Rivals continued to roll out its updated rankings for the Class of 2020 and our focus today is on the teams that prospered. LSU, Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia are all currently jockeying for position in the team rankings with Michigan, Miami, Florida State, Notre Dame and Texas A&M knocking on the door for spots inside the top five.
Who will take home the recruiting crown for 2020? We take a look at the biggest movers, shakers and storylines stemming from the updated Rivals rankings meetings.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:
Monday: Top 10 revealed | Looking at top of WR class
Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | MInd of Mike | New five-stars
Wednesday: Rivals250 revealed | Rivals roundtable
Thursday/Friday: Position rankings revealed
Saturday: Team rankings breakdown
Sunday: State rankings revealed
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1. Clemson has a shot at signing the four top players in the nation
The defending national champions are certainly one of the teams we anticipate will be contending for back-to-back titles this season. Dabo Swinney also has his sights set on a recruiting belt apparently.
Clemson’s star-studded 2020 class is on the verge of unprecedented territory. Of course, the No. 1 prospect in the country, quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, is committed. But the Tigers are currently sitting pretty for the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 players in America.
That’s right. The reshuffling of the Rivals top 10 features five-stars Bryan Bresee, Justin Flowe and Jordan Burch all inside the top four. Clemson commitment Myles Murphy slid inside the top 10 at No. 8 while Demarkcus Bowman and Fred Davis secured spots inside the top 25. That means Clemson could finish the cycle off with the nation’s best four players and an unheard-of five of the top 10.
You can also factor in Walker Parks, who is on the cusp of five-star status, Demonte Capehart (No. 63) and RJ Mickens (No. 72). It’s simply unreal the way Clemson is recruiting right now.
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2. Texas A&M has several commits jump up the rankings
Jimbo Fisher is beginning to put his stamp on the Texas A&M roster and the 2020 class resembles as much. The appeal of playing in the state of Texas for an SEC team competing against Alabama, Auburn and LSU of the world each fall is standing out in a big way and the results on the recruiting trail are reflective of that.
Jaylon Jones jumped inside the Rivals100 after a fantastic junior campaign. In the latest update, the four-star cornerback rose 80 spots to No. 39 in the country. He was a unanimous riser among the Rivals national analyst team.
Elsewhere, quarterback Haynes King capitalized on a big spring and summer and debuted at No. 81 inside the Rivals100. During his rise from unranked to ranked, King surfaced as the No. 1-ranked quarterback in the Lone Star State ahead of his senior season.
Elsewhere, defensive tackle commitment Isaiah Rikes also debuted in the Rivals250 at No. 188 overall. Top Aggies offensive line target Sedrick Van Pran also became the top-ranked center in the land and sits at No. 71 overall.
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3. Notre Dame sees stock rise on trio of commits
The Notre Dame recruiting class is knocking on the door of being a legitimate contender for a recruiting championship. Naturally, the current commitments in the Irish’s 2020 class are doing their part as well.
A trio of Notre Dame commitments saw their stock rise drastically in the latest rankings update. Tight end Michael Mayer leaped 14 spots to No. 57 in the country. As his senior year nears, Mayer is a borderline five-star at the position.
Offensive tackle Tosh Baker was another big riser. The big man slid up up seven spots inside the top-50. Baker, too, is on the verge of five-star status.
Chris Tyree is one of the foundational pieces of the Irish’s 2020 class. The All-World all-purpose backs also jumped inside the top half of the Rivals100 and enters his senior season as the No. 40 prospect in the country.
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4. Local LSU commit on cusp of fifth star
Coach Ed Orgeron’s national success on the recruiting trail is becoming more and more noticeable, but the Tigers’ biggest gem resides just minutes off the LSU campus right there in Baton Rouge.
Jaquelin Roy was the Defensive Line MVP of the Five-Star Challenge. In the aftermath of that performance, the defensive tackle shot up 31 spots and sits at No. 31 overall in the country. He received unanimous support from the Rivals national analyst team and is someone who is flirting with five-star status entering the fall.
Speaking of LSU’s national appeal, Kole Taylor committed to the Tigers in July. The Colorado tight end was a huge riser in the latest rankings update, jumping from the unranked to No. 241 in the country as a new member of the Rivals250. Taylor currently ranks as the No. 8 tight end.
LSU’s top offensive tackle target for 2020 is Marcus Dumervil. He’s been trending for the Tigers for some time and recently saw his stock rise. The South Florida native ascended 40 spots to No. 124 in the country and has a good chance of cracking the Rivals100 with a big showing this year.
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5. Florida sees Wingo jump 115 spots
The Gators’ class is on the come-up and could be poised for a strong finish into the Early Signing Period. After a strong spring and summer on the recruiting trail, the class is beginning to take shape.
Derek Wingo was the biggest riser of any prospect in America. The four-star linebacker leaped up 115 spots and is now sitting as the No. 35-ranked prospect overall. Wingo, of course, took home Linebacker MVP Honors after showing out at the Five-Star Challenge and the Florida commitment has a chance to earn a fifth star with a strong performance this fall.
Wingo’s future teammate, Rashad Torrence, also benefited this rankings update. Torrence jumped from the unranked to crack the Rivals250. The Peach State standout improved to the No. 16 safety in the country and No. 227 overall.
One prospect with major ties to Gainesville is wide receiver Xzavier Henderson, who recently debuted inside the Rivals250. Henderson, whose brother plays for Florida, is now tabbed as the No. 115 player in America. He remains a top target for Dan Mullen.
