RCS Midseason Report: Five who are due for an upgrade
The Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas is at the midway point, and after working all the way from California through Texas, Louisiana and Florida there have been plenty of notable performances. Several prospects have outplayed their current Rivals Rating and are due for an upgrade in the post-spring rankings update. Here are five who can look forward to seeing their ratings rise.
MORE RCS MIDSEASON REPORTS: Ranking the five biggest surprise prospects | Five who have lived up to the hype
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Florida State fans have been clamoring for a ratings upgrade for Dix since he committed to the Seminoles in early February. Fans thinking their commitments are underrated is certainly not unique, but in this case Dix’s performance at the Tampa stop of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp bolstered their case. The Orlando native showed how well he moves for a big linebacker in winning linebacker MVP honors at the event, and his football IQ matched his impressive physical skills.
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Gowdy did a great job at the Miami RCS. His combination of size and speed made it nearly impossible for defensive backs to stick with him. The way the four-star was so sudden out of his cuts helped him create a ton of separation. Even if a defensive back was able to stay within an arm's length of Gowdy, he had a knack for making acrobatic catches in traffic.
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The first Power Five offer did not roll in for Jackson until National Signing Day week, but then the floodgates opened for the San Antonio-area prospect. Jackson held seven Power Five offers when he arrived at in Dallas for the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp, and he has added two more since. It did not take long for us to understand the sudden surge of interest once we saw Jackson live. Measuring in at nearly 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Jackson was a mismatch for smaller cornerbacks and he knew how to use his size advantage. More importantly, he showed the suddenness and ability to separate that is needed to play on the outside in college.
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Already on the cusp of four-star status coming into the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Dallas, Kimber had just a few remaining questions we needed to answer before bumping him to that level. His MVP performance at the March 24 event made a strong statement, and will speak strongly for him when it is time to update ratings at the end of the spring. We measured Kimber with a wingspan of over 6-foot-3, and he uses that length to wreak havoc on passing windows. The rangy cornerback also has great anticipation on the football and a knack for knowing just when to turn his head to make a play on the football.
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The 2020 version of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp kicked off in Los Angeles, and Williams wasted little time making a case for a ratings upgrade. Arriving at the event as the No. 42-ranked prospect in California, Williams was very solid and showed that he could be a true safety or outside linebacker who is physical and fast at the next level. College coaches have compared him to Kam Chancellor, and he should be the leader of St. John Bosco's defense next season.