It has been a busy start to the 2018 season and Rivals.com has been to games all over the Mid-Atlantic to check in on prospects. As a result, some prospects could see their rankings rise after the season. Here are five players that have impressed so far.
Maguire has taken his game to the next level. The fast inside linebacker should excel in Clemson's system because he has no problem playing sideline-to-sideline and is a very sure tackler. Maguire has also added a lot of muscle mass, but hasn’t lost a step. That added strength should help him see the field earlier at the next level.
One of the more controversial rankings in the Mid-Atlantic, Payoute's is obviously due for a bump up, but the question is about how high he should go. The Virginia Tech commit is a physical specimen with great track times. As a football player, Payoute has good hands, is a decent route runner and is a great downfield threat.
This season he is playing mostly quarterback for his team, but his position at Virginia Tech is a bit up in the air. He could be a very good receiver for the Hokies, but he has a higher ceiling as a defensive back. Payoute is very similar to Wake Forest four-star wide receiver commit Donavon Greene.
Admittedly, we have tried very hard to not to go crazy with Alfano's ranking. He is a very good player that should have a lot of success on the field at Alabama because of his very fast first step and great strength. Alfano has that "alpha" mentality that should help him fit in with the other Alabama players. We've held ourselves back on Alfano's ranking because we wanted to see more consistency from him throughout the year. So far, so good on that front, but we'll be monitoring him all the way up to Signing Day.
Carter is essentially the same player that we thought he was, but he has gotten taller, which should make him a more versatile player at Virginia Tech. Listed as an athlete, Carter has wide receiver skills but plans on playing safety for the Hokies. A player with that size and his ball skills in Bud Foster's defense at Virginia Tech could be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
White has improved exponentially over the last two years and he still has plenty of growth ahead of him. The Texas A&M commit flies around the field and has the frame to cause a lot of problems in coverage. White still needs to add more strength and mass before he can be counted on as a consistent contributor in the SEC, but he does have the speed and frame to turn into a playmaker in College Station.
