Midwest Spotlight: Five big rankings questions
The high school football season is more than halfway over and some answers to the big rankings questions are coming into focus. This week the Rivals national analyst team will be taking a close look at some of the biggest rankings questions in their parts of the country. Today we take a look at the Midwest.
THIS SERIES: East region rankings questions | Mid-South | Southeast
*****
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
1. How high should Minnesota commit Darius Taylor move up?
Darius Taylor has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He showed signs of being special last year, but has taken his play to a whole new dimension during his senior season. Through seven games Taylor has accumulated 1,748 rushing yards, 154 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns including a single game where he rushed for 438 yards and six touchdowns.
Taylor is listed as an athlete by Rivals because of his ability to play multiple positions on either side of the ball, but he is so dynamic with the ball in his hands that it is hard to picture him as something other than an all-purpose back and special teams threat in college. There is little question that Taylor will be a four-star when the 2023 rankings are finalized, but the big question is how high does he deserve to be in the Rivals250?
*****
2. Is there another Midwest five-star in the 2023 class?
The Midwest currently has two 2023 five-star representatives in No. 2 overall prospect Dante Moore and No. 14 overall prospect Kadyn Proctor. As of today, there are only 20 prospects in the 2023 class who hold Rivals' most coveted rating, and with the class likely finishing with 32 five-star players in total, there is plenty of room for additions moving forward.
Notre Dame commit Brenan Vernon is in good position to earn the honor, as he sits as the No. 25 prospect overall putting him inside the 32-player threshold. Should he not drop upon a future rankings release, Vernon will most likely make the cut.
But, are there any others? My answer to that question is yes. Cayden Green, Drayk Bowen, Luke Montgomery, Jeremiyah Love and Adepoju Adebawore are all currently in the top 52 which puts them just in striking distance of earning that fifth star. Two other candidates who will need to make up some ground, but should also have a shot at a fifth star are the No. 57 and No. 96 prospects in Malachi Coleman and Chandavian Bradley who both have incredible upside with NFL potential.
*****
3. How should the OT rankings finish?
Eight of the current top 25 offensive tackles reside in the Midwest and there are still a number of questions as to what order they should be in. Outside of No. 1 overall offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor there is plenty to debate. Both Cayden Green and Luke Montgomery should remain in the top five, and with each of them having different playing styles, it is hard to determine which of the two should be ranked the highest as we aren't exactly comparing apples to apples with them.
Following the current top three is where things get interesting. No. 7 overall offensive tackle Logan Reichert is massive and has a chance to be a bully at the college level, but he may also be better suited for the interior early on in his career. No. 8 offensive tackle Charles Jagusah may have the highest ceiling out of them all, but at the same time he still has some developing to do. Myles McVay comes in at No. 11 and while he will need to continue his physical development when he arrives at Alabama, I'm not quite sure that he isn't better than some of the guys rated in front of him. No. 21 offensive tackle Chris Terek will likely play guard at Wisconsin, and should we switch his position prior to the final rankings, he could potentially make an upward move as an interior offensive lineman. Iowa commit Trevor Lauck comes in at No. 25 and has a chance to be a special player at the next level. I would be shocked if he doesn't have a stellar career for the Hawkeyes which makes him a player that we must consider for an upward move heading forward.
There are no shortage of questions with the Midwest offensive tackles and we will likely see some movement before this rankings cycle is complete.
*****
4. Who are the next four-stars?
Senior film and in-person evaluations have provided plenty of food for thought when it comes to deciding who should get the bump from their current three-star status. Darius Taylor is likely a lock, but things get a little cloudier after that.
Prospects who immediately come to mind for a ratings jump are Notre Dame offensive line commit Joe Otting, Illinois linebacker commit Antwon Hayden and Nebraska receiver commit Jaidyn Doss. There are sure to be additional candidates as the season goes on, but for now there is still plenty to consider when it comes to additional four-stars from the region.
*****
5. Could defensive end Williams Nwaneri be the region's next 2024 five-star?
I have seen a number of incredibly talented underclassmen who will be in the five-star conversation as we take a deeper dive into the 2024 class. CJ Carr, Brandon Davis-Swain, Marquise Lightfoot, Cam Williams and Jeremiah McClellan are just a few of the names who immediately come to mind.
However, there is one 2024 recruit that I've seen in-person this season who almost appears to be a no-brainer for five-star consideration and that is Missouri's Williams Nwaneri. He plays a position of high value, is a physical specimen and is freaky athletic for a guy with his size. The most impressive thing about him is the fact that he is already as good as they come for his age while still growing into, and getting used to, his frame. When he is fully developed and everything clicks, Nwaneri is a player who will likely be a household name.