Rivals Rankings Week: Roundtable on the 2024 rankings

The post-spring rankings update has wrapped up but there are still plenty of storylines to discuss as the summer begins. The national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia, Adam Gorney, Cole Patterson and Greg Smith – sit down at the Rankings Roundtable and discuss.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-star countdown | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: Rivals 250 released | Ten prospects on the verge of five-star status | Gorney's thoughts

Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | QB rankings spotlight | RB rankings spotlight | WR/TE rankings spotlight | OL rankings spotlight

Thursday: Defensive position rankings released | DL rankings spotlight | LB rankings spotlight | DB rankings spotlight

Friday: State rankings released | Who will finish as top RB?

Saturday: Rankings Roundtable

UPDATED 2024 RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | All-Purpose Back | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Defensive Tackle | Strongside Defensive End | Weakside Defensive End | Outside Linebacker | Inside Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety | Athlete

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Friedman: This is a tough one because Tyseer Denmark can be dominant but there are a lot of questions about where he is in his development. The Oregon commit has gotten by mainly on his athleticism, great ball skills, and ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. With three rankings updates remaining for the 2024 class, there is still plenty of time for Denmark to show the technical development that could help him make an impact early in his career and reverse his rankings slide.

Garcia: What appeared to be a knee-jerk reaction early at the Elite 11 Finals became a bit of a trend for Jadyn Davis, who was very up and down throughout the week in Los Angeles. The Michigan commitment has a low and extended throwing motion despite plus velocity, and his third level game needs to be an area of focus moving forward. Few have the experience and wins under their belt like Davis, and we always acknowledge Friday nights counting the most, but inefficiency on air is a red flag.

Gorney: There is no question that St. Louis (Mo.) University's Ryan Wingo is an incredibly talented prospect but I'm just not sure he's a five-star. He is unquestionably a big target and someone who can make plays coming off the line of scrimmage but I do wonder about his speed and ability to separate. Don't get me wrong; Wingo is very good. But will he put up such big numbers in college and then blow NFL execs away at the combine to demand a first-round grade? I'm not sold right now.

Patterson: It's an impressive group of wide receivers with Jeremiah Smith and Micah Hudson leading the way nationally. Ryan Wingo is a talented wideout and coveted target out of St. Louis, but I'm not sure he should be ranked above talents like Cam Coleman or Bryant Wesco, who offer intriguing upside at the position. The rest of the summer and then into the fall will help shake things out at receiver.

Smith: There are 15 5.9 four-star strongside defensive ends on our latest rankings update. There is a lot of wiggle room there to reorder guys and one that I would pick is Melissa (Texas) defender Nigel Smith. He’s got a huge offer sheet but I don’t see the same upside as players like Daealyn Evans and Charleston Collins.

I worry that Smith has maxed out in high school where he can dominate with pure strength. We’ll get the chance to find out at the college level about that. Penn State, Ohio State and Oklahoma have all received official visits from him. Texas A&M is scheduled for late June and a trip to Texas is planned early in the season.

Friedman: Not only is Rivals the only network to rank Elijah Moore as a four-star prospect, we're the only outlet to rank him among the nation's top 250 prospects. Judging by the reviews of his performance at OT7 the past few days, moving Moore up to No. 213 in the Rivals250 may not have been enough. The 6-foot-3 receiver is an outstanding downfield threat and he is very productive in the red zone. He has a huge catch radius and reliable hands, which make him a favorite target for quarterbacks. Moore has had a great offseason but soon it'll be time for him to show he can be just as productive in games this fall.

Garcia: Elias Rudolph has length, bend and production to his name and he has flashed all offseason ahead of working in south Florida, all the type of marks that could be built into a rise up the ranks. If the trend continues for the blue-chipper, currently outside the top 200, he could push into top 100 range in a hurry. The premium position prospect is also close to ending the process between Michigan and Pitt.

Gorney: This is one of the better tight end groups in recent memory especially from a depth perspective but I still believe Carter Nelson is ranked too low. Georgia absolutely loves this kid, Notre Dame is battling for him and Nebraska is right there as well. We moved the Ainsworth, Neb. standout into the Rivals250 at No. 159 overall and up to the seventh-best tight end but it's probably not high enough. The word is Georgia thinks Nelson could be Brock Bowers-like which deserves a second look and hopefully we get it at an all-star event.

Patterson: Mississippi outside linebacker Jamonta Waller was one of the biggest risers in the Rivals250 update, jumping from just inside the top-200 to the top-70. But he could be even higher thanks to his ability to get after the quarterback so effectively. Waller is a bit of a hybrid backer and can fill multiple roles in the defense. He is just scratching the surface of what he can develop into as programs like Penn State, Auburn, Florida and others battle it out for his pledge.

Smith: I refuse to believe there are 11 cornerbacks in the country better than Lake Belton's (Texas) Selman Bridges. Standing at 6-foot-4, 190 pounds he’s got extreme length that can make things difficult for any wide receiver. He’s fast enough to stick with receivers in coverage and has good ball skills too. His track times back that up where he competes in the 200m dash, triple jump and relay teams.

I got a good look at his skill set at the Under Armour Camp in Dallas back in March. Bridges’ upside is through the roof with his blend of size and speed. It wouldn’t surprise me moving forward if he shoots back up the rankings. Texas has really turned up the heat in his recruitment. Several schools are involved here including Alabama and USC.

Friedman: Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of Air Noland as a prospect before this spring. The numbers are stacked against lefty quarterbacks but the Ohio State commit has shown outstanding development over the last year and it translated to a huge rise in the Rivals250. Noland has been excellent this week at the Elite 11 and his ceiling remains sky high. He has a great athletic profile and there isn't a throw Noland can't make. It wouldn't be surprising to see Noland push for another jump up the rankings as the year goes on.

Gorney: Some of the best defensive tackle film from last season came from Jericho Johnson out of Fairfield (Calif.) Armijo as he showed off violent hands, relentless motor, an ability to push interior offensive linemen into the backfield and the speed and athleticism to get small, be physical and create major problems regularly. But he was doing it against so-so Northern California competition. Johnson showed up at the Super 7 tournament earlier this spring and while he didn't participate it was clear he had an awesome frame and looked like the complete package. His recruitment has taken off and I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up right in that third spot among defensive tackles right behind the two current five-stars.

Patterson: Two players jump to mind for me here. Five-star Kamarion Franklin is the obvious choice. He's a game-wrecking defensive end with ready-made ability to make an impact on the next level at the school of his choice. Further down in the rankings, I am really high on four-star corner Selman Bridges. He's a long corner with a track and basketball background that points to some exciting developmental upside.

Smith: It’s very unusual for a player from Idaho to have the buzz around him that Burley High School wide receiver Gatlin Bair has. Bair racked up 73 catches for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns in his junior season. That started the national buzz but then it kicked into overdrive during track season. Track season was highlighted by a blazing 10.18 at the Texas relays.

Bair eats up the competition on the track but will exclusively play football in college. That’s after his almost two-year LDS mission. He has the second-highest debut of any player in the Rivals250 at No. 40. If he can show that he can dominate against national competition then another discussion will need to happen: if Bair is worthy of a five-star rating.