Rivals Juco100: Linemen top the list

In more ways than one, Rivals.com's initial junior college rankings are quite top heavy.

It's a particularly strong year for offensive linemen, with powerful tackles accounting for four of the top eight spots in the preseason Juco100. For these prospects, the size is certainly there and the physical readiness to make an immediate impact at the next level appears to be there, too, making them attractive to college recruiters.

Four-star offensive tackle Charles Baldwin, an Alabama commitment from Brooklyn (N.Y.) ASA College, headlines the list at No. 1, occupying the coveted spot thanks to impressive film that highlights a versatile skill set. He is followed at No. 2 by Garett Bolles, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound offensive tackle from Ephraim (Utah) Snow College who holds close to 20 scholarship offers.

Baldwin and Bolles aren't alone, though -- there are six offensive tackles ranked inside the top 20 overall, making this a big cycle for the big men.

"We don't have a five-star yet in this JUCO class, which is a bit rare, but I think that's because there isn't that dominant skill position guy out there like Jovon Robinson and Alvin Kamara last year and guys like D'haquille Williams, Cameron Newton, Deon Long and some others," said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. "But offensive tackle is a premium position and we could end up with one or two five-stars after the season. Baldwin is a beast and I like Bolles, Malcolm Pridgeon and Tate Leavitt. It's a very strong year at offensive tackle in the JUCO ranks and that's one of the positions coaches love to recruit because immediate help on the offensive line is crucial at times."

In all, there are 21 four-star prospects in the rankings -- 14 of which are already committed.

One notable prospect that has already come off the board is Iowa Western Community College wide receiver Taj Williams, a TCU commit who sits at No. 3 overall. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Williams was a four-star wideout out of Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln in the 2013 class and recently chose the Horned Frogs over offers from Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas, making him one of the more highly regarded offensive prospects in the juco ranks. Williams was stellar last year, catching 77 passes for 949 yards and 11 touchdowns.

"This is a kid who has really grown into his frame but still has room to add strength and he's become more dominant as he's progressed and faced older competition," Farrell said. "He was one of our Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour kids heading into his senior year and he was solid but not spectacular, checking in at No. 25 at wideout. Now he's take than extra step and he's headed to a program that really gets a lot out of their players. It's a down year at wide receiver in the JUCO ranks, so he doesn't stand up next to some of the freaks we've had at the top at wideout in the past, but he's a really good player that will have a very good college career."

The top-rated defensive prospect on the list, outside linebacker Tyree Horton, checks in at No. 4. The Florida State commit from Highland Community College in Kansas had 63 total tackles, including 15 for a loss, along with seven sacks and three interceptions as a freshman last season.

Dodge City Community College running back Mark Thompson, a Florida commitment who averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns while splitting carries with three others as a freshman last season, rounds out the top five.

"These guys are all key for programs because they are bigger, stronger, faster and more college-ready than their high school counterparts," said Farrell. "Horton will be an immediate impact guy at FSU despite the fact that they are recruiting at an elite level and can land standout linebackers out of high school. He's just ready. And Thompson will be a key for Florida as they try to turn around that offense. I can see him as a big part of that running game between the tackles and as a power back in short-yardage situations. He's just physically impressive."

Following Baldwin and Bolles at offensive tackle are Garden City (N.Y.) Nassau Community College's Malcolm Pridgeon and Hutchinson (Kansas) Community College's Tate Leavitt, whom are ranked sixth and eighth, respectively.

Aside from Williams, there are two other receivers in the top 10 -- Dodge City Community College's Jeff George, a Tennessee commit, and Snow College's Jonah Trinnaman, who has pledged to BYU. Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College prospect JaMarcus King, an Auburn commit who is No. 9 in the rankings, is the only four-star cornerback on the list.

At the initial release, the SEC leads all conferences in representation, holding commitments from five of the top nine prospects.

"This is an interesting JUCO class for sure because you're not going to hear about as many of the top guys as you have in the past, mainly because linemen don't get that much attention nationally and two of the top wideouts are committed to great programs that don't quite get the media attention some other schools get," Farrell said. "But there could be some pieces to a national title puzzle here for schools like Alabama, TCU, FSU and Auburn. Keep an eye on these guys and watch a few of them hit the first or second round of the NFL draft down the line, especially the four offensive linemen."