Rivals Rankings Week: Five top five-star candidates

The updated 2023 rankings will be updated this week and the Rivals analyst team heavily debated who should be the newest five-stars. Each analyst along with National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney weigh in on the top candidates that could be awarded their fifth star.

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Why he should be a five-star: McClain is a true all-around athlete making contributions to his Lake Gibson squad in all three phases of the game. McClain’s ranking in the top-five at his position is not by accident. Going against 6A Florida competition, he picked off an amazing nine passes as a sophomore and, even with teams knowing all about his cover skills, has still managed to swipe five in 2021.

Why he shouldn’t yet: There’s not much to pick on here. His skills will continue to improve, he’ll add more weight to his frame and continue to improve his overall speed and burst.

Recruitment overview: McClain is at the halfway point to 30 offers. Proximity has been to the advantage of UCF, Florida State and Miami taking visits over the summer and this fall. The interesting oddity with visits, BYU hosted McClain on Nov. 6 for a gameday experience.

Why he should be a five-star: Shanahan capitalized on a dominant offseason, including MVP honors at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge last summer in Atlanta, by transferring into Austin (Texas) Westlake and anchoring the best high school offensive line in-state. Shanahan, playing right tackle, plays with a high motor and has a massive mean streak to his game. He's explosive off the ball and a finisher with the ability to negate one or more defenders on any given play.

Why he shouldn't yet: Whether he's a tackle or guard remains to be determined. Shanahan was lights out in 1-on-1 pass-pro sets during camp season and moves defenders off the ball in-season. He's an elite offensive lineman, whether it's at right tackle or inside will be determined later.

Recruitment overview: Texas and Texas A&M have garnered momentum with the Florida transplant, but Georgia, LSU and Ohio State remain in the mix.

Why he should be a five-star: Word around Detroit is that Moore could be the best QB to ever come out of the city. He has elite level field vision, can go through all of his reads, and is very accurate. His mechanics are impressive and he has proven to be a winner. The young QB also plays with a chip on his shoulder and is extremely competitive. What I see on the field, combined with what I have heard about Moore from people I trust in the Detroit area, gives me confidence that he is worthy of five-star consideration.

Why he shouldn't yet: There are very few five-star quarterbacks in each class. In order to be rated that high, you are basically projected to be a draft pick coming out of college. Has Dante done enough to be a player that can come in and take the reigns at QB for a national power at an early stage in his career? That really remains to be seen at this point. To be a five-star QB you can have few, if any weaknesses, and there are still a couple questions about Moore's game.

Recruitment overview: Moore has over 25 offers but Michigan, Notre Dame and Michigan State feel like the front-runners. There are other teams that will be in the mix throughout his recruitment, too.

Why he should be a five-star: Wayne is one of the best-looking prospects in the 2023 class as he's tall, long, physical, moves well and can play multiple positions on both sides of the ball even though he projects as an edge rusher. He is not only dominant physically but he plays with a good motor, he attacks players in the backfield and his length is a real problem for offensive tackles. This is all a projection but if there's one player on the high school level who reminds us of Kayvon Thibodeaux, it would be Wayne.

Why he shouldn’t yet: There really are not many questions about Wayne's physical presence and ability but if something comes to mind it would be whether he maximizes his physical traits to really take over games and dominate. Offensive tackles at the highest level of college football could catch up to him physically so will he still be able to win as many reps once things equal out.

Recruitment overview: Alabama and Georgia have emerged as the front-runners early in his recruitment. Washington, Oregon and a scattershot of other national programs are also in the mix.

Why he should be a five-star: Mauigoa has a rare combination of size, strength, and athleticism and he'll only get better at the finer points of the game as he gains experience. He's playing mostly offensive tackle right now but Mauigoa could easily be a dominant defensive tackle too. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound lineman is still very new but his ceiling is so high that making him a five-star is certainly a possibility.

Why he shouldn't yet: Mauigoa is an outstanding athletic specimen but here is a lot he still has to learn when it comes to technique. Whether he ends up an offensive tackle or defensive tackle, Mauigoa faces a steep learning curve once he gets to the next level and that could limit his impact at the college level and his chances at becoming at top NFL Draft pick.

Recruitment overview: The recruitment of Mauigoa is fairly quiet while the season is gong on but it will surely pick up soon. He has the attention of college coaches across the country but it's a solid bet he will end up on the West Coast so teams like Oregon, USC, and others are in good position.