Rivals Rankings Week: New 2020 Texas state rankings
After a small batch of games last weekend, football in Texas really gets into gear this weekend, so the timing couldn’t be better for the release of the new Texas 2020 state rankings. While there wasn’t an abundance of moves from the last update, there were some significant changes. Here is a look at some of the biggest themes of the most recent list.
MORE STATE RANKINGS SPOTLIGHTS: Midwest | Mid-Atlantic
1. Expansion from a top 50 to a top 75
Twenty-five players were added to the state rankings in this update – and the list could have gone on a bit longer than that. Some players such as Aledo’s Monterren Parks or Richmond-Foster’s Chidozie Nwankwo have been known talents for some time, but there just wasn’t room for them in the state rankings among the other more-established prospects at the top of the class.
Now, not only are they represented, but they’re also joined by several players from perhaps some more lightly-recruited parts of the state making their debuts as well. Nacogdoches guard Riley Birdwell only has a couple of early offers but looks like a full-grown man already. The Woodlands-College Park offensive tackle Joshua Bankhead wasn’t a name that was heard from much prior to his commitment to Texas A&M this past spring but is now included as well.
Also a few players that should see their recruitment pick up in a big way this fall, like Houston-North Shore defensive back Joseph Wilson and Lufkin wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk carved out a spot in this update.
2. Movement at the top
The big winner in Texas overall in the most recent update of the 2020 Rivals rankings was Mesquite-Poteet running back Seth McGowan, who moved up 24 spots to the 20th overall player in the country. He’s now the second-ranked player in the state behind fellow running back Zachary Evans, who is the second overall player in the nation following the summer evaluation period.
Wide receiver Demond Demas slid in front of running back Jase McClellan and Bryson Washington drops in at seventh in the rankings after it looked for a time as though he would be playing his football in California this season. Defensive back Dwight McGlothern slid and is now holding off Lorando Johnson for the time being.
3. Two unoffered names to keep an eye on
The under-recruitment of College Station seems to be a legitimate thing. Geographically, it’s not too far from Houston, but it seems as though other programs are hesitant to try and lure players from a city built around Texas A&M. Meanwhile, the Aggies have been plucking players from everywhere else.
Two players from A&M Consolidated: Nate Floyd and Brian Darby were flat-out stars on the 7-on-7 circuit this spring and should be offered by some team if not A&M. Floyd plays wide receiver but is a natural at defensive back, while Darby is a thicker prospect that looks like a running back but is as dynamic a wide receiver as was seen in the state this offseason.
In addition to those two, Devin Price, son of A&M assistant Terry Price, continues to go without an offer from the Aggies as well but also had a pretty impressive spring and summer.
4. Moves at defensive end
The state was littered with weakside defensive ends in 2019, but outside of a few names in 2020, there isn’t the same sort of depth at that position just yet. Two strongside defensive ends made some big moves as new four-stars, however.
Houston-area prospect Vernon Broughton edged his way into the back end of the Rivals250 and up to 30th in the state rankings while Manor recruit Princely Umanmielen is a new 5.8 four-star as well and is at the threshold of players from the state that sit just on the outside looking-in of the top 250.
Beyond those guys, another defensive end prospect isn’t found until Allen Horace, who is currently listed as an athlete, but will likely grow into a defensive line talent.
5. Talents that seem primed for more offers
The pace of the start to the 2020 recruiting cycle has been difficult to pin down. Several players have chosen to commit on their first offers right out of the gate, some players that are clearly among the most talented players in the state are still waiting for their first offers and relative select few at the top have seemed to command the majority of offers passed out in the state overall.
Houston-Lamar tight end Reggie Brown is a player that might not get the opportunity to show how talented he is this season in an offense that didn’t really feature him last season, but is worthy of more offers than he currently has.
Waco running back Jayveon Sunday holds offers from Baylor and Kansas already but is part of what’s shaping up to be a deep class of running backs. Ken Seals just missed staying in the Rivals250, but could be due for a flurry of offers to start the season and play his way back into it in a big way.
Finally, players such as Andrej Karic, Jalen Kimber and Herbert Gums have all picked up a few offers to start their recruitments but seem primed to be among the next group of movers in the post-fall rankings.