8/17/2018 football Edit

Rivals.com 2019 Position Rankings Update: Athletes

Josh Helmholdt • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

The summer evaluation period has concluded and after updating the Rivals100 and the Rivals250, we reset the individual position rankings heading into the final high school season for the 2019 class. Here is a look at which teams saw a positive bump since the last update of the position rankings and which programs and players you should be watching heading into the fall.

2019 POSITION RANKINGS: Athletes | All positions

TEAM ON THE RISE: LSU

Among the biggest shake-ups near the top of the Athlete ranking is the move made by LSU commit Trey Palmer, who takes over at the No. 3 spot after a strong summer that included an impressive performance at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas. True to his “athlete” designation, Palmer played both wide receiver and defensive back at times during the Five-Star Challenge.

It was his performance during the one-on-one session while running routes at receiver, which is where he likely plays for the Tigers, that really was the catalyst for his bump to five stars. Palmer is also the most recent commitment for the Tigers in the 2019 class, making his pledge on Aug. 1, and now gives LSU two commits in this ranking to go along with No. 39 Maurice Hampton.

TEAM TO WATCH: TEXAS

Tom Herman and his staff already have two commitments ranked among the top six in this ranking with in-state standout Jordan Whittington and Arizona product Jake Smith. The Longhorns, though, are also a primary contender for the new No. 1 ranked prospect at the position, Bru McCoy of California. McCoy overtook former No. 1 overall Quavaris Crouch in this update to lead the Athlete category, and recently announced a top eight that included the Longhorns. While it may be difficult to pull McCoy from southern California and the hometown USC Trojans, McCoy has already determined that Texas will be receiving one of his five official visits.

Besides McCoy, who Texas projects primarily as a wide receiver at the next level, the Longhorns are also in the top seven of Louisiana four-star Devonta Lee, who ranks as the No. 7 prospect in this updated ranking.

PLAYER TO WATCH: ZION PUCKETT

There are a lot of exciting players and intriguing recruitments to watch at the Athlete position heading into the 2018 high school football season, but Puckett brings both to the table.

He has steadily climbed in each update this off-season and now sits at the No. 12 spot in this ranking after seeing his Rivals Rating increase from a 5.8 to a 5.9. Southeast analyst Chad Simmons calls Puckett a “true athlete,” who could legitimately be a college standout at wide receiver or defensive back.

Puckett is also a player to watch, though, because he just announced his commitment to Auburn over Alabama and Tennessee on Friday. That decision could be a prelude to a big senior season and another strong rally toward the conclusion of his high school career.

#RivalsRankingsWeek Schedule

Monday: Who could land in new top 10? | Top 10 players revealed | Who is top wide receiver? | Could McCoy make push for No. 1?

Wednesday: New Rivals250 released | Rival Views: Nolan Groulx | Five schools that should be most pleased with new rankings | Players who could finish in Rivals100

Friday: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings

Saturday: Team rankings breakdown | Ask Farrell