Rivals Rankings Week: Best storylines among new state rankings
The updated Rivals250 for the 2025 class has been released and some interesting battles between the states have emerged. Take a look at the storylines worth following in the state rankings as the 2025 recruiting cycle unfolds.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1 in the 2025 Rivals250?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: Rivals250 released | Biggest risers | Gorney's thoughts
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | QB rankings breakdown | RB rankings breakdown | WR/TE rankings breakdown
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown
Friday: State rankings released
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TEXAS IS DOMINATING THE COMPETITION
There are nine general position designations and Texas has the most or second most Rivals250 prospects at seven of those nine positions. Defensive line, athlete and receiver are three of the strongest positions in Texas this year.
Get familiar with Texans Andrew Marsh, D.J. Sanders, Adrian Wilson, Kaliq Lockett and Michael Riles at these positions. Offensive line, quarterback, running back and tight end have plenty of Texas natives at or very near the top of those position rankings. A few names at these positions are Ty Haywood, Kiotti Armstrong, Lamont Rogers, Deondrae Riden and Adam Schobel.
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TEXAS, FLORIDA GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD AT MULTIPLE POSITIONS
Speaking of Texas, the Lone Star State and Florida are going head-to-head as the best or deepest states at four different positions this cycle. With Dakorien Moore, Winston Watkins Jr., Jamie Ffrench, Dallas Wilson, Andrew Marsh and Nashaun Montgomery near the top of the rankings, each state has 13 receivers in the Rivals250, more than any other state. Florida edged out Texas with two more running backs in the Rivals250. Florida currently has five defensive lineman in the Rivals250 with Randy Adirika, Javion Hilson and Myron Charles leading the way but they are still chasing Texas and its eight Rivals250 defensive linemen.
Both Florida and Texas have two quarterbacks in the Rivals250, which is tied for second most behind California's six.
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WHICH OF THE BIG FOUR WILL END UP WITH THE MOST FIVE-STARS?
The 2025 recruiting class is up to 13 five-star prospects and unsurprisingly the big four states of Texas, Georgia, Florida and California are where the majority of these players reside. Three of these states, however, are chasing Texas.
The Lone Star State has four five-star prospects in Dakorien Moore, Devin Sanchez, Jonah Williams and Michael Fasusi. Georgia (Elijah Griffin and Justus Terry) and Florida (DJ Pickett and Winston Watkins Jr.) are tied for second with two each. Five-star running back Jordon Davison is the lone five-star out of California right now.
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NO. 1 OFFENSIVE LINEMAN IN GEORGIA IS UP FOR GRABS
The state of Georgia in the 2025 cycle is loaded with talent and it's particularly good in the trenches. Elijah Griffin, Justus Terry and London Merritt represent the elite defensive linemen in Georgia but there is a deep group of offensive linemen in the Peach State's 2025 cycle.
Mason Short, Josh Petty, Brayden Jacobs, Dontrell Glover, Peyton Joseph and Juan Gaston all rank between No. 82 and No. 149 in the Rivals250. One of these players is bound to break away from the pack and shoot up the rankings.
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ILLINOIS IS LOADED AT THE TOP
There are some elite 2025 prospects in Illinois and it will be a tight race to see which one finishes on top. Nathaniel Marshall, Talyn Taylor, Iose Epenesa are all in the top 35 of the Rivals250.
Marshall just made a big jump up the rankings to take over the top spot in the state ranking. Taylor had been ranked No. 1 in the state but the elite receiver may still have room to climb up the rankings. Epenesa has the talent and bloodlines to make us think twice about ranking anybody ahead of him. It will be fun to watch each of these players develop over the next year and see how the ranking plays out.
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OTHER NOTES
... Five-star Jordon Davison is the only offensive player in the top seven of the California state rankings.
... Defensive backs Faheem Delane, Blake Woodby and Kevyn Humes sit atop the Maryland state rankings, which is pretty unusual for the state.
... Caleb Cunningham, Andrew Maddox and Deuce Knight out of Mississippi are all in the top 33 of the Rivals250. If their rankings remain that way, it will be the first time that's happened for Mississippi since the 2002 class.