Five thoughts on the 2023 ATH class
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney continues his position-by-position glance of the 2023 recruiting scene with five thoughts on the athletes.
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THIS SERIES: Five thoughts on the 2023 QB class | RBs | WRs | TEs | OL | DEs | DTs | LBs | DBs
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
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A LOOK AT HARBOR’S FUTURE
Nyckoles Harbor still has a long way to go to reach his full potential on the football field, but he’s such a freak athlete that he’s ranked seventh in the 2023 class. The Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll standout is so fast off the edge, he can close so well and he’s a physical specimen who is virtually guaranteed to wow at the NFL Combine in a few years.
But will football be in his future? There is some chatter that Harbor, who is looking at Maryland, USC, Michigan, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State and others could pursue a professional future in track. After seeing YouTube videos of him that looks like something that could be a realistic option.
Based on potential and his athletic ability, Harbor could arguably be a top-five prospect in this class, but will a college program even get the opportunity to see what he can do in the sport, or will track be his future focus?
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NEBRASKA NEEDS TO KEEP COLEMAN
Malachi Coleman is the type of prospect who could be a game-changer for Nebraska. Coleman is a 6-foot-5, 196-pound four-star prospect who could shine as a big receiver or as an edge rusher, and the good news for the Huskers is that he lives down the road from campus.
The bad news is that the Lincoln (Neb.) East standout, who’s the No. 1 player in the state of Nebraska and the second-best athlete in the 2023 class, is also seriously considering USC, Oklahoma, Oregon, Georgia, Ole Miss and others.
Coleman is exactly the type of player who coach Scott Frost and staff need to close on. He could provide help from day one, but if Coleman leaves the state then that’s a major issue since he’s so talented and versatile.
The Huskers have not had issues over the years landing the top player in the state, and Coleman could be one of the best in recent memory.
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OHIO STATE LOADING UP
Ohio State has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, holding off Notre Dame right now. Things are going really well for the Buckeyes, and the athlete position is no different. An argument that could be made that both athlete commitments are actually underranked at this time.
Cedric Hawkins from Cocoa, Fla., has been committed since Jan. 1 and has looked good at some offseason events as a defensive back with South Florida Express. Four-star Jermaine Matthews is listed as an athlete but will play cornerback in Columbus, and he has emerged this offseason as a high-level player. Ranked Nos. 9 and 10 at athlete, both could move higher.
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SLEEPERS ARE EMERGING
Whit Weeks at No. 57 at the athlete position. Bryce Thornton at No. 42. Samuel Omosigho at No. 35. Aaron Gates at No. 23. Those are at least four athletes that I have my eye on as players who could potentially move up in the next round of rankings and are probably too low at this point.
Whether it’s reviewing film or seeing them at events or seeing others and making a comparison, there will be changes coming through their senior seasons, especially if we see those players and others at all-star events over the holidays.
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DEEP LIST OF ATHLETES
One of the key focuses, especially heading into the season, will be to place prospects from the athlete category into their projected positions. It has been an important step we’ve taken over the years to limit how many recruits stay in that athlete category, which should only be reserved for players who could legitimately impact a college team on both sides of the ball. Malachi Coleman would be a perfect example of that, as he is being recruited as a receiver by some schools and a defensive end by others.
It’s tough. Nyckoles Harbor is a defensive end but can play elsewhere. Clemson commit Noble Johnson has played receiver this offseason at numerous events but could be a linebacker over the long term as well. Down the list we go and many will be moved, but for others a tough call will have to be made.