Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the 2024 athletes
With the updated Rivals250 being unveiled Tuesday, it's now time to dive into the position rankings. The defensive position rankings are being released today, and the final position to spotlight are the athletes.
UPDATED 2024 RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | All-Purpose Back | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Defensive Tackle | Strongside Defensive End | Weakside Defensive End | Outside Linebacker | Inside Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety | Athlete
*****
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1?
Monday: Five-star countdown | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: Rivals 250 released | Ten prospects on the verge of five-star status | Gorney's thoughts
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | QB rankings spotlight | RB rankings spotlight | WR/TE rankings spotlight | OL rankings spotlight
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released | DL rankings spotlight | LB rankings spotlight | DB rankings spotlight
Friday: State rankings released | Who will finish as top RB?
Saturday: Rankings Roundtable
*****
NO. 1 AT THE POSITION: Mike Matthews
The Georgia native has some of the most well-rounded athletic skills of any prospect in the country, whether projecting him on offense at wide receiver or in the secondary at cornerback. He not only flashes at each spot, but he has logged a full body of work at each to the point he would be in five-star territory with the current athlete tag or if we made the move to slot him at one position in particular -- which is quite rare. Matthews has that uncommon combination of length, athleticism and ball skills that make him a threat on either side of the ball.
The top 10 overall recruit also has plenty of blue blood programs still after his verbal commitment. Buzz has bounced back and forth between in-state Georgia, Clemson and Tennessee over the current stretch of visits to each. The trio also represents the three programs the five-star has seen the most as a recruit. If the process is to end sooner rather than later, the Vols may be viewed as the team to beat. USC will get a say in hosting Matthews for an official visit this weekend and Alabama is still under consideration, too.
*****
TWO PROGRAMS TO WATCH: Texas and Texas A&M
The Lone Star State not only produces great hybrid and/or positionless prospects, but its local programs do a great job in keeping most elites within state lines. We're expecting some of the same with both Texas and Texas A&M in the coming months. Of the 11 uncommitted prospects to be considered an athlete in the updated Rivals 250, four have ties to the state or one of the two top programs individually. The fastest-riser up the rankings for the position, Terry Bussey, has both programs in the thick of the race for him along with another SEC program in Oklahoma, among others. His decision will reverberate within the rekindled rivalry regardless of selection.
Texas is more of a player for another blue-chipper on the list in Aeryn Hampton, who is headed back to Austin for an official visit this weekend. A&M stands about even with Texas for another on the list in Baylon Burnside, of Mississippi. He already saw College Station officially in what was a successful return trip. If a program is to pull him away from his home state, it may be Steve Sarkisian's. Another out-of-stater has Texas high on the list in Ryan Pellum out of California, though an official visit has yet to materialize to date. A lot of these two-way types wind up at wide receiver at the next level, which could also help the Longhorns stay in the race more than others.
*****
THREE PROSPECTS TO WATCH
Trader has been a known commodity since he was an underclassman recruit, a trend that will continue throughout 2023. Not only has he taken less official visits than most of his peers, but he is among the furthest from a final decision among the elite recruits. Trader has made that part clear for the majority of his junior campaign, with programs still clamoring to get him on campus for a closer look anyway.
The buzz has shifted aplenty in this long-time recruitment, from local Miami to in-state Florida State and Ohio State. The Florida Gators are the newest program to be considered a finalist, and with the timeline for a decision that late in the game, they are not to be discounted either. Georgia has also remained in the hunt, among others.
Hill has been busy throughout SEC country with his most recent visits, a trend not expected to soon slow down. Auburn has been a sneaky contender for some time and have upped their chances to stay in the race for good with an official visit last weekend. The next two trips, however, are to the two programs likely jockeying for the top spot for the Mississippi native.
Alabama gets him on campus this coming weekend and then he'll head to South Carolina to wrap up a busy month of June. Hill has become familiar with each campus so he now has a chance to get any final questions answered before a potential commitment comes in.
Pellum is about to kick off his official visit slate with a trip to local USC this weekend. Next, he'll head back up to Eugene for an official look at the Oregon Ducks, a program that has historically recruited metro Los Angeles better and better of late. Optics suggest those two Pac-12 programs will duke it out for the California native, especially ahead of their second trips with him this year, but Texas and Cal are also still hanging around Pellum's recruitment.
He released a loaded top 10 on New Year's Eve, but this list has changed dramatically to the point that the potential favorite for his services in USC was not included at that time.