Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney don’t always see eye to eye. In this edition of Rival Views, the two debate which prospect in the 2019 class has the highest ceiling.
FARRELL'S VIEW: CHARLES CROSS
Charles Cross, because he’s so far away from being the 315-pound offensive tackle I picture him to be at the next level. I love offensive tackles who look thin at the high school level but have great feet and athleticism and those are the guys who can be developed the most. Cross will go off to Mississippi State and after a couple years in the weight room become a star. He has the right frame, the great feet and the arm extension to be special and I think he is aggressive enough to be a nasty left tackle at the college level and beyond. He may not be the most college ready kid right now but watch out in a couple of years.
GORNEY'S VIEW: ZACH HARRISON
When I saw Zach Harrison walk out for the first practice at the All-American Bowl, I was immediately convinced his five-star ranking was justified because he’s so long and so athletic and he just looked different than a lot of other players on the field.
The Ohio State signee is still definitely learning the intricacies of playing defensive end like using his hands more violently and learning how to set up offensive tackles and he still needs to develop his lower body more but when we’re talking about a high ceiling, Harrison fits the bill perfectly.
He has a huge frame, he’s known as an athletic specimen and even though he didn’t dominate at the All-American Bowl by any stretch, with the right coaching Harrison could have an exceptional career because he brings so much to the table. And with co-defensive coordinators Greg Mattison and Jeff Hafley in charge along with defensive line coach Larry Johnson as his position coach, there might not be any trio better to get Harrison to reach his potential, even if it’s a few years down the road.
