers to get into the backfield and who has a second gear to track down plays going to the outside.
Comparison: Yannick Ngakoue, Maryland
Farrell’s take: Ngakoue was a big elite linebacker out of high school who could have played middle or grown into a pas rusher. He did the latter and became a specialist in college and at the NFL level. Barham has similar traits early in his career.
No. 37 Bryce Anderson
Overview: Anderson, an LSU commit since September 2019, has elite speed on the back end, he covers a ton of ground quickly, he can go man-to-man on the outside and he’s also shown excellent hands and being a playmaker on the back end. A two-way standout who uses his speed at quarterback, Anderson is expected to play safety at LSU and he has star potential.
Comparison: Elijah Molden, Washington
Farrell’s take: Anderson isn’t the biggest defensive back but he’s sticky with very elite closing speed and could play corner or safety at the next level. Playing quarterback helps his instincts on defense.
No. 36 Josh Conerly
Overview: LSU, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and others remain as early standouts for Conerly, who recently looked impressive at the Giant Skillz lineman camp and is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this class. Conerly has physical traits as well and he can play nasty but his footwork and his length stand out the most at the offensive tackle spot.
Comparison: Nick Petit-Frere, Ohio State
Farrell’s take: Conerly is a tall, athletic offensive tackle who has a great frame to fill out but is still a bit raw. Petit-Frere earned his fifth star late as he became more polished and is ready to step out this season for the Buckeyes.
No. 35 Caden Curry
Overview: Ohio State is considered a frontrunner for Curry, but the Clemson offer could make things really interesting and watch out if LSU gets more involved.
Curry can play defensive end or defensive tackle and have the same effect, which is getting in the backfield, blowing up plays, routinely beating offensive linemen and using a mix of speed and power to completely dominate across the defensive line. Curry has the potential to climb even higher in the rankings.
Comparison: Nick Bosa, Ohio State
Farrell’s take: This is very high praise, but Curry has this kind of ceiling and can dominate outside or inside at the next level. He’s likely going to follow Bosa at Ohio State and could be the next great one.
No. 34 Sam McCall
Overview: Florida could be considered the frontrunner by a large margin but Alabama and others are involved.
What stands out most about McCall is his ranginess and his athleticism. He’s fast and long so he covers a lot of ground quickly. He can cover, play in space and for someone who can still pack on the pounds once he gets to college, McCall is not afraid to be physical either.
Comparison: Jaiden Woodbey, Florida State
Farrell’s take: McCall is a bit thicker than Woodbey at the same stage but both were big athletes who could stay at safety or grow into a linebacker and had excellent length.
No. 33 Myles Rowser
Overview: A former Michigan commit who backed off that pledge and tinkered with the idea of playing at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy before heading to Belleville, Mich., the Wolverines have to still be considered in play for his commitment.
Rowser is excellent in coverage, good in nickel and although he’s not the biggest safety in the world he loves to come up and hit.
Comparison: Lavert Hill, Michigan
Farrell’s take: Rowser is a smooth cover guy who could play cornerback or safety at the next level and has a sneaky long frame like Hill did.
No. 32 Ty Simpson
Overview: Tennessee could be the team to beat for Simpson but the Clemson offer is interesting and then Alabama, Florida, LSU and Auburn are some others involved.
Simpson has a little gunslinger mentality, he doesn’t have to be on-platform to make great throws, he does an excellent job of escaping pressure and then squaring up to hit receivers down the field and he definitely trusts his arm to make the big throw.
Comparison: Shea Patterson, Michigan
Farrell’s take: Shea Patterson gets a bad rap when it comes to his college career because he was so highly ranked, but he had a lot of success at Michigan. Simpson moves around and extends the play in a similar manner.
No. 31 Shemar Stewart
Overview: Miami and Florida seem to be battling it out for Stewart but LSU, Alabama, Georgia and others will be involved.
Stewart is a dominant defensive end with elite size and length. He plays physically, can get his opponent off the edge or with an inside move, can track running backs on stretch plays and he has a frame that could support more weight. Stewart is another prospect who has five-star potential down the line if he continues to develop.
Comparison: Donnell Harris, Texas A&M
Farrell’s take: This is a very recent comparison, but it’s a good one as Harris needed to fill out and get stronger. Harris jumped a class ahead while Stewart still has a ton of time to fill out. Both are elite pass rushers.
