Whether there is a football season next fall and what that looks like continues to be debated and discussed at high school athletic associations across the country. If a season does take place, it will be the first time seeing the majority of the top college prospects since the end of last season. Here are five big questions we are looking to get answered in the Midwest this fall.
1. Is there another Midwest 5-star in 2021?
The class of 2021 is not a particularly deep year at the top of the talent spectrum in the Midwest, and it is not surprising that just one of the 17 prospects currently rated five-stars comes from the region. If 2021 follows the trend of previous classes, the ranks of five-stars will swell before the final rankings are issued next January. Will any more Midwest prospects be among those earning a fifth start as seniors?
Going down the Rivals250, the strongest contender is Notre Dame offensive tackle commit Blake Fisher, who currently ranks No. 22 in the 2021 class. Belleville, Mich., defensive tackle Damon Payne and St. Louis cornerback Jakailin Johnson are also knocking on that door and within striking distance. A strong senior year that answers a remaining question or two or shows better than expected progression in key areas could earn a bump and give Ohio State defensive end commit Jack Sawyer some Midwest company in five-star territory.
2. Who should be No. 1 in Illinois?
The discussion about the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois’ 2021 class has been short and succinct thus far. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has held a strong grip on that top spot since the first rankings of the class, and not seen much of a challenge. McCarthy, however, recently announced he was transferring to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year, which creates a void at the top of the Illinois state rankings.
According to the current order, Northwestern linebacker commit Mac Uihlein will ascend to the top spot in the Illinois state rankings. Uihlein, however, has Iowa four-star offensive tackle commit David Davidkov and Edwardsville four-star running back Justin Johnson right on his heels. Others, like East St. Louis receivers Dominic Lovett and Keontez Lewis as well as Notre Dame offensive line commit Pat Coogan, could put their names in that conversation with big senior season.
3. Which sleepers will emerge?
The elimination of the Spring Evaluation Period as well as spring and summer camps means prospects hoping to raise their stocks this off-season never got their chance. Each spring sees new rising juniors emerge as Power Five caliber prospects, but that has been severely muted this off-season.
The issue is mirrored for college coaches, who were forced to make scholarship decisions with less than ideal information. When the season comes, there will be prospects who were offered during this recruiting dead period and even those from whom commitments were accepted that do not play up to expectations. Schools will have spots open up and coaches will be looking for new prospects to fill those spots. Under-the-radar seniors who start out senior season strong will finally get their chance. A few names to watch in the Midwest are Belleville, Mich., quarterback Christian Dhue-Reid and Kansas City receiver Theo Grabill.
4. Who is the top 2021 OL in Michigan?
The state of Michigan has six offensive linemen in its top 11 overall players for 2021, and each is rated four-stars. The order has seen some shuffling over the last year, and currently has Michigan tackle commit Giovanni El-Hadi as the highest-ranked lineman in-state. He is closely followed by Clarkston offensive guard Rocco Spindler, and then Oak Park’s Rayshaun Benny further down in the Rivals100. Another Michigan commit, center Raheem Anderson, as well as Clarskston tackle Garrett Dellinger have spots in the Rivals250. Finally, Northwestern tackle commit Caleb Tiernan is a four-star who sits just outside the 250.
Spindler held the top spot among state of Michigan offensive linemen until this past February’s update when El-Hadi edged ahead of him. The biggest competition to those two may not be Benny, however, who prefers the defensive side of the football and is starting to see increased recruiting attention as a defensive lineman. Anderson, Dellinger and Tiernan all have upside mobility and could be in the conversation with big senior seasons. It is a uniquely talented group for the state and a storyline worth watching this fall.
5. Who's the next class of 2022 5-stars?
While the question with the 2021 class is whether there are any more five-stars from the Midwest, I am much more comfortable phrasing the question for 2022 with the expectation that more will rise to that level. St. Louis wide receiver Luther Burden started out as a five-star, but Ohio linebacker Gabe Powers, Kansas City defender Dasan McCullough and St. Louis athlete Kevin Coleman all were considered for that early honor and will have a shot to move up following junior season review.
Additionally, there could be prospects who are not currently rated who insert their names in that five-star discussion this season. These prospects are only halfway through their high school careers and did not get a spring or summer to put their names on college radars. I expect many more 2022 prospects than normal to emerge during junior season after coming into the season as unknowns.
