R250: Risers, sliders
Evaluations from numerous All-Star events in the past few weeks played a major role in the newest Rivals250 Presented by Under Armour, with changes up and down the list.
The Under Armour All-America Game, the Army All-American Bowl and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl were three key games that were covered by the Rivals.com team of analysts, but there were others as well that played important roles in the final rankings for the 2015 recruiting class.
Advertisement
On Monday, the Rivals100 was released with a new No. 1 -- again going to five-star defensive end Byron Cowart from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, who absolutely dominated at the Under Armour game. There were numerous changes among the top players in the country and throughout the Rivals100.
The same can be said for the Rivals250.
One of the biggest early movers is Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland four-star linebacker Josh Smith, who moved up 92 spots to No. 103. After a strong showing in the California state bowl championship and the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, Oregon pledge Malik Lovette out of Redlands (Calif.) East Valley advanced 76 places to No. 110.
Here is a look at the significant movers, both up and down, in the final version of the Rivals.com rankings for the 2015 recruiting class.
"Perhaps the most versatile offensive weapon for the West team at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, the Oregon commit certainly made his presence felt. Lovette has all the tools coaches want out of the slot-type receivers -- vision, hands, quickness and route running -- and he carries the ball effectively, too. He does a great job of setting up for what he'll do after the catch. Lovette guided Redlands (Calif.) Redlands East Valley to a state bowl game victory and should fit in nicely with the Ducks' high-octane attack." -- Blair Angulo, West Recruiting Analyst
LB
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
118
NR
NA
"Coney has been on the fringe of the Rivals250 for most of the cycle and after an excellent senior season, he received a late invitation to the Under Armour Game. He took his opportunity and ran with it, outshining several of his higher-rated teammates during practice and then turning in a solid game performance as well. Coney moves very well in space and also has a nose for the ball and should have every opportunity to make an impact at Notre Dame." -- Woody Wommack, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
LB
Cedar Hill, Texas
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
129
NR
NA
"Moore helped lead Cedar Hill (Texas) to a state title victory at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the Texas A&M commit followed that up with a great performance at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, where he made loud tackle after loud tackle. Moore was more than just a hard hitter during the week, though, showing good closing speed in the open field and in coverage. He was actually forced to sit out the first half of a midweek practice for missing curfew on New Year's Eve, but he bounced back nicely. Moore has a good feel for the game and attacks the football, going after it rather than letting it come down to him. But his strength is as a tackler, and the midyear enrollee packs a punch that could help him make some waves in spring practice at College Station." -- Angulo
DE
Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.
Elmore (Ala.) Edgewood Academy
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
130
NR
NA
"This kid came out of nowhere as a class of 2016 prospect with freakish measurables and impressive but raw film. We felt his ceiling was off the charts for a rising senior. Now that he's re-classified for 2015, he's still a special prospect and someone who needed to be in the Rivals250, but his development timeline just got a bit shorter. That being said, he could be very special." -- Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director
WR
Brentwood (Tenn.) Ravenwood
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
138
233
+95
"Jefferson looked bigger than his listed 6-foot-1 and 166 pounds, and physically he showed an advantage over most defensive backs he faced. What really caught our eye at the Army Bowl, though, was how smooth the Georgia commit is running routes. His movements are natural and efficient and he gets on top of defensive backs in a hurry." -- Helmholdt
WR
Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
142
NR
NA
"Payton was somewhat quiet during the practices leading into the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, but the USC commit made his mark in the game itself. He was the most effective receiver on either team and caught a pair of impressive touchdowns. He created separation with crisp routes and sharp cuts and his straight-line speed is nothing to scoff at, either. Payton shined in an All-Star setting when the lights came on, and that's certainly worth something." -- Rob Cassidy, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
DB
Miami (Fla.) Miami Norland
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
169
NR
NA
"Davis was the most consistent player on either roster at Semper Fi. He is as versatile a defensive back as there is and can cover like a cornerback despite having the build of a safety. Davis was a standout in every practice and in the game itself. He says he will play cornerback at Ohio State, but it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the Buckeyes don't use his impressive size at safety." -- Cassidy
DE
Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
170
NR
NA
"We had seen both dominant and pedestrian performances from Jones during his senior season, but he was close to dominant all week at the Army Bowl. Built with an ideal five-technique defensive end frame, Jones is stout enough to hold the edge and stuff the run, while also being athletic enough to rush the passer and get backfield penetration." -- Helmholdt
QB
Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
175
NR
NA
"Lawson is a huge quarterback prospect who can move well and is hard to bring down. While his throwing mechanics aren't pretty and his accuracy is hit-or-miss at times, he's going to be a 245-pound dual-threat who will be great in a zone read offense like the one he will play in at Virginia Tech. He's a project, but a very talented one. He showed a bit of his effectiveness in the Semper Fi Bowl." -- Farrell
C
Montvale (N.J.) St. Joseph's
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
176
NR
NA
"Hatton came into the Under Armour week wanting that No. 1 center spot and he came close to earning it. He outplayed teammate Brandon Kennedy all week and in the game. He is just a nasty brawler who will be a nightmare for opponents for four quarters." -- Farrell
DE
Gibsonton (Fla.) East Bay
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
186
NR
NA
"After winning the defensive line MVP award at Rivals Camp Series Miami, Ford went from off the radar to a high three-star. But after a week at Under Armour that saw him consistently beat four-star offensive linemen in practice and in the actual game, it was clear that he belonged in the Rivals250. Ford is an edge rusher with great athleticism and even though he doesn't have ideal size, he makes up for it with his speed and strength." -- Wommack
OL
Emmanuel McGirt
Durham (N.C.) Hillside
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
196
NR
NA
"McGirt played very well at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and showed more of a nasty, competitive streak than he has in the past. He was going up against some very strong and highly rated defensive linemen during the week of practice and, despite having a frame that isn't nearly filled out, he was dominant at times. As he progresses at the next level, McGirt will get much stronger and if he maintains that nasty streak, he could turn into a franchise left tackle." -- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
DE
Columbus (Ga.) Carver
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
210
NR
NA
"We have been waiting for Brown's performance to meet his potential and we finally saw the beginnings of that at the Army Bowl. He held his own against dominant offensive tackle Martez Ivey in East practices, then flashed quickness off the edge in the game." -- Helmholdt
DE
Dadeville, Ala.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
211
NR
NA
"After committing to Alabama early, Jennings has spent most of the 2015 cycle off the radar, opting out of pretty much every major event. That changed during All-Star season, as he turned in excellent performances at both the Alabama-Mississippi game and the Semper-Fi game. Jennings is a speed rusher who is tough to slow down when he's coming off the edge. While he's still relatively lean, he has the frame to easily bulk up and become a force at Alabama." -- Wommack
OL
Jacksonville, Ill.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
228
NR
NA
"The West had a handful of other four-star offensive linemen on the roster heading into Semper Fidelis All-American week, but Megginson shined brightest. The Illinois commit got the nod to start at left tackle on Day 1 of practices and never surrendered the responsibility. He had a hiccup in one-on-ones, but other than that, Megginson was superb as a blocker and in pass protection. He has good, strong hands and gets great leverage against defenders." -- Angulo
QB
Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
239
NR
NA
"The Michigan State commit was often the victim of bad luck throughout the week at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. He showed a great touch on throws of all lengths, and put good zip on passes up the middle, utilizing all of his options equally. Lewerke won't fill the stat sheet as a runner, but he showed good enough mobility to take off when he has to. His accuracy is his strongest point and that could make him a very productive quarterback in the Big Ten." -- Angulo
WR
Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
240
NR
NA
"Cager is a big-bodied receiver who has enough explosiveness to stay on the outside in college. He showed off the advantage of his size on a 54-yard touchdown catch in the Army Bowl where he had to fight off a defender in order to secure the catch." -- Helmholdt
S
Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
242
NR
NA
"Listed as a safety, McGraw played cornerback the entire week at the Army Bowl and was the East's second best coverage man behind only five-star Tarvarus McFadden. McGraw has the size that could project well to the free safety role, but he also has fluid hips and the speed to play on the boundaries." -- Helmholdt
DE
Hopewell, Va.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
243
NR
NA
"Taylor is a huge kid who will come off the edge strong but also be able to drop into coverage if needed. He also has the length to string things out. He has room to add size and become an every-down lineman and he's very good at chasing the play down. He's just starting to go from athlete to elite football prospect." -- Farrell
LB
Troy (Ala.) Henderson
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
244
NR
NA
"McBryde was another player who impressed at both the Alabama-Mississippi event and the Under Armour Game. He's built to stop the run, but he also has pretty good speed and is good at closing to the ball, both in coverage and when coming up to make plays against the run. With more teams in the SEC spreading things out on offense, McBryde will be an ideal defensive weapon for Auburn." -- Wommack
DE
Atlanta (Ga.) Hapeville Charter
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
247
NR
NA
"Key is an all-or-nothing kind of player who takes a lot of gambles, but you can't argue with his quickness, ability to avoid blocks and disrupt plays in the backfield. He needs to learn to play contain better and stay under control, but he's a guy who will make a lot of big plays in college." -- Farrell
TE
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
250
NR
NA
"At the Under Armour All-America Game, Penniston proved to be a very natural receiver and moved very well in the open field. He did most of his damage on the first day of practice when he caught a number of passes down the field and towards the sideline." -- Friedman
SLIDERS
RB
Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
115
87
-28
"Swinney was quiet until game day at Semper Fi and never really showed the shiftiness you'd like in an every-down back. He certainly has his share of tools, but he needs to polish them. He also needs to work on his vision. Swinney had his moments during All-Star week, he just didn't quite live up to the lofty ranking with which he arrived. -- Cassidy
TE
Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
133
70
-63
"Jones is known as versatile tight end and a pass-catching threat. During Army week, he struggled cleanly catching the ball and he seemed to lose focus at times. He definitely brings a lot of athleticism to the table, but after seeing some of his struggles against like competition, it was apparent a move needed to be made in the rankings." -- Jason Howell, Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
WR
Hampton (Ga.) Lovejoy
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
158
78
-80
"The injury Williams suffered is concerning to us because he wasn't a burner before it. He was a good downfield threat because of his size and agility and he ran away from opponents at the high school level but he never torched faster cornerbacks at elite events. We had hoped to see him show off more speed at Under Armour, but his injury obviously didn't allow for that and it looks like it will be a year or so before he can make an impact at the college level. You have to wonder if it will affect his speed or make him more of a possession guy." -- Farrell
RB
Katy, Texas
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
171
95
-76
"Anderson had another strong season for Katy and helped them make their way to yet another state championship appearance. However, he lacks elite quickness and burst. He has a very strong overall skillset and he will bring a lot of tools with him to the college level." -- Howell
QB
San Clemente, Calif.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
179
73
-106
"For a 6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback, we were surprised to see Darnold struggle with arm strength throughout the week at the Army Bowl. He was really only effective in the shorter passing game, even having trouble getting the ball to his receivers on out-routes." -- Helmholdt
DB
Coconut Creek (Fla.) Monarch
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
187
88
-99
"Burgess-Becker was lost in coverage quite a bit at Under Armour. He's a great looking kid and physically could grow into a linebacker if he wanted to, but he's still raw in reading coverage as a safety and instinctually knowing where he needs to be." -- Farrell
RB
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
188
131
-57
"Scarlett has a good burst, but in order to hit the corner he needs to have the football in his hands. All three times he carried the football in the Army Bowl game, he turned it over to the West. It is definitely a concern when a prospect has that bad of a performance when he gets on the big stage." -- Helmholdt
RB
DeSherius Flowers
Prichard (Ala.) Vigor
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
192
97
-95
"Flowers did not show any dynamic qualities to his game during his week at the Army Bowl. A big back at 212 pounds, his carries in practice and in the game were essentially pounding the football into the middle of the line and seeing what he could get." -- Helmholdt
RB
Princeton, N.C.
NEW RANK
PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
215
163
-52
"At the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the Army All-American Bowl, Frasier faced the best competition he has ever gone against. He still had the good straight line speed and toughness we have come to expect from him, but his lateral speed and cutting abilities were not as effective against players that were bigger, faster and stronger than the ones he put big numbers up against during the regular season. Those things could improve with the proper training at the next level." -- Friedman
Click Here to view this Link.
Click Here to view this Link.
Click Here to view this Link.
Click Here to view this Link.
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Blair Angulo
West Recruiting Analyst
Rob Cassidy
Midlands/Southwest Recruiting Analyst
Adam Friedman
Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
Adam Gorney
West Recruiting Analyst
Josh Helmholdt
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Jason Howell
Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
Woody Womack
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
Click Here to view this Link.