Rankings Bubble Talk: Who is on the cusp of the Rivals100?
Our daily offerings of rankings stories continues today with a question to all Rivals analysts: Who is one player currently inside the Rivals250 that you can see making a move into the Rivals100 after this season leading up to the next rankings meeting? The answers are below:
ROB CASSIDY, SOUTHEAST ANALYST: Tyreak Sapp
Class-of-2021 star Tyreak Sapp is certainly a name tow watch here. The Florida commit isn't the longest defensive end in the country, but his raw power and relative quickness makes him an interesting prospect. His high school team plays a challenging schedule, and how he fares against other FBS-bound prospects will tell us a lot about where he is from a developmental standpoint.
MIKE FARRELL, NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR: Trey Wedig
I’m looking at Trey Wedig because you can’t go wrong with a nasty Wisconsin lineman and I like his upside quite a bit. I think he could have a big season and slide into the R250.
ADAM FRIEDMAN, MID-ATLANTIC ANALYST: Gervon Dexter
He’s not in my region but I saw Florida commit Gervon Dexter at a Rivals Camp this spring and I’ve seen some film of him this season. He should end up in the Rivals100 in the update after the season. Dexter is bigger and stronger than pretty much everybody he faces and his quickness makes him almost unblockable.
ADAM GORNEY, NATIONAL AND WEST ANALYST: Jacobe Covington
I saw Jacobe Covington play this past weekend in the Honor Bowl and he could be someone discussed for a nice bump in the rankings. The Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro recruit and Washington commit played a team that ran the ball on almost every play but Covington made some nice hits when possible, he came up to play the run and his length and athleticism stands out with pads on.
Another factor to consider is that Washington’s coaching staff has done such an excellent job developing defensive backs in recent years and Covington is a coachable kid who should shine in that setting.
JOSH HELMHOLDT, MIDWEST ANALYST: Theo Johnson
I just saw Canadian tight end Theo Johnson in his season-opener last week, and though I came out of that evaluation feeling good about where he is currently rated, I would be willing to look at it again after the season. Johnson's team had practice less than two weeks before that game and he's breaking in a new sophomore quarterback in the starting position. We will do a full-season evaluation before making a final determination on whether he needs to move up in the Rivals250.
CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST ANALYST: William Anderson
William Anderson is a player I do not think is talked about enough. He is an Alabama commit and one of the top edge rushers in the South. Playing his senior season as a 'Bama commit will put an X on his chest, so a lot of eyes will be on him. With that, he has a chance to make a statement and make a move up the rankings throughout the fall.
SAM SPIEGELMAN, TEXAS, LOUISIANA ANALYST: Hudson Card
I’m a huge fan of Hudson Card and at one point, I strongly believed he was the top passer in Texas. He’s right outside the Rivals100 bubble and he plays in a pass-happy system, but he has a fantastic arm and maybe the best in the state and among the best nationally. The biggest question is how he fares against elite defenses with Power 5 talent and we should know where exactly Card deserves to be.
WOODY WOMMACK, SOUTHEAST ANALYST: Tyler Baron
Last week I talked about Tyler Baron and I still think he’s probably the top candidate of guys in my region at this point. If he can stay healthy for his senior year and turn in a dominant season he could make the leap.