Rivals Rankings Week: Meet the new five-stars

Rivals Rankings Week for the 2022 class kicked off on Monday and five new five-star prospects were unveiled. Take a closer look at each of the players that was elevated to elite status.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Saturday: Who should be awarded fifth star?

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown

Tuesday: New Rivals250 revealed

Wednesday: Offensive position rankings

Thursday: Defensive position rankings

Friday: State rankings

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"A versatile end/outside linebacker, Alexander is a Mack truck. He can get down on the line with his hand on the turf, stand up at linebacker and come off the edge attacking the quarterback. Regardless of the down and distance or situational aspects to the game, Alexander can defend against it all, and at an elite level.

"The Alabama commit spearheaded a nasty Warriors (13-1) squad that only allowed 99 total points this season while he had a team-high 86 stops with 27 tackles for a loss and 27 credited QB hurries." – Ryan Wright, National Recruiting Analyst

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"It was basically impossible to keep McMillan from five-star status because he had such an outstanding and dominant season, and could not be stopped by anybody. McMillan is so long and athletic, and I would argue he's the purest pass catcher in the entire class. From size, length, athleticism and playmaking ability, McMillan is incredibly special. He's also more physical than he looks and was a huge contributor at defensive back as well.

"The Anaheim (Calif.) Servite standout is committed to Oregon but will watch the coaching situation there closely." – Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director

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"Linebackers do not get any more explosive or violent at the point of impact than what Shemar James brings to the field for Faith Academy. James is so fast, offensive linemen are just getting off the snap and he has already ended the play. Unlike other linebackers in his class, James is so athletic the Rams lined him up on offense at receiver. True to five-star form, he balled out on the other side of the ball.

"Official visits were taken in June to Alabama, Florida and Auburn with a commitment to the Gators on June 20. The uncertainty on the Florida coaching staff led to a decommitment on Oct. 20. Since then, unofficial visits have been taken to Alabama and Florida State with a set official planned on Dec. 10 to Texas A&M. The recruiting battle for James will go down to the wire." - Wright

"Offensive tackles taking on American Heritage have had to deal with the unrelenting pressure applied by Jones. Any mistake made by a tackle or a missed chip by a running back, Jones is a lock to get the quarterback. Jones has elite closing speed and can get it done with a hand in the dirt or in a two-point stance. Taking on top Florida competition throughout his high school career, he will be further along than his 2022 peers ready to contribute earlier than most.

"Jones’ recruiting process is ongoing with a top five of Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. A September official visit was taken to Oklahoma with Alabama and Florida State hosting him in November. Georgia may get the last chance to impress with a planned official to Athens on Dec. 10." - Wright

"Perkins is a Swiss Army knife on the defensive side of the ball capable of impacting the game as a pass-rusher, run defender and in coverage. He possesses tremendous range and plays downhill with outstanding instincts and game-changing potential. As a senior he piled up 1,600 yards of total offense with 24 touchdowns and also had three picks, two sacks and a forced fumble.

"In today's age of positionless football, Perkins never has to come off the field with the versatility to play multiple roles and allow coordinators to be creative with his skill-set. His top three schools are Texas, Texas A&M and LSU." - Sam Spiegelman, National Recruiting Analyst