Rivals Rankings Roundtable: Who should be No. 1 in 2020?
With their high school careers now wrapping up, there is going to be a lot of discussion about who is the No. 1 player in the country among the 2020 class. Today, each Rivals analyst offers their opinion on who should top the rankings following the fall season.
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MORE ROUNDTABLE: Most intriguing recruitments remaining | Who should move up?
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
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ROB CASSIDY, Florida
This one is tough for me because I don’t think anyone from my region is in the running. As I’ve always said, cornerback Kelee Ringo’s extremely rare combination of size and speed makes his a safe bet to be drafted in the first round down the road, but I am also open to a quarterback. On that front, I don’t think DJ Uiagalelei has given us much reason to drop him.
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MIKE FARRELL, National
I’m going to say I’d stick with quarterback DJ Uiagalelei because he’s an impressive kid with a big arm and good mobility. He reminds me a bit of Cam Newton and it’s hard to go wrong with a comparison like that. No one else has jumped out at me to be No. 1 overall but there are numerous candidates. Our rankings meetings will be interesting.
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ADAM FRIEDMAN, Mid-Atlantic
There is no clear No. 1 right now, but the season Uiagalelei has put together so far shows that he’s not quite as developed as we hoped. Bryan Bresee and Justin Flowe are my other two candidates to slip into the top spot. This will be debated a lot before the rankings are final, but for now I’ll say Bresee should move up to No. 1.
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ADAM GORNEY, West Coast/National
I don’t have an issue with keeping D.J. Uiagalelei at the top of the rankings because he’s such a physical specimen and he’s put up terrific numbers this season, but I’m also torn because in a head-to-head meeting, Bryce Young looked like the better quarterback. Young was also unreal in a blowout win over Baltimore St. Frances, another team loaded with Division I players. So we come to this issue: Uiagalelei has done nothing to really move off the No. 1 spot, but in a head-to-head matchup, Young was more impressive.
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JOSH HELMHOLDT, Midwest
I am still rolling with DJ Uiagalelei. There are several strong candidates who have stated their cases this season, but I still see the Clemson commit as the best prospect at the game's most important position.
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CHAD SIMMONS, Southeast
I don't really have a player in this discussion, but on the outside looking in, I sense that a change at the top could be coming. Based on who I have personally seen, I really like Bryan Bresee. Kelee Ringo and Paris Johnson are right there also. I love Myles Murphy, the top prospect in my region, but I do not see him being in this discussion.
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SAM SPIEGELMAN, Texas/Louisiana
Bryce Young might ultimately be No. 1. He plays with poise, confidence and has all the physical tools to match. All offseason, I’ve heard he’s undersized, but as the fall comes to a close, he’s put together some of the most impressive tape by a quarterback. It’s a premium position and he might be the best in 2020.
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WOODY WOMMACK, Southeast
I continue to advocate for Justin Flowe to be No. 1 overall, but for the most part those arguments have fallen on deaf ears during the meetings. I do think there will be quite a bit of debate over the top spot, but I also don't think it will be settled until after the all-star games.