Rivals Rankings Week: Five programs that should be pleased
The Rivals250 for the class of 2020 has been updated and some committed prospects moved up and others moved down in the rankings, leaving some fan bases a bit happier than others. We focus on the positive in this space, as we have a look at five programs that have reason to smile after the release.
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: Position rankings revealed
CLEMSON
The king stay king, as they say. Not only does Clemson hold the nation’s No. 1 class, it also has a commitment from No. 1 overall prospect D.J. Uiagalelei. Offensive line commit Walker Parks also got a healthy bump in the update. That’s all to say things are good for the defending champs. The Tigers will almost certainly land the No. 1 class in the country, as they have a number of highly-ranked targets left on the board. Success tends to compound in college football, and that’s what’s taking place here.
FLORIDA STATE
Florida State saw it’s quarterback commit Jeffrey Simms crack the Rivals250 while massive linebacker Keyshawn Greene made his way from outside the rankings to No. 227. Still, the biggest move for any Seminoles pledge was that of Demorie Tate. A long, rangy cornerback with impressive coverage skills, Tate was a four-star outside the Rivals250 last time around but now finds himself ranked No. 66 in the country.
NOTRE DAME
Notre Dame has positioned itself well to land a top-10 class should it catch a few breaks, and the good news continued in the latest update. Running back pledge Chris Tyree moved from a 5.9 to a 6.0 four-star and jumped 24 spots in the national rankings. Tight end commit Michael Mayer also slid up 13 spots. Irish fans should be encouraged by the class Brian Kelly is assembling as the cycle approaches its back stretch. The Top of Notre Dame’s 2020 class is especially strong. If Kelly is able to add depth to the headliners, this could end up being quite a haul.
TEXAS
Tom Herman’s momentum continues to build, as an appearance in the Big 12 title game has given way to a 2020 recruiting class that currently tops the league. Of course the headline on this update when it comes to the Longhorns is the fact running back pledge Bijan Robinson added his fifth star and became the No. 19 player in the country. There wasn’t much more major movement for Texas pledges within the Rivals250, but adding a five-star to an already strong class is enough to land the Horns on this list.
TEXAS A&M
Aggie commit Muhsin Muhammad slid within the the Rivals250, but the good news far outweighs the bad for Jimbo Fisher and company. Aggie quarterback commit Haynes King jumped from outside the Rivals250 to the No. 82 slot. Meanwhile, A&M cornerback pledge Jaylon Jones received an 80-spot bump and now ranks as the No. 39 player in America. Defensive tackle commit Isaiah Raikes also busted his way into the rankings.