Five West prospects who have impressed on film

In the absence of in-person evaluations, the Rivals analyst team has been going back through video from the 2019 high school football season. Today, National/West analyst Adam Gorney looks at five prospects who have impressed on film that he has not yet seen in person.

RELATED: Five Midwest prospects who have impressed on film | Southeast prospects

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

Brown is a dynamic athlete on both sides of the ball. As all-purpose back, the three-star is bouncy, can beat anybody to the edge and then outrun them to the end zone. He’s also patient with the ball in his hands, waiting for his blockers to open up holes and then Brown sneaks through to gain big yards.

On defense, Brown is an excellent cornerback with terrific instincts. He’s not afraid to be aggressive and attack the ball when it’s in the air to get an interception. He can also turn and run with any receiver because of his outstanding speed. The Elk Grove (California) Monterey Trail standout said half of his top six like him at running back and the others prefer him at cornerback. Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Oregon, Notre Dame and USC round out his favorites.

Gordon has the length and athleticism of special defensive backs and he’s versatile as well, which allows him to play cornerback on an island, defend the slot receiver or play safety, where he can roam around and make plays. The three-star also loves to lower his shoulder and play with a physical edge that adds to his overall game.

Arizona State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Oregon and USC are five of the schools showing the most interest, but many others are also involved and Gordon still seems in the early stages of his recruitment. As he’s seen more on the circuit and shows that ranginess against some elite receivers, there’s a strong chance his ranking could see a boost as well.

Fano does an excellent job of playing with his hand down and rushing off the edge or standing up, playing in space, getting after the running back or dropping in coverage and keeping his eyes active to see what’s going on around him. The former BYU commit is long and lean, but he is surprisingly good at getting off blocks and making plays all over the field.

As for his recruitment, Michigan intrigued him after it offered, and Oklahoma could be a school to watch, along with Virginia and many others. But the in-state programs, along with some Pac-12 teams, could also be in the mix as he works through things in the coming months.

McCarron finished with 89.5 tackles and 21 sacks in his junior season while mainly lining up as an edge rusher, beating offensive tackles and then attacking the quarterback. His highlight tape is more than 10 minutes of him beating offensive linemen in a variety of ways, showing his speed, tracking down plays to the sideline, getting in space and knocking down passes and being a problem on almost every down.

The four-star who now has 16 offers - but only a handful or so from Power Five programs - also flips to play receiver, where he shows great hands, athleticism, concentration and playmaking ability. His recruiting continues to stay busy with Power Five offers from Cal, Northwestern, Utah, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Washington State.

He’s 6-foot-7. He played his junior season around 260 pounds. And he’s like a poor man’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. That is lofty praise, but Rawlins-Kibonge is a long, rangy, athletic defensive end who has all the physical tools to be incredibly special. Maybe he won’t be as highly ranked or as highly publicized as Thibodeaux, but he could be a huge contributor on any defense in the country. With that size and athleticism - he’s also a skilled basketball player - Rawlins-Kibonge is going to be heavily recruited over the next year.

Cal, Colorado, Oklahoma, Washington, Washington State, USC and many others are giving chase, but it feels like the recruiting process is just getting started for Rawlins-Kibonge since he’s been focused on basketball the last few months.