The initial rankings release for the 2027 class has wrapped up and there were plenty of controversial decisions that coaches, players and fans are discussing.

The national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr., Adam Gorney, Marshall Levenson, Greg Smith and Sam Spiegelman – sit down at the Rankings Roundtable and discuss.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1 in the 2027 class?

Monday: Top 100 released | Meet the five-stars | Gorney on LaDamion Guyton

Tuesday: Position-by-position breakdown | Rumor Mill

Wednesday: Programs to watch | Ten who could be five-stars

Thursday: Roundtable

Adam Friedman: Jaxx DeJean. Football runs in the DeJean family and Jaxx is certainly a very good player but it’s hard to get onboard with him being a top-100 prospect right now. What helped make his brother Cooper so special was his speed in the open field. Jaxx hasn’t shown that type of burst and it’s still unclear what position he’ll fit in at best. I’m onboard with him being a four-star but No. 56 in the nation is a bit too high right now.

John Garcia Jr.: Gunner Rivers. All of these releases are early, of course, so for the sophomore class it's about getting the context right just as much as the evaluation itself. For Rivers, who plays Class 4A ball in Alabama, the competition has probably accelerated his recruiting rise just as much as his last name has. Of course there are no-brainer physical tools at play here, including a quick and condensed throwing motion that adds up to a dynamic release all on the type of frame one would expect from NFL bloodlines. But even in St. Michael Catholic's closest game through its first four in 2024, a 20-19 win, the defense rarely created true pressure on the young star. We'll probably get to measure Rivers with more high-level exposure as his prep career progresses, but the five-star range he currently sits within may be a bit of a leap with what we have gathered on Rivers thus far.

Adam Gorney: Ben'Jarvius Shumaker. Shumaker is a very talented defensive tackle with a great swim move but he's currently ranked No. 11 overall which means he will almost definitely be a five-star prospect unless he moves down 20 spots as we continue with the 2027 rankings. I'm not certain I see a five-star up the middle yet although the Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County standout is very disruptive and has some good speed for his size. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are his main offers so far even though teammate Caleb Cunningham is committed to Alabama and Auburn is trying to flip him so it will be something to watch moving forward.

Marshall Levenson: Mark Bowman. This is a bit of a tacky answer, because I do believe Bowman is the top tight end in the class. It's the top-10 ranking I have reservations on. Since 2000, there have been 25 first round tight ends and just four of them have been in the top 10, only two of those having come in the last 15 years. So for a tight end to be as high as Bowman is at No. 8, we have to be sure he is a beyond elite talent, and while he certainly fits the mold with his body type and skillset, I don't think we have seen enough on the field quite yet to feel comfortable he will stay in the top 10.

Greg Smith: Gunner Rivers. Gunner is the son of former NFL star Phillip Rivers so it’s easy to see how he could develop and be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class. However, I don’t think he’s there just yet to be ranked in the top 25. Watching his sophomore season unfold will be interesting and he'll get plenty of opportunities to show what he's got. We don't know much about his recruitment either since he has no social media and doesn’t report offers.

Sam Spiegelman: Trenton Yancey. We love what we've seen early on from Yancey – both on the field during his time at Arlington (Texas) Lamar and in the early part of his sophomore season at Duncanville (Texas) as a weapon for Alabama-bound five-star QB Keelon Russell. Yancey is a blazer and can stretch the defense and provide an explosive deep threat to an offense. Ultimately, however, there are others at the position and other premium positions that might shake up the top 10 down the road.

Adam Friedman: Justin Weeks. Weeks is a three-sport athlete with the explosive pass rushing traits college coaches are looking for. While the 2027 class does look to have a deep group of talented defensive ends, I’m not sure No. 45 overall is high enough for Weeks. The potential he has a pass rushing defensive end and the athleticism he possesses to eventually stand up and play in space is tremendous. He’ll be one to watch as the cycle moves forward.

John Garcia Jr.: Censere Gaylord. We recently got a fresh look at IMG Academy in action and against a high-powered, defending state champion Cocoa High School offense, Gaylord looked like the best defensive back on the field. He has a strong frame relative to his age, at 6-foot, but it's the fluidity and ball skills he flashes that makes for a case to be even higher than he is ranked coming out of the gates. The California native has made a seamless transition to IMG and he has earned playing time against many older prospects in the process. We even saw him shadowing the opponent's WR1 at times early this season, confirming the trust the Ascenders' staff has in the sophomore. As Gaylord fills out his frame and improves on his already ahead-of-the-curve technique, he may be in position to compete for the top cornerback spot in the 2027 ranking.

Adam Gorney: David Jacobs. Jacobs is a respectable No. 21 overall and the third-best weak-side defensive end but if we're projecting out a few years, I could easily see him as a five-star prospect. The Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trinity standout has outstanding length and burst off the edge, he's super productive against great competition and he has an ideal build for a future first-rounder. All the top weakside defensive ends in the 2027 class are in Georgia and other than LaDamion Guyton at No. 1 overall, Jacobs is next on my list.

Marshall Levenson: Malachi Zeigler. I have been a major proponent of Zeigler and his abilities since the spring and I will continue to do so. While he is an example of one we have not seen a ton of on-field production on yet, his skillset at quarterback will make him one of the more sought after prospects in this class. He has one of the strongest arms this cycle and at 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, he is very mobile and has the ability to use his legs as a legitimate weapon. At that size, with his arm, I feel very good about his future.

Greg Smith: Holden Niemi. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end out of Michigan has great size and moves well at the tight end position. He’s already caught the eye of several big-time programs around the country including Georgia and Alabama. The battle for top tight end in the Midwest and the country will be fierce once again but Niemi is a safe bet to be a riser.

Sam Spiegelman: Caden Moss. Moss may be a tad too low on this list. One of the best in Mississippi and one of the best pure athletes in this 2027 cycle, Moss checks a ton of boxes playing left tackle for Jackson (Miss.) Academy. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Moss boasts an 81-inch wingspan and is very agile working off the line. He's enormous, powerful and light on his feet, and shows a ton of upside as an underclassman playing a premium position.

Adam Friedman: Myles McAfee. McAfee was one of the standouts of the offseason and he’s gotten off to a great start this fall. It’s his first season at Archbishop Spalding and he has quickly developed a strong connection with class of 2025 four-star quarterback Malik Washington. The two have hooked up for a number of big plays in the first few games of the season and that should continue if both remain healthy. McAfee isn’t a blazer and hasn’t posted elite speed measurables in the combine setting but he has excellent hands, is a great route runner, and has the length to give quarterbacks big windows to throw into. Watching his game develop over the next couple years will be very exciting.

John Garcia Jr.: Kenton Dopson III. He's big, he's physical, he's polished and his athleticism is verified. There's just such a high floor when considering Dopson's evaluation, whether one is laser focused on the little things like leverage and speed turns versus man turns or more focused on the overall context and athletic profile, is tough to turn down. Some of that context includes starting as a freshman on the state runner-up Miami (Fla.) Norland Vikings, facing off against elite competition throughout his first campaign and excelling anyway. Now as a sophomore, the big corner with sub 11-second 100-meter dash times looks like one of the top prospects in all of South Florida regardless of class. The only long-term question that may be developed could have to do with his positional projection, should he continue to grow and play at well above 200 pounds, but a nickel or safety with cover corner skills is not the worst place to land at down the line.

Adam Gorney: Damani Warren. Warren could be really special. Like five-star special. Some of his highlight clips from the offseason are some of the best I've seen from any receiver regardless of class and he lives with Utah commit Christian Thatcher and his family and he cannot say enough good things about Warren. Once the 2027 four-star receiver gets more national exposure and gets more on the circuit, he could be in the running for one of the top receivers in the class and a five-star ranking is absolutely going to be under consideration.

Marshall Levenson: Peyton Houston. I have been able to get a live evaluation on nearly all of the top 2027 quarterback prospects in the top 100 and I have repeatedly felt Houston has been the smoothest of the group. He has a very calm demeanor to his game but displays deadly accuracy that slices defenses. In the early going of his career, he has shown the ability to spray the ball anywhere on the field. He throws well on the move, can throw with touch, and is not afraid to tuck the ball and create a play when one is not there. He has grown to be one of my favorite prospects in this class and he can push for the top quarterback in this class.

Greg Smith: Tory Pittman III. Pitman’s offer sheet doesn’t scream top player just yet because he only holds three offers. However, those offers are from Nebraska, Wisconsin and USC. Several more will come for the Omaha native who has all the traits you look for in a modern safety. Pittman is rangy and athletic, but will also come down and make tackles. He’s going to pick up a lot more buzz as the cycle goes on.

Sam Spiegelman: Ahmad Hudson. Hudson is an absolute alien coming out of North Louisiana powerhouse Ruston (La.) High. As a freshman last fall, Hudson showcased the ability to play above the rim and stretch the field vertically on a state championship team. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Hudson was an eye-catcher on multiple occasions this off-season, including LSU's Friday Night Lights camp working out at receiver and as a flex tight end. Hudson's father played hoops for LSU and he also is dynamic on the basketball court. He's equally as skilled as a route-runner with an absurd catch radius and range to be a difference-making pass-catcher that can work multiple levels of the field.