Mind of Mike: The updated 2020 rankings and more thoughts
The Mind of Mike is a scary place and with a new Rivals100 release for the class of 2020 there are plenty of random thoughts. Here they are:
Rivals Rankings Week:
Monday: Updated Top 10 revealed | Debating the top OT
Tuesday: Updated 2020 Rivals100 | Six new five-stars
Wednesday: Updated 202 Rivals250
Thursday: Updated position rankings
• In many other years, running back Zachary Evans and even linebacker Justin Flowe could easily be No. 1 in the country but with D.J. Uigalelei in the 2020 class it’s an uphill battle for both. How often do 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterbacks come along with a huge arm, great pocket presence and excellent field vision? No, Uiagalelei isn’t Trevor Lawrence, he’s not quite on that level, but he’s impressive enough.
Evans could be the best running back prospect since Najee Harris and possibly as far back as Adrian Peterson, but he’s still stuck behind Uiagalelei and Flowe is one of the most physical and active linebackers I’ve ever seen. But based on positional importance and rarity at his position. Uiagalelei remains No. 1 and could go bell-to-bell for us as other quarterbacks have done. Elias Ricks is emerging as one of the best cornerbacks in recent years as well but it will be tough for anyone to surpass Uiagalelei.
• Paris Johnson Jr. leads the new five stars and I break down what I like about each here:
OT Paris Johnson Jr. – He has great size and a tremendous frame and he’s added power to his game to handle bull and power rushers. He’s clearly emerged as the No. 1 offensive tackle in this class and it’s a deep class at the position.
RB Kendall Milton – Milton has great size and runs with speed and power. He can bounce it outside, run between the tackles and run over opponents or past them. He’s also a pretty good pass receiver out of the backfield. He’s a complete back for sure.
WR Rakim Jarrett – He’s not the biggest receiver in the world but has adequate size and is sneaky strong and hard to check at the line of scrimmage. He’s an excellent route runner, very explosive in and out of his breaks and he’s a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
WR Julian Fleming – Fleming is a tall, rangy receiver with good speed and is an absolute nightmare in the red zone. He can run precise routes, has good hands and is good at going up and getting the football. Like Jarrett, he will be a star at the next level and the battle for the No. 1 receiver slot in this class will be a good one.
TE Darnell Washington – Massive tight ends with good speed and hands are hard to come by but when they do arrive, everyone wants them. Washington is a freaky athlete who can stretch the field and is a serious red zone threat as well.
RB MarShawn Lloyd – Lloyd has a low base and runs with natural leverage and he can easily break arm tackles. He’s very effective up the middle and between the tackles but also has the speed to break things outside and run away from opponents. He shows great balance and is hard to bring down.
• Tennessee linebacker Reggie Grimes has emerged as a five star candidate with his size and length as an outside linebacker candidate. He could easily grow into a defensive end if needed but is more likely to be a dominant hybrid guy at the next level. He jumped 46 spots to No. 28 in the nation and keeps getting better each time we see him.
• Although he slid a bit due to the addition of new five stars, keep an eye on Colorado offensive tackle Andrew Gentry for five star status down the line. Take a look at his film and watch how he just wants to punish the opponent in front of him every time.
• Wide receiver Leonard Manuel has great size but lost his fifth star because he’s just not as dominant as he should be at his position. Speed is a bit of a question as is his desire to be great. He could earn it back, but he needs to be much more consistent moving forward.
• South Carolina defensive end Jordan Burch is a kid who is rising on this list because of his size and quickness. He’s a legit 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds with a great first step and good pass rushing moves. He’ll have 30 offers by the end of the spring but it wouldn’t surprise me if he stayed in state at either Clemson or South Carolina.
• Kansas offensive tackle Turner Corcoran made a nice jump of 41 spots and continues to be a hot commodity in his region. He’s already become a bit of a national recruit with offers from Georgia, Clemson, Auburn, Michigan and others. He is now No. 46 in the country.
• California wide receiver Jermaine Burton is becoming a national recruit as well as Georgia has made him a priority. He jumped 58 spots from outside the Rivals100 to No. 58 overall. Florida, Auburn and others have offered from the east coast. Another California wide receiver, Jalen McMillan, jumped into the Rivals100 and is being targeted by Alabama, Oklahoma and others as well as the expected Pac-12 teams. The west region in the 2020 class is exceptional, perhaps the best I’ve seen in all of my years covering recruiting.
• The biggest jump into the Rivasl100 was by offensive tackle Omari Thomas who has nearly 30 offers. The 6-foot-5, 301-pounder is nasty and is nasty run blocker at the next level. Everyone is coming after him and he’s a must keep for Tennessee when it comes to in-state prospects.
• Alabama cornerback commitment Malachi Moore jumped over 100 spots to No. 97 in the Rivals100 and could continue rising. He has adequate size but his closing speed is off the charts.
• Aside from Uiagalelei, I’m not thrilled with this quarterback class overall as a lot of guys have issues whether it’s lack of size, arm strength or consistency. This was supposed to be a better quarterback class than 2019, but I’ll take 2019 any day of the week right now. A lot of these quarterbacks are already committed as well and need some work to rise in the rankings. Guys like Hudson Card and Luke Doty might have the best potential for growth as they haven’t played as much quarterback as some of the others.
• The wide receiver class in 2020 is nasty, but that’s not unexpected. I also like the offensive tackle class in 2020.