Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2025 class

It's an abbreviated Rivals Rankings Week, as we update the 2025 Rivals250, along with new position and state rankings for the class. As always, we kicked off Rivals Rankings Week with the Five-Star Countdown.

Here is a look at the 10 five-stars, along with Rivals recruiting director Adam Gorney's thoughts on each.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Monday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Latest recruiting news for 2025 stars | Five-Star Countdown | Position-by-position through the new Rivals250 | Rivals Rankings Podcast | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: New position rankings | Gorney's position-by-position comparisons | Friedman's new faces to know

Wednesday: New state rankings released | Top battles in state rankings

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Gorney's Take: For more than six minutes on his sophomore season highlight tape, Griffin is absolutely dominating offensive linemen in every way imaginable and making play after play in the backfield.

He has the speed to get to the outside and crush quarterbacks coming off the edge. He has the burst and power to dip his shoulder for inside moves to shut down running backs near the line of scrimmage. And what makes Griffin extra special is that he has speed in the open field and balance in tight spots to wrap up and get players on the ground.

Others will push for No. 1 but Griffin is a really special player as Georgia looks best in his recruitment with South Carolina, Florida, Florida State and others involved.

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Gorney's Take: The comp for David Sanders is former five-star D.J. Humphries but the 2025 five-star offensive tackle is a little taller and longer. Still, the two are big, leaned out at the same stage and dominant at their position, possessing a little more strength than they’re given credit for.

Humphries ended up as a first-round NFL Draft pick and still plays in the league. That’s the projection for Sanders, who at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds is exactly what top programs are looking for – guys who have not maxed out yet but have all the requisite talent, skill and desire to become elite.

Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson are battling it out with North Carolina in the mix, too.

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Gorney's Take: History is on Bryce Underwood’s side for being the No. 1 pick since quarterbacks have dominated the top spot in the NFL Draft over the last three decades and the Belleville, Mich., standout has all the tools to be special. His mechanics are not as precise as others in the class but the ball gets to its destination accurately and on time. He has the physical gifts to make things happen with his feet as well.

Last season, Underwood threw for 2,751 yards and 37 touchdowns and also ran for 642 yards and eight scores.

Michigan, Michigan State, LSU, USC and others have emerged.

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Gorney's Take: The 2025 wide receiver group is absolutely loaded with high-end talent but we like Ryan Williams the best because he’s an incredibly smooth route runner with great speed, phenomenal hands and he gets open against anybody he wants in any setting.

Whether it’s the all-important games or against elite competition at camps, the Alabama commit has an effortlessness about him that is so impressive because the production is still there – 88 passes for 1,641 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.

Georgia, LSU, Auburn and many others are trying to flip him but those overtures have not worked yet.

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Gorney's Take: Maybe Armondo Blount does not have the incredible length of some other defensive ends in 2024 and 2025, but his motor is relentless. And his power is evident against some very talented offensive tackles that get completely blown back when Blount comes hunting.

The Miami (Fla.) Miami Central standout disregards anything in his way of pursuing the ball carrier and then he puts an emphasis on getting those players to the ground.

Miami has to like its chances here but Alabama, Ohio State, Florida and Oklahoma all are in the running for him.

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Gorney's Take: The Houston (Texas) North Shore five-star has better length and fluidity than any cornerback, even in the 2024 class. At 6-foot-3, Sanchez moves so incredibly well in coverage that he could emerge even higher on this list.

At OT7 Nationals, Sanchez was phenomenal poking the ball away with his long arms, turning and running with speed receivers, and coming up to make plays on short passes.

Ohio State, Alabama, Texas A&M and Oklahoma look best early on.

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Gorney's Take: A few years ago, Winston Watkins Jr. was a competitive and talented prospect but he was way undersized. That seemed to put a ceiling on his ranking.

The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout, who’s committed to Colorado, has smashed through that ceiling by getting a little bigger and much stronger and now everywhere Watkins goes, he seems to dominate.

The five-star receiver was just as good as five-star Carnell Tate at IMG last season and his offseason is going really well, too.

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Gorney's Take: There is an unassuming quality to Douglas Utu where he doesn’t yell or scream or talk trash to the defensive linemen he goes up against. But it is just pure domination.

The new five-star prospect from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman has an incredibly strong base, great footwork and hands. Utu does an excellent job resetting for a second move and then taking down defensive linemen that way as well.

He’s never off balance and he never guesses what’s about to happen. In some ways, Utu is like a taller Isaac Seumalo, who’s had a long and successful NFL career.

Oklahoma, USC and many others are involved.

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Gorney's Take: The new five-star receiver from Duncanville, Texas, had the best catch at OT7 Nationals where Dakorien Moore went up one-handed and brought down a slightly overthrown ball. It was incredible to see that level of athleticism, concentration and playmaking ability to bring it in. Minutes later, Moore almost had another great reception but he was ruled out of bounds.

The five-star has elite hands, he’s fast and dynamic. If the quarterback throws the ball up, there’s no pass he cannot go get.

Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and USC appeal to him most right now.

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Gorney's Take: What stands out most about DJ Pickett is that he’s simply a phenomenal athlete. Plug him in at safety or wide receiver or wherever else and the Zephyrhills, Fla., standout is going to make plays.

He has length, speed, athleticism and then a special knack to always be around the ball. As a one-high safety, Pickett can cover ground to either knock passes down or pick the ball off. He can also come up and hit if needed.

That’s why Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and many others are interested.