Midwest Spotlight: Prospects on the rise
With every state in the Midwest but Illinois now playing high school football this fall, prospects across the region are seeing their stocks rise based on their play this season. New offers are going out to prospects that have impressed, while others could be on the verge of a recruiting breakthrough. Here is a look at seven whose stock is rising.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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We rated Carnie a two-star after his junior season, but moved him up to a 5.6 Rivals Rating after getting a chance to see him in summer camps where his size and athleticism really stood out. Carnie has now carried that over to his senior campaign, where he has looked fantastic through the first half of the season. Carnie stepped away from a Miami (Ohio) commitment last month, and has since added offers from Iowa, Kansas State and Pitt. He plans to announce a commitment on Oct. 12.
When I first met Goodwin, he was 6-foot-7, over 300 pounds and still in middle school! However, Goodwin kept growing and at one point got up to 426 pounds. Goodwin has since lost over 100 pounds, completely reshaping his body and the results have been evident this season. The weight loss has certainly improved his foot speed, but Goodwin has not sacrificed any strength and is literally tossing defensive linemen around this season. New offers have come in waves these last two months after coaches were able to see Goodwin’s transition.
When the first rankings for the 2022 class were issued this past summer, we gave strong consideration to starting Gracial as a four-star based on sophomore film. We erred on the side of caution, though, and he debuted as a high three-star until we could see his development this season. Gracial is making a strong case for a bump with his play this fall, showing his explosiveness by playing strongside end for St. Charles. His offer list has grown as well, with Arizona State, Minnesota and Nebraska joining in the last month.
King made a move higher in the Rivals250 after coming out of the spring quarantine looking bigger and faster. Just three games into his senior season, King is making a strong case to move up even higher. I attended his season opener against rival Detroit Martin Luther King. Cass Tech was an underdog in that game, but came out with the victory thanks in large part to King who had three big receiving touchdowns and also had several big hits on defense. What really stands out about the Penn State commit this season is his speed. Few players in the region play faster.
The post-senior season 2021 rankings update is expected to see greater change than most years due to there being very little offseason. Michalski is an example of a prospect who made a major transformation between junior and senior seasons. The Louisville-area lineman finished his junior season weighing less than 220 pounds, but entered senior season over 280 pounds. The effects of that gain have all been positive, and generated a lot of new college interest. New offers came in from Florida State, Ohio State and Penn State as a result, and Michalski switched his commitment from Louisville to Ohio State last week.
Nwankpa debuted in the initial Rivals250 for the 2022 class that came out this summer, but he’s already pushing to move higher halfway through his junior season. The four-star safety has been an absolute terror to the opposition this season, leveling devastating hits on ball carriers and also giving his team a spark on offense and in the return game. Those efforts have brought new offers in from LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas and others since the start of September.
When the King High football team steps off the bus, Wyche-El is not going to be the guy who initially grabs your attention. The three-star is small among FBS receiver prospects, but by game’s end you will certainly know his name. Wyche-El is a playmaker and his coaches at King High do a great job finding ways to get him the football. In Week 1 when I saw them play, Wyche-El had nine receptions for 195 yards and three touchdowns. His only offers now are from Kentucky and Syracuse, but that list will grow.