Five five-stars sit atop class of 2018 rankings

The first class of 2018 Rivals100 presented by Under Armour has been released with five five-star prospects out of the gate and many others who will make that push upwards throughout the recruiting cycle. Led by two quarterbacks, USC commitment Matt Corral and Georgia product Trevor Lawrence, here’s a look at some of the top players in the alpha release.

“This is our first list, so we decided, as usual, to start off a bit slower than some of the industry for quality control purposes and put out an alpha list rather than a numerical Rivals100,” said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. “I still think it’s very early to get deep into a ranking cycle with high school sophomores, but these are all players we have seen extensively either in person, on video or both. We will release our full numerical Rivals250 on this class in July after the camp season is over and our Underclassmen Challenge has been completed and we have a much better idea of how these prospects compare to each other.”

While Farrell, who has been in this industry approaching 20 years, isn’t a big fan of earlier and earlier rankings, he does see the need and value.

“College coaches dictate the pace of the process,” said Farrell. “If they feel comfortable offering prospects so early, then we adjust to that timeframe. There are currently more than 500 sophomores with scholarship offers. I would say about five or six years ago that number would have been under 100, so the offer process has accelerated greatly and so have industry rankings. I feel very good about this list because we have done our homework and seen many of them in person and all of them on video. But keep in mind, there are many prospects that aren’t on this list that will end up being Rivals100 players before all is said and done, some of them five-stars.”

RELATED: First release of Rivals100 for Class of 2018

“Corral plays beyond his years when it comes to seeing the field and throwing an accurate, catchable football and he plays with advanced maturity when it comes to decision-making. He makes things look effortless on video. He can sling it downfield so accurately and with such zip with a flick of his wrist.” –- Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell

“Corral is so far advanced in terms of accuracy and arm strength than many other quarterbacks his age as he can sit in the pocket and deliver the ball all over the field. The USC commit makes all the tough throws, is excellent throwing on the run and can even get out of the pocket and gain yards with his feet when necessary. The ball pops off his hand so quickly. Corral is so smooth in everything he does and he's a tremendous leader on the field.” –- Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney

“Hall is a big, long-striding receiver who’s an amazing target for quarterbacks and gains separation with sneaky speed. He can cover so much ground with so few strides that he often gets defensive backs playing catchup right off the snap. He wants the ball like every great receiver should and he will fight for it. He’s a nightmare for smaller corners. A national recruit, Hall has no clear frontrunners at this point, but where 2017 recruits and LA Hawkins teammates Greg Johnson and Joseph Lewis end up could be a big influence in Hall's thinking.” -- Farrell

“Hall already looks like a college receiver with excellent size and a long frame. The 6-foot-4 receiver has excellent, reliable hands, he's a fast route runner who also has great timing to set up cornerbacks and any 50/50 ball will be his because he can go up and over smaller defenders. Hall dominates when he wants and with his mix of athleticism, speed and size, he's a matchup nightmare for defensive backs.” –- Gorney

“Johnson can play cornerback or safety, but I think his best position at the college level is going to be as a ball-hawking free safety who can also cover the slot and be more than willing to punish anyone who comes across the middle. He has elite speed, he reads the play well and he loves to hit.” -- Farrell

“Johnson, who burst on the scene as a freshman, has had a college-ready body for more than a year. His frame is just the start, however. Johnson has long since been one of the most physical defensive backs in the high school ranks. Couple that with his straight line speed and quickness and you have a truly special prospect with incredible upside. Johnson recently visited UCLA and has listed the Bruins among his leaders for some time, but pulling the touted prospect out of the Southeast will be difficult.” –- Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Rob Cassidy

“Lawrence has a cannon of an arm, he’s very good at shifting around in the pocket to buy himself and his receivers time and he shows excellent mechanics. He leads his receivers very well, throws everything on a rope and has a tight, compact delivery with a quick release. He does a lot of things that belies his age including his ability to hit on timing patterns and make advanced sideline throws.” -- Farrell

“It's always tough to rank a quarterback this high, this early in the process, but when it comes to Lawrence and his potential ceiling, it was an easy decision. He already has the ideal size to play at the next level and beyond and his arm strength is elite as well. What makes Lawrence even more impressive is his performance on the field, which includes some of the best statistics in the state of Georgia. Tennessee, Clemson and Georgia are the early favorites to land Lawrence.” –- Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wommack

“White is one of the best young running back prospects I’ve seen in a long time because of his combination of size, speed and quick feet. His jump-cut and ability to change direction without losing speed is uncanny for a big, young back and once he gets a step on you, he’s gone. He runs with good pad level as well, unlike many of the current upright runners we see nowadays. That allows him to win battles after contact.” -- Farrell

“White seems like the total package. He can run with power up the middle to grind out tough yards, but he can also beat defenders to the edge and out run anybody giving chase. White is also a good receiver out of the backfield and has the toughness and intelligence to be able to stay in and block. Clemson, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and many others are high on White's list.” -– Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman

“A year ago, Allen was a thin, rangy cornerback. Since then he's grown into a super athletic safety, who can cover like a corner but has the size to come up and make plays against the run. He also had elite athleticism, which only helps him and his versatility. Notre Dame, Georgia and Alabama are the early favorites to land Allen.” –- Wommack

“Blades has the pedigree and the frame to be an elite corner. He's well on his way to fulfilling that prophecy, as he seems to improve from month to month. He continues to hone his craft as a corner, but he's been blessed with rare length and quickness. A Miami legacy, Blades was committed to Miami at one point and is expected to recommit to the Hurricanes down the road.” -- Cassidy

“Foster has an easy time defending passes with his length and patience in coverage. He is also a top running back, but has the build and physical tools to be elite at the safety position. Texas A&M is a school he’s visited quite a bit early on.” –- Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger

“Parsons is a bit of a wild card, but there is no doubting his potential. The Penn State commit has the size to play defensive end and the athleticism to play in space like a linebacker. Look for Parsons to continue to work on becoming a more consistent player.” -- Friedman

“L'Christian Smith, who most commonly goes by 'Blue,' broke onto the scene in a nationally televised game early last season, but he was well-known to recruiting observers even earlier. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound prospect has tight end size with wide receiver level speed and athleticism. Smith is also a standout basketball player and will not decide which sport he will pursue until his senior year, which is also when he will make his college selection. He already holds offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.” -– Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt

“Woodbey is a major contributor all over the field, but he's especially talented at safety where he can come up and make a huge hit or read the play to pick off a pass. He has excellent hands and he's super athletic, so he can challenge receivers for the ball or knock it down as well as anybody in the class. Woodbey is also fantastic returning interceptions, great in the return game and utilized on offense. Wherever he ends up, Woodbey will see the field early because he's so valuable everywhere. USC could be an early leader for Woodbey, but he remains open to all programs and is looking for more national offers.” –- Gorney