The latest Rivals100 for the 2020 class has been released with some big changes up and down the list as well as four new five-star prospects. Here’s a breakdown of some of the big moves at the top as well as why the new five-stars were minted.
2020 RANKINGS: Mind of Mike | Video highlights of top 10 | Three players on cusp of top 10
Our No. 1 player stays the same as California quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei remains on top but not after some discussion. No. 2, Texas running back Zachary Evans, made a strong push and our No. 3, California linebacker Justin Flowe, was in the discussion as well. But Uiagalelei held on for many reasons, mainly that the quarterback position is so vital and he’s so rare as a prospect. He has size, arm strength, accuracy and all the intangibles to be a special player at the college level and beyond.
Evans, arguably the best running back at this stage since Adrian Peterson, was so impressive this summer he leapfrogged Flowe, who is one of the best linebackers I’ve seen at this young age. Two defensive ends round out the top five as Maryland’s Bryan Bresee checks in at No. 4 and Washington end Sav’ell Smalls is at No. 5.
New five-star Elias Ricks jumped 17 spots to No. 6 overall (breakdown below) and is followed by two Georgia prospects at No. 7 and No. 8 in offensive lineman Myles Hinton and athlete Arik Gilbert. Linebackers Mekhail Sherman and Antoine Sampah, both from the Washington, D.C. area, round out the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 10 respectively.
Myles Murphy, Kelee Ringo and Justin Rogers are new five-stars in addition to Ricks. Here’s our analysts' breakdown of all the new five-stars.
“The first thing that stands out about Ricks is his tremendous length. He has incredibly long arms and he uses them to his advantage at cornerback. The new five-star is wiry strong, he's aggressive as any cornerback I've seen in a few years, he loves to compete and be physical and he's incredibly competitive as well. At the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas, Ricks frustrated receivers all day long and dominated during one-on-ones. USC has to be considered the front-runner but Ohio State, LSU and others remain in contention.” - Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
“Murphy really burst onto the scene last fall. He has since added weight, gotten stronger, kept his quickness and emerged as one of the top juniors in America. He puts in the work and he is very good now, but still has so much upside. If he doesn’t get to the quarterback, then he still effects the passing game with his length in the passing lanes. Murphy is a defensive end who can stay on the field and be equally effective against the run and pass. Auburn, Clemson and Georgia are viewed as three legitimate contenders at this time.“ – Chad Simmons, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
“I thought Ringo really made a statement about his speed and athleticism by going to the Five-Star Challenge this summer, competing in the Fastest on the Field competition and then winning it. He's a super smart player who takes that intelligence, combines it with superior athleticism and physical gifts and then goes out on the field and makes plays. He could be a dynamic offensive player as well, but Ringo is most special at safety, scanning the field, breaking on the ball and making big plays. A native of Washington, the Huskies are a serious contender early on but USC, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ohio State are up there as well.” – Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
“At 6-foot-3.5 and 310 pounds Rogers is not a guy who immediately jumps off the field at you. It does not take long, however, to recognize how dynamic and ahead of his years the southeast Michigan native is. We saw that again in his junior season opener when he went both ways playing primarily linebacker on defense and registered double-digit tackles while maintaining his high level of play at right tackle. The comparison to former Alabama lineman Andre Smith is lofty, but also spot-on. Expect Rogers to release a top eight soon, and Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and USC are locks to survive.” – Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst
