Rivals Ranking Week: Who's next to earn a fifth star?
Countless debates go into each Rivals rankings update and one particular topic we are spotlighting in today's Making The Case is which 2020 prospect will be next to earn a fifth star.
2020 RANKINGS: New five-stars | Mind of Mike | Video highlights of top 10 | Three players on cusp of top 10
ADAM FRIEDMAN: KEVIN PYNE
Kevin Pyne, the second highest-ranked four-star offensive lineman, has a very good chance of earning his fifth star. A legitimate 6-foot-8, Pyne has an ideal frame for a left tackle and possesses all the athleticism a coach could ask for. He was dominant last season and has been working hard on refining his technique this offseason but it could be difficult for him to be even more dominant this season. If he shows consistency this season and has taken some big steps towards fulfilling his potential, a five-star rating could certainly be in Pyne’s future.
ADAM GORNEY: KENDALL MILTON
Milton has been on the radar for a few years already since he attended the Rivals Camps as an 8th grader and a freshman and really impressed even during those years. I remember Milton during those camps years ago as someone who would definitely emerge as a national prospect since he was so physically impressive at such a young age.
Milton has developed even more heading into his junior season and he’s absolutely on the watch list to earn his fifth star after this season. Recovering from an ankle injury in Clovis (Calif.) Buchanan’s season opener, Milton played in only three offensive series and he ran for a 58-yard touchdown. This past weekend as he felt better, Milton had three touchdown runs. As a sophomore, he finished with 1,514 rushing yards and 25 scores.
Any running back can run through wide open spaces and with a head of steam outrun defensive backs to the end zone. What I like so much about Milton is his ability to sneak through tiny holes in the offensive line, he has patience to allow things to open up, he has great jump-cut moves and cuts back against the grain in an impressive way and then Milton can turn on the jets to beat everybody to the end zone.
Right now, Houston (Texas) North Shore’s Zachary Evans is the only five-star running back in the 2020 class and it’s going to be hard to knock him off that No. 1 spot. Evans is special. But Milton is not far behind at all and a big junior season could propel him to that five-star ranking.
NICK KRUEGER: DEMOND DEMAS
I knew about the legend of Demond Demas before I ever watched him in person, but after having dealt with him personally and having seen him in action a few times since the spring, I can now verify that the hype is real.
He is probably more famous among the masses for his internet clips that feature him dunking basketballs than for anything having to do with football, but he has upwards of 50 offers and has all the ingredients to be among the top prospects in the country. When I last saw him, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much effort and focus he put into getting better with every rep on every drill – which seems cliché, but for a guy with so much natural ability and athleticism, that definitely helped give me a better feeling about him.
He had a bit of a lackluster day this past spring in his appearance at the Houston stop of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas, but when I saw him a few months later at a pass-specific camp, it was a completely different spectacle.
Demas is a big, lengthy receiver and has the sort of long speed coveted for guys that live out on the perimeter, but his agility and ease in stopping on a dime and changing direction is a testament to his dexterity and athleticism. He is confident catching the ball with his hands and provides a pretty wide catch radius. In addition to all that, his explosiveness makes him as dangerous of a possession receiver as he is running free on routes.
Demas not only has a great chance to be a five-star, but should be pushing for a top-five spot nationally before all is said and done.