Rivals Rankings Week: Five-star Countdown for 2025 class

The 2025 class is receiving a rankings refresh this week and we kicked it off with the five-star countdown. A dozen five-stars were introduced as rankings director Adam Gorney gave his thoughts on each.

NEW 2025 POSITION RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | Running Back | All-Purpose Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Tackle | Offensive Guard | Center | Defensive Tackle | Weakside Defensive End | Strongside Defensive End | Inside Linebacker | Outside Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety | Athlete

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney's thoughts | Biggest movers

Wednesday: New offensive position rankings released | QB rankings spotlight | RB rankings spotlight | WR/TE rankings spotlight | OL rankings spotlight

Thursday: New defensive position rankings released | DL rankings spotlight | LB rankings spotlight | DB rankings spotlight | ATH rankings spotlight

Friday: New state rankings released | Breaking down state rankings

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FINAL 2023 TEAM RANKINGS: Comprehensive (overall) ranking | High school/JUCO ranking | Transfer portal ranking

CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer portal player ranking | Transfer portal team ranking | Transfer Tracker | Message board

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Gorney's Take: Listed as a strong-side defensive end, Elijah Griffin is now 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds so there is a decent chance he could move inside at the next level. Either way, he’s a dominant defensive lineman who can win on almost every snap.

For someone so big and so young, Griffin shows great athleticism and the ability to close. He’s shaping up to be the next big-time elite defensive lineman in the country.

Georgia has to be considered the early frontrunner but South Carolina and Clemson are also major players right now.

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Gorney's Take: David Sanders could contend for the top-ranked player in the 2025 class throughout that rankings cycle because he continues to get more dominant every time we see him. Gone are the days of a giant offensive lineman who was sort of timid and shied away from mixing it up. The five-star offensive tackle is all of 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds so he’s not fully filled out yet which is great since he’s still physically dominant and moves so well.

Sanders has first-round draft pick written all over him as Georgia, Alabama and all the schools in the Carolinas, among others, battle for him.

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Gorney's Take: The top quarterback in the 2025 class is far from a finished product – and that’s what makes Bryce Underwood so intriguing. The Belleville, Mich., standout does not have the perfect footwork or the pristine throwing motion, but he has all the arm talent in the world, the ball pops off his hand and he controls the ball so well to put it right on the money nearly every time.

A pass-friendly offense is what he’s looking for as Michigan, Michigan State, LSU, Ohio State and others are involved.

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Gorney's Take: Florida State is the early frontrunner for the Miami (Fla.) Central standout but Miami and Florida are also very much involved in Armondo Blount’s recruitment as he’s proven to be a completely disruptive force coming off the edge. Blount is getting bigger and stronger, has kept his speed and burst off the line and has a great inside move as well. More than anything, Blount plays with ferocity and a relentless motor, never stopping until the ball carrier is on the ground.

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Gorney's Take: The Alabama commit can do it all. He blows by cornerbacks who give him any cushion, he’s used on jet sweeps or coming out of the backfield and on special teams. Any time Ryan Williams touches the ball something positive is going to happen because he has outstanding speed, balance and vision.

The No. 1 receiver is not the biggest but he is electric as a route runner and he has phenomenal hands to make tough catches look easy.

Auburn, LSU, Georgia and others will try to flip him but he’s locked in with the Crimson Tide at this point.

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Gorney's Take: There is a danger sometimes of falling in love with big cornerbacks because they can’t turn and run, and aren’t as fluid, but that’s not the case at all with Devin Sanchez. He has incredible length but is also incredibly elegant and smooth in coverage.

Plus, the Houston (Texas) North Shore standout is competitive when the ball is in the air and does a great job knocking passes away when receivers go across the middle. He was extraordinarily good this offseason and looks like the complete package.

Michigan, LSU, Alabama, USC, Texas, Ohio State, Florida State, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M round out his top 10.

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Gorney's Take: There will be a significant battle for the No. 1 receiver spot in the 2025 class and Dakorien Moore will be one to watch in it. He has all the tools to be extra special and he showed them this offseason, especially at the OT7 Nationals. The new LSU commit had two highlight-reel catches in one game, including a one-handed grab where it looked impossible to catch the ball.

Moore also shows off great route running, speed down the field and he plays with supreme confidence where he always wants the ball.

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Gorney's Take: Winston Watkins Jr. has committed to Colorado, he’s already earned five-star status and has received basically every accolade possible so far in his career. And still the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy goes out there every time looking to make a point and prove he’s the best one on the field.

He’s also filling out more physically and has kept his speed, elusiveness and playmaking ability as Watkins continues to prove he’s a threat to make something big happen on every play.

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Gorney's Take: This is not hyperbole: I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Douglas Utu lose a rep in a game or at any camp setting going over the last couple years. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman offensive lineman has such a powerful base, he anchors and once he gets his hands on the defender, the rep is basically over. Utu just completely controls things. He’s a quiet kid who goes out there and dominates over and over again.

USC, Oklahoma and many others are involved as Utu continues to show everyone he’s incredibly consistent and versatile along the line.

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Gorney's Take: There might not be a player with the length and ranginess of DJ Pickett in the 2025 class and while he will need to add some weight in the coming years, the five-star safety has one of the best frames in recent memory. Pickett is wiry but can also play physically in coverage, he can turn and run with anybody, and he will always be around the ball to contest catches because of that outstanding length.

It’s why Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon have emerged as some early standouts and at least one of them has talked about Pickett playing receiver as well.

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Gorney's Take: There was a chance Jonah Williams was going to transfer to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy this offseason but he’s stayed at Galveston (Texas) Ball and a big junior season is ahead for the new five-star.

Williams said this summer “God willing” he can stay at safety over the long term but he has such an impressive and big frame it wouldn’t be a shock to see him move down to linebacker and be super athletic and rangy there.

Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Texas and Ohio State are the four to watch but Williams has remained open in his recruitment, too.

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Gorney's Take: Jordan Davison is the featured running back on a team that also has Georgia commit Nate Frazier. But the 2025 new five-star is so reliable holding onto the ball, has such great vision in tight quarters and then always finds a way to jump-cut or burst through the line for extra yards.

He’s best between the tackles although the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout can also break it to the outside and run by people.

Alabama is pushing hard but Georgia, Ohio State, Texas and others remain in his top group.

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