Rivals Rankings Week: States with most prospects in 2024 Rivals250
The updated Rivals250 for the 2024 class has been released, and while the same states make up the top five for Rivals250 prospects there have been some minor moves in terms of the talent distribution.
Texas remained at the top with 42 prospects, four fewer than the previous release. Florida came in at No. 2 with 38 prospects, followed by Georgia with 32, California with 24 and Alabama rounding out the top five with 12 players.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1 in the 2024 Rivals250?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | There's a new No. 1 in 2024 | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: Rivals250 released | Gorney's thoughts | Ten biggest risers
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | Breaking down the QBs | Breaking down the RBs | Breaking down the WRs/TEs | Breaking down the OL
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released | Breaking down the DL | Breaking down the LBs | Breaking down the DBs | Breaking down the ATHs
Friday: State rankings released
NEW POSITION RANKINGS: Athlete | Cornerback | Safety | Inside linebacker | Outside linebacker | Strongside DE | Weakside DE | Defensive tackle | Offensive tackle | Offensive guard | Center | Tight end | Wide receiver | Running back | All-purpose RB | Pro-style QB | Dual-threat QB
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Texas: 42 players
Texas Tech five-star receiver commit Micah Hudson is the new No. 1 player in Texas. The future Red Raider overtook five-star Texas defensive end commit Colin Simmons. Hudson's outstanding playmaking ability and ridiculous ball skills were just too much to not reward with a boost in the rankings.
Five-star Georgia linebacker commit Justin Williams is next on the list, followed by Florida commit and new five-star quarterback DJ Lagway and then new five-star and Texas A&M commit Terry Bussey, who rounds out the top five.
The state of Texas has a total of 10 players in the top 50 of the Rivals250. One of the notable movers was Oklahoma running back commit Taylor Tatum. The prolific ball carrier now ranks as the No. 1 running back in the nation. In fact, the state of Texas has the top-ranked player at five different positions – Lagway at dual-threat quarterback, Tatum at running back, Simmons at weakside defensive end, Williams at inside linebacker and Bussey at athlete.
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Florida: 38 players
Perhaps the biggest news in this update to the rankings was five-star Ohio State receiver commit Jeremiah Smith moving up to No. 1 overall in the Rivals250. The Florida native is one of the best receiver prospects we've seen in recent years and he continually lives up to the lofty expectations with each performance.
Oklahoma five-star defensive tackle commit David Stone, Georgia five-star cornerback commit Ellis Robinson, new five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and Miami five-star safety commit Zaquan Patterson represent the top five of the Florida state rankings.
The state of Florida is also home to Florida State five-star defensive end commit Armondo Blount and Florida five-star outside linebacker commit Myles Graham.
Seven different positions are led by players from the Sunshine State. Smith, Stone, Robinson, Seaton, and Graham all rank No. 1 at their respective positions. At No. 28 in the Rivals250, Eddy Pierre-Louis is the top-ranked offensive guard in the nation. USC commit Jason Zandamela, No. 215 in the Rivals250, ranks as the No. 1 center.
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Georgia: 32 players in the Rivals250
Even though additional five-stars weren't handed out in the Peach State during this rankings update the state of Georgia increased its total number of Rivals250 prospects by one.
Five-star Georgia commit Dylan Raiola sits at No. 2 in the Rivals250 and remained the top-ranked quarterback in the nation. Florida State safety commit KJ Bolden is still the No. 1 safety in the class and No. 2 in the state rankings. Eddrick Houston, a five-star defensive end committed to Ohio State, stuck at No. 3 in the state rankings but did move up slightly in the Rivals250. Raiola, Bolden and Houston are teammates at Buford High School.
Five-star Tennessee receiver commit Mike Matthews and five star Ohio State quarterback commit Air Noland round out the top five in the Georgia state rankings.
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California: 24 players in the Rivals250
Like Georgia, the state of California picked up another spot in the Rivals250. Five-star Julian Sayin remained the No. 1 player in the state but he is joined in the upper echelon of the rankings by new five-stars Brandon Baker and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa. Baker, a Texas commit, is ranked as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the class and No. 18 in the Rivals250. Viliamu-Asa, a Notre Dame commit, landed at No. 21 in the Rivals250 and No. 2 at inside linebacker.
Joining them in the top five of the California state rankings is cornerback Zabien Brown, who rose 33 spots in this version of the Rivals250, and former five-star Peyton Woodyard. Sayin, Brown and Woodyard are all Alabama commits.
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Alabama: 12 players in the Rivals250
The state of Alabama has been very strong in recent years and it just picked up its first five-star of the 2024 cycle in Auburn commit Cam Coleman. The future Tiger is one of the best playmakers in the entire country and jumped all the way up to No. 5 in the Rivals250.
Rounding out the top five of the Alabama state rankings are Auburn linebacker commit Demarcus Riddick, Alabama cornerback commit Jaylen Mbakwe, Auburn receiver commit Perry Thompson and Tennessee defensive end commit Jordan Ross. Each of the top five players in Alabama ranks inside the top 100 of the Rivals250.
Of the 12 Alabama natives ranked inside the Rivals250, 11 of them are committed to a SEC team. Coleman, Riddick, Thompson and linebacker Joseph Phillips are committed to Auburn.
Mbakwe, defensive end Jeremiah Beaman, linebacker Sterling Dixon and safety Rydarrius Morgan are committed to Alabama. Ross is committed to Tennessee. Defensive end Kavion Henderson is committed to Arkansas. Cornerback Travaris Banks is committed to Ole Miss. Miami running back commit Kevin Riley, No. 142 in the Rivals250, is the lone ACC commit from Alabama in the Rivals250.