New 2019 State Rankings: Midwest Region

The full rankings for the 2019 class have been updated following a long spring of camps, combines, spring football and 7-on-7. This includes state rankings throughout the Midwest region, which are producing some interesting storylines going into the summer, such as ...

1. MICHIGAN HAS MORE RIVALS250 PROSPECTS THAN OHIO

Do you know when the last time this happened? Never.

We have highlighted the diminishing Ohio talent pool in these pages before, and this is another example. From both a depth and top-end talent standpoint, 2019 is not a banner year for the state of Ohio, which is becoming a trend as overall FBS signings from the state have dropped more than 25 percent in the last decade.

Consider the state of Michigan has averaged about six four-stars per class since the Rivals Rankings started in 2002, while Ohio has averaged nearly 15 per class. Ohio still has more four-stars in 2019 going into the summer with 11 compared with Michigan’s nine. But, all nine of Michigan’s four-stars are ranked in the Rivals250, while just six of Ohio’s fall into that range. The state of Michigan also has more prospects ranked in the Rivals100 with four, while the state of Ohio has just two.

2. ANOTHER MIDWEST FIVE-STAR

The Midwest region added its second five-star when Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington safety Daxton Hill got the nod following the spring evaluation period. Columbus, Ohio, defensive end Zach Harrison had previously earned five-star status following his junior season. You have to go all the way back to the class of 2006 to find the last state of Oklahoma prospect to end as a five-star, and that was former Sooners defensive tackle and six-time NFL Pro Bowler Gerald McCoy.

A couple more Midwest prospects are knocking on the door of five-star status and could join Harrison and Hill before the class rankings are finalized. The offensive tackle position features several of those candidates, including Wisconsin commit Logan Brown and Notre Dame commit Quinn Carroll.

3. NEW NO. 1s IN KANSAS AND NEBRASKA

One of the biggest movers in this update of the Rivals100 was Kansas City-area quarterback Graham Mertz, and the Wisconsin commit’s 162-spot bump also allowed him to overtake Wichita defensive end Marcus Hicks, whose rating remained unchanged in this update, for the No. 1 spot in the state of Kansas.

The state of Nebraska also has a new No. 1 in outside linebacker Nick Henrich, who moves up to a 5.7 Rivals Rating from a 5.5 Rivals Rating after the analyst team was able to evaluate his junior film. Henrich unseated defensive end Garrett Nelson, whose rating remained unchanged following the spring period.

4. COLEMAN RETURNS TO MISSOURI

After playing out his junior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., four-star wide receiver Cam Coleman has returned to St. Louis to play his senior season at Cardinal Ritter High School with fellow four-star wide receiver Jameson Williams. Ranked as the No. 138 overall player in the 2019 class puts Coleman third in the state of Missouri’s updated state rankings and gives the state three four-star wide receivers, or four if you count Illinois athlete commit Isaiah Williams, who many expect to play a slot role in college. Coleman is also projected as a slot, and holds offers from Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

5. FIRST RANKING IN WISCONSIN

With new evaluations and ratings this spring of Iowa defensive end commit Jake Karchinski and Wisconsin defensive tackle commit Keeanu Benton, the state of Wisconsin has its first ranking for the 2019 class. Wisconsin commits hold down three of the five slots in the state ranking, including overall No. 1 Leo Chenal of Grantsburg. Three-star athlete Da’Shaun Brown is the only one of the five prospects in the first 2019 for the state of Wisconsin that is currently undecided.

This is the third straight class that Wisconsin has not had a homegrown four-star in the ranking – Kayden Lyles transferred into the state for his senior year from Arizona – but that trend should end in 2020 because offensive tackle Trey Wedig of Kettle Moraine debuted in the Rivals100 for that class back in the spring.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK COVERAGE

Rival Views: Who is the top QB? | Who is the top RB?

Tuesday: New Rivals100 released | Five new five-stars | Farrell's Mind of Mike| Rival Views | Which prospect has the most important summer ahead?

Friday: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings | Ask Farrell: Team rankings predictions

Saturday: Team rankings breakdown