The Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge would have been this week but has obviously been canceled due to COVID-19. The Rivals Camp Series was halted prior to reaching the halfway point but 33 top prospects were still selected for the prestigious event. We break down the selections by position as well as some other players we were looking forward to seeing and continue today with the wide receivers and tight ends.
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RIVALS100 FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE SPOTLIGHT: QB | RBs
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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EARNED AN INVITE
RCS Los Angeles: “Ware-Hudson is a physical, big-bodied receiver but he also has nice speed to go deep and separate from some defensive backs. There might not be a receiver in the West this cycle who has emerged more over the last year than Ware-Hudson and the Oregon commit backed it up even more at the Rivals Camp in Los Angeles.” — Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
Farrell’s take: Ware-Hudson is going to be a weapon at Oregon with his big frame and catch radius, especially in the red zone. He would have been tough to stop in the 7-on-7 portion of the Five-Star Challenge.
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RCS Houston: “Jackson is one of the best deep threats in the country and at RCS Houston, the Oklahoma commitment showed improved hands and fantastic vertical ability. He is developing as a route-runner and has excellent size and should be a difference-maker in Norman before long.” — Sam Spiegelman, Rivals.com South Central Recruiting Analyst
Farrell’s take: I like Cody Jackson more than most because he’s so smooth and fluid and does so many things effortlessly. He high-points the ball as well as most.
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RCS Miami: “A Clemson commit, Stellato arrived at the Miami camp riding a wave of momentum from a breakout junior season that saw him devastating a few blue-chip defensive backs. At the camp, the four-star wideout proved to be faster than we thought and showed off sure hands. His athleticism is his defining trait and he’s starting to believe in his abilities, showing off increased confidence.” — Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Farrell’s take: Stellato is a pain in the butt and I say that in the most complimentary way. He’s one of those shifty receivers who gets under your skin and frustrates the heck out of you because he catches everything and is tough to check.
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RCS Miami: “Brown’s massive frame is the first thing that jumps off the page when he steps on the field, so it surprises nobody that his catch radius is incredibly large. The Ole Miss commit has some decent speed for his size, though, which gives him a chance to be special. At the Miami camp, Brown used his power to steamroll small corners and a solid change of pace to get separation from larger ones.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Brown is a big, physical receiver in the mold of recent successful wideouts at Ole Miss. He can beat you with size and power or as a long strider down the field.
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RCS Miami: “The youngest player invited to this year's event, Inniss is a phenom to say the least. Despite being a 2023 prospect, he’s often the most dominant player on the field. He continues to add size and retain his trademark acceleration. The young wideout has five-star tools and will be one of the top players in his class when it comes time for rankings.” -- Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Inniss is a freak as such a young receiver with top end speed and he’s so sudden in and out of his breaks and at the top of his routes, it’s scary to think of how good he can be down the line.
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RCS Miami: “Brinson is best described as well-rounded. The Miami commit does a host of things relatively well and doesn’t really have holes in his game. He lacks truly elite track-type speed, but he has plenty of quickness to stretch the field. His long arms allow him to play even bigger than his already-long frame. At the Miami camp, he showed a knack for high-pointing the ball and out-jumping defenders in the end zone.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Brinson is a deep threat with sneaky speed and a player who is very good at adjusting to the ball downfield. His hand-eye coordination stand out in a big way.
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RCS Miami: “One of the surprises of this year’s camp series, Skinner was close to dominant at the Miami event and showed a nice burst to go along with decent size. He isn’t the fastest wideout in the country but he doesn’t get enough credit for how explosive he can be. He also doesn’t lack confidence. At the camp, Skinner let everyone around him hear about each rep he won, which were many.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Skinner is just starting to hit his stride as a receiver and is getting faster and more sudden. He wants to be great and show up defensive backs and his swagger is infectious.
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RCS Miami: “What Brown lacks in size he makes up for in explosiveness. Few prospects get off the line faster than Brown, who has played both slot wideout and running back during his short high school career. Schools such as Penn State, Georgia, Texas A&M and Miami are involved in his recruitment.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: He may be small but he’s very quick and that makes him hard to handle. He’s not a huge target but he gets such separation it doesn’t matter.
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RCS Orlando: “Williams, an Oklahoma commit, reminds us of former Texas A&M star Christian Kirk because of his build and explosiveness. Williams’ vertical is surprising and he changes direction as fast as any wideout in the country. He also possesses an incredible vertical. He was clearly the most complete player at this year’s Orlando camp, where he made of a couple of highlight-worthy grabs over defenders.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Williams is a dynamic receiver who runs very good routes, can jump and sets up defenders with ease. He’s always one step ahead of the competition.
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RCS Orlando: “Rucker is a rare blend of physicality and speed, but his hands are his calling cards. He rarely drops passes and sometimes catches balls that seem uncatchable. The Florida commit knows how to use his long arms to his advantage and easily out-jumps most defensive backs. At the Orlando camp, he wowed onlookers with his crisp routes and body control.” — Cassidy
Farrell’s take: Rucker is a quarterback’s best friend because he adjusts so well to every kind of ball. He can go low, high or contort his body to make incredible catches in traffic or along the sideline.
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RCS New Orleans: “Pazon is a speedster and put forth a dominant effort at RCS New Orleans back in March. He is becoming a lethal route-runner, he has excellent hands and is able to get serious separation as he navigates downfield.” — Spiegelman
Farrell’s take: Pazon is a thin receiver with great speed and cutting ability who can take the top off a defense and will be tougher as he fills out.
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OTHERS THAT COULD HAVE EARNED AN INVTE
WIDE RECEIVERS
Agiye Hall — “An Alabama commit, Hall had a relatively impressive day at the Orlando event and was on the shortlist to receive an invitation to the Five-Star Challenge at the conclusion of the regional camps. He runs crisp routes and has incredible body control.” — Cassidy
Quay Davis — “Davis was in contention as the WR MVP of RCS Dallas last spring as he started generating buzz as one of the best pass-catchers in the 2021 class. The USC commitment is freakishly athletic and difficult to contain.” — Spiegelman
Lorenzo Styles Jr. — “Styles plays beyond his years and would have had no problem rising to the Challenge in New Orleans. What I would have been interested to see is if Styles would have jumped over and tried his hand at cornerback during the event. The Notre Dame commit’s upside may be higher on that side of the ball.” — Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Marvin Harrison Jr. — “Harrison plays differently than his NFL Hall of Fame father but he still is able to have a ton of success. A big target on the outside, this Ohio State commit does a great job separating from defensive backs, catching the ball with his hands, and has the speed to take it the distance.” — Adam Friedman, Rivals.com East Coast Recruiting Analyst
Dont’e Thornton Jr. — “Thornton is one of the best deep threats in this recruiting class. He has excellent straight line speed and is quicker than many defensive backs anticipate. Thornton was primed for an outstanding performance at the regional camp this year.” — Friedman
Deion Colzie — “Colzie is a great athlete with size, length, ball skills and ability to make big plays on the outside. His competition is not great, so it would be the chance for us to evaluate him against top-end corners at the Five-Star Challenge.” — Chad Simmons, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Luther Burden (2022) — “Burden checks a lot of boxes for the wide receiver position, and reminds me of past Midwest five-stars Laquon Treadwell and Jordan Johnson. I have seen him go against Division I defensive backs in the past and they had trouble containing Burden.” — Helmholdt
Kevin Coleman (2022) — “Coleman is simply one of the most dynamic playmakers in the entire country, regardless of class. In a setting like the Five-Star Challenge the 2022 four-star could have played receiver or cornerback and held his own against the nation’s best.” — Helmholdt
Evan Stewart -- “One of the flat-out fastest players in the state of Texas regardless of class, Stewart has surfaced as one of the most dangerous receivers in the country for 2022. Stewart can take the top off of defenses, challenge for 50-50 balls and is dangerous in space. We were anxious to see what kind of fireworks would ensue against elite cornerbacks.” — Spiegelman
Phaizon Wilson -- “A big-framed, physical wide receiver bracing for a productive junior campaign, Wilson has impressed in small spurts thus far in his high school career at Lancaster. He's a massive target with great vertical ability and is tough enough to make contested grabs in the middle of the field. We were just hopeful to see more of the promising 2022 wideout this offseason.” — Spiegelman
Armani Winfield -- “One of the most productive wide receivers in Texas regardless of class, Winfield is as versatile as they come. He can stretch the field vertically, make plays in space or can be a go-to possession receiver. We were excited to see Winfield show off his vast array of skills in a camp setting against elite defensive backs.” — Spiegelman
Talyn Shettron — “One of the top playmakers in the Sooner State, Shettron can take the top off opposing defenses, dominate jump-ball situations and is elusive with the ball in his hands in the open field. We were anxious to get another look at Shettron showing off his route-running and see what kind of speed he brought to the table in-person.” — Spiegelman
TIGHT ENDS
Hudson Wolfe — “A recent Tennessee commit, Wolfe is one of the more sudden and explosive tight ends in the class. We were looking forward to seeing if he added size and maintained his athleticism. There are few tight ends in the country with higher upside.” — Cassidy
Jake Briningstool — “A Clemson commit, Briningstool’s 6-foot-6 fame is what jumps off the page, but the long tight end shows he’s more than just a big body on film. We were looking forward to seeing how the Tennessee-based tight end held up against elite-level competition, which would have made him an intriguing player at the Five-Star Challenge.” — Cassidy
Thomas Fidone — “Fidone is a quarterback’s best friend, someone who consistently gets open and also has a huge catch radius that can help cover-up poorly thrown balls. He was a prospect everyone wanted to see this off-season, especially after his performance at the All-American Junior Combine in January.” — Helmholdt
Louis Hansen — “It's a very good tight end class nationally and Hansen is one of the best. The Michigan commit does a great job catching the ball downfield, and certainly isn't afraid to mix it up when called upon to block in the running game. At the regional camp, he would have been able to show off how much of a mismatch he is against linebackers.” — Friedman
