Four-Star Friday: Five more players join elite ranks

Four-Star Friday is back with five underclassmen that are joining the elite ranks of four-star prospects. With about two months left in the 2023 high school season, the national analyst team identified a few previously unrated prospects that deserve a four-star rating.

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"A three-phase player on Friday nights with excellent flashes in each, Bell does a bit of everything for Miami Goleman High School. On offense he's a vertical receiver with speed and ball skills, making several contested catches at the high point. The latter translates to the secondary, of course, as he patrols with great range as a center-fielder type of safety. But the most visible trait on offense, defense or special teams is the Florida State commitment's physicality. He plays the alley well, wins with leverage at the contact point and brings some pop.

"The hesitation Rivals previously had with Bell was because of a lack of a clear position projection, though FSU and most are leaning defense at this time. The offensive flashes make it interesting, but the physicality and ball skills will always be valuable, no matter how much his 6-foot, 180-pound frame fills out in the coming years. Safety makes the most sense as a long-term projection for Bell, but he has strong traits either way." - John Garcia Jr., national recruiting analyst

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"Carter isn't a prospect who will overwhelm defenses with his size, but his speed, quickness and explosiveness give him the edge against almost any defensive back who lines up across from him. He's a crisp route runner who shows high-end start-and-stop abilities, which help him shake off even the most physical defensive back. Carter can take the top off of defenses and does a good job giving quarterbacks easy throws down the field.

"It will be interesting to see how much bigger he gets. He's already a very difficult matchup but if he gets to 6-foot-2, Carter could find himself rising up the rankings. So far, Carter's recruitment has gone at a steady pace with early offers from Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Syracuse and Cincinnati." - Adam Friedman, national recruiting analyst

"Edwards is a big-time offensive playmaker out of East Texas that has been on recruiting radars for years despite his young age. He ran for over 500 yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman for one of the better programs in the state en route to a state title last year.

"A two-sport athlete, Edwards also shines in track, where he has competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter and long jump, where he has put his athletic profile on full display with a documented 10.78. College programs have taken notice as he’s a young coveted recruit in the region that plays all over the field.

"Edwards most recently took in the Red River Rivalry, as Texas looks to be an early factor in his recruitment. He’s part of what looks to be an awfully impressive crop of skill players in the Lone Star State for the 2026 cycle." - Cole Patterson, national recruiting analyst

"The Bolingbrook (Ill.) 2026 quarterback dropped a 50-yard dime of a completion on the very first play of his freshman season, and he hasn't looked back since. The confidence Williams' head coach had in him from game one of his varsity career proved to be warranted as he went on to have one of the best freshman seasons in Illinois history while throwing for 2,737 yards and 37 touchdowns. Williams picked up right where he left off in his sophomore season and has shown signs of greatness – highlighted by a 402-yard, five-touchdown performance against the No. 2 team in Illinois.

"The newly minted four-star already has offers from Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, Arkansas and a host of others. Look for his recruitment to have more of a national feel as additional schools get an opportunity to see him throw in person this upcoming offseason." - Clint Cosgrove, national recruiting analyst

"Williams is a towering 6-foot-7 offensive tackle recruit with a wide wingspan and plenty of room to add to his frame. The Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County standout isn't just a measurables play for the program or the more than one dozen colleges already on the offer list, though, as he has shown legitimate power and movement skills on varsity as a junior. He works with good leverage despite his height and can drive block defenders to the ground while possessing good enough feet to stay in front of slimmer and twitchier pass rushers.

"As he continues to gain experience, working right tackle this fall - with the expectation to move over to left in the coming years - Williams will have the chance to force recruiters to a part of the Sunshine State with less foot traction than the metro areas. There has been steady growth as a prospect since Williams became an upperclassman, now focused on offense after an early run (and success) on the defensive line earlier in his prep career. Florida State and Miami lead the early race for the riser, but Williams could collect more tenders before all is said and done." - Garcia