Rivals Rankings: How Friedman's top five would look
The latest Rivals Rankings were released in August amid plenty of discussion and debate among the recruiting analysts. Here's how Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Analyst Adam Friedman would have ranked his top five if he had the only vote.
RIVALS ROUNDTABLE: Which prospect is toughest to rank? | Which pitch do recruits think is overrated?
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
1. BRYAN BRESEE
Position value comes into play near the top of the Rivals100 rankings but here I’m going to rank players based on how much of a sure thing they are. To me, that means Bresee should be in the top spot. His combination of size, speed, technique and his competitive nature puts him just ahead of the rest on this list. I never thought I’d say this about a player from Maryland, especially a public school player from Maryland, but the Clemson-bound Bresee has certainly earned it.
2. KELEE RINGO
There is no substitute for speed and when you combine that with a 6-foot-3, nearly 200-pound frame, that’s almost as sure a thing you can find. Ringo has won the Fastest Man competition at the last two Rivals100 Five-Star Challenges and he has pretty good technique. Wherever Ringo lands, I expect him to have an early impact and possibly be a three-and-out type of prospect.
3. D.J. UIAGALELEI
It’s hard to bet against Clemson quarterback commits right now and, on paper, Uiagalelei is arguably more talented than the last few players to play quarterback for the Tigers. We didn’t see Uiagalelei play this offseason and he’s had an up-and-down start to his senior campaign, but there is too much to like here for him to be outside my top three. His arm strength, accuracy, athleticism and size make him once of the more talented quarterbacks we’ve seen in the last couple years.
4. JULIAN FLEMING
It’s a great year for receivers, and the most impressive of the bunch is definitely Fleming. He has the size, speed and strength to match up with any defensive back and the Ohio State commit has a lower bust-factor than the other five-star receivers. Fleming is as technically sound as they come and has the ability to beat defensive backs deep or take screen passes the distance.
5. MYLES MURPHY
Keeping with the theme here, Murphy is one of the surest prospects in this class. Size, speed, strength, technique and work ethic make the Clemson commit pretty much the total package. Murphy didn’t do a ton in the offseason, but he is having a nice senior season and should be in line to have a really good career for the Tigers.