Rivals Rankings Question: Which 5-star needs a big season?
The Rivals100 Question of the Week is a new feature we are rolling out in our daily recruiting coverage that will ask all Rivals analysts a specific question each week.
WHICH 5-STAR PROSPECT HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE THIS SEASON TO KEEP HIS ELITE RANKING?
FLORIDA ANALYST ROB CASSIDY: James Williams
James Williams looks as imposing as any prospect in America, but as massive and talented as he is, questions remain. The five-star safety will have to show that he's retained the quickness to remain at safety at the college level and avoid growing into a linebacker. He'll also need to answer some concerns about his physicality. Williams is an elite prospect. There is no doubting that, but he'll be under the microscope as a new five-star.
NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR MIKE FARRELL: Kendall Milton
Kendall Milton, the Georgia running back commitment, is one I'm watching. I want to see a little more burst from Milton and additional breakaway speed this season to make sure we have him ranked properly. He’s a big and talented kid and speed is the only question mark.
MID-ATLANTIC ANALYST ADAM FRIEDMAN: Antoine Sampah
Antoine Sampah had ACL surgery at the beginning of this year and it’s very difficult to come back from an injury like that in just a few months and perform at a high level. He’s one I’m keeping a close eye on this season. The LSU commit was unstoppable when he was healthy as a junior. Sampah could make plays from sideline-to-sideline, shed blocks with ease, and was as tough a hitter as anybody in the country. We’ll see how his senior season turns out.
WEST, NATIONAL ANALYST ADAM GORNEY: Sav'ell Smalls
Sav’ell Smalls is an outstanding edge rusher and someone who can also stand up and play in space, so he’s exactly what a lot of college and NFL teams are looking for in terms of a hybrid player who can be used all over the defense. I really liked him at the adidas West Coast Invitational in the spring where he played a lot of linebacker in that 7-on-7 setting.
He looks great in person, has a frame where he could still add good weight and players like him don’t come around very often. But that was also the issue with Smalls this summer: He didn’t come around very often. The best-of-the-best need to routinely challenge themselves against the nation’s elite to see how they compare and Smalls did not do that.
We saw a lot of outstanding players this summer but Smalls was not at the biggest events. I saw a lot of elite players making statements this summer to be considered for the top 10, but Smalls was nowhere to be found.
MIDWEST ANALYST JOSH HELMHOLDT: Rakim Jarrett
Rakim Jarrett is a prospect I have felt for some time is a little high at five stars. He is a really nice player who checks a lot of boxes at the wide receiver position, but lacks that degree of extra that separates five-star prospects. Good player with a solid skill set, but would need to show me more to justify five-stars.
SOUTHEAST ANALYST CHAD SIMMONS: Myles Hinton
Myles Hinton is very talented, he comes from great bloodlines and he is an elite talent, but he has to play at a high level this season, and he has to stay healthy. The Stanford commit has battled some shoulder injuries the last few years, but he is cleared, he enters this season healthy, and although he is a five-star, he will still have something to prove. If he remains healthy and dominates like he has in the past, then he has a real chance to retain his five-star ranking.
TEXAS, LOUISIANA ANALYST SAM SPIEGELMAN - Zach Evans
It sounds a bit peculiar to say this, but running back Zachary Evans is my pick. When you watch him in-person or turn on the tape, you are certainly reminded of how dominant a back he is. But he has had a quiet offseason, almost staying off the radar. He didn’t show up to The Opening Finals or the Five-Star Challenge, which is fine, but that certainly puts the other elite running backs in the 2020 class in the spotlight.
SOUTHEAST ANALYST WOODY WOMMACK: Myles Hinton
"One guy that stands out to me is Myles Hinton. We know he has the pedigree and elite potential when he's healthy, but he's had a number of injuries that have limited him during his high school career. His older brother lost a fifth star last year only to gain it back and while the younger Hinton has a chance to go wire to wire as a five-star, he needs to turn in a dominant senior year to maintain his spot in the five-star club."