8/14/2018 football Edit

Rivals Ranking Week: Is it right to have Evan Neal as a five-star?

Rob Cassidy and Adam Gorney

Rivals.com

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

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Countless debates go into each Rivals rankings update and one particular topic we are spotlighting in today's Rival Views is whether it was the right move to bump offensive lineman Evan Neal up to five-star status.

RIVALS RANKING WEEK: Should Theo Wease or Jadon Haselwood be the No. 1 WR?

CASSIDY'S VIEW: YES

Is Neal the best high school offensive lineman in the country? Probably not, but we’re projecting here, and Neal has a special frame with an upside far and away above any lineman in this class. He’s shows that he’s dedicated to reshaping his body by cutting considerable weight and becoming faster this offseason. He looked like a new player at IMG Media Day last month. Neal is every bit of 6-foot-7 and seems to drop more bad weight by the week. Barring injury or a major relapse when it comes to his weight program, Neal projects as an NFL prospect that has the size and athleticism to become a first-round pick.

Neal the draft prospect will be more refined than Neal the college player, which will be miles more developed than Neal the high school senior. He has every single trait that can’t be coached and seems to be developing at an impressive trajectory. Players that look and move like Neal don’t come around often

GORNEY'S VIEW: NO

Neal might very well be a five-star offensive tackle. I know he’s massive, listed at 6-foot-8 and 363 pounds. Those numbers right there will attract the attention of NFL scouts in the coming years.

I know he plays for arguably the best high school team in the country, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, where he gets tremendous coaching, plays a national schedule and continues to improve.

And I know reports out of IMG Academy in recent weeks are that Neal has trimmed up since last season - one of my concerns - and has dropped a good amount of weight, really looking the part right now.

When I saw IMG on the field twice last season, Neal did not play all that much (to be fair, probably five college-ready offensive linemen were ahead of him) but before I crown him as a five-star I would want to see him absolutely dominate the way I saw Jonah Williams, Greg Little and many others do it on the high school level.

#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?

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

Saturday: Team rankings breakdown