Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines from the updated state rankings
The storm that is Rivals Ranking Week has swept through, and to put a fitting cherry on top we turn an eye to the updated state rankings. Texas and Louisiana recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman takes a closer look at the most intriguing storylines in the major state rankings as we dive into the spring and camp season.
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:
Monday: Top 10 revealed
Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | Mind of Mike | New five-stars
Wednesday: Rivals250 revealed | Analyst roundtable
Thursday-Friday: Updated position rankings
Saturday: Team rankings analysis
Sunday: Updated state rankings
ANOTHER FIVE-STAR IN TEXAS?
Zachary Evans is not only the lone five-star prospect in the Lone Star State, but the No. 2 prospect overall. But will he have some company in that department before long?
Demond Demas, Jase McClellan, RJ Mickens, Chris Thompson Jr., EJ Smith, Courtland Ford, Branard Wright, Troy Omeire, Vernon Broughton, Chad Lindberg, Drew Sanders and Jaylon Jones round out the other 13 players inside the updated Rivals100 for 2020. The majority of thos prospects rank among the top three or four at their respective positions.
Evans, of course, is the No. 1 player in Texas and No. 1 running back in the country. Demas is the No. 4 receiver. Mickens and Thompson are the Nos. 1 and 3 safeties, respectively. Smith is the No. 2 all-purpose back. Wright is the No. 2 defensive tackle and Broughton is the No. 4 strongside defensive end.
The majority of these four-stars are on the verge of earning a fifth star. The question is: who will get it?
CALI DOMINATION
There is never a shortage of West Coast prospects in the Rivals250, but when it comes to California and the class of 2020, it’s pure domination.
California isn’t just all over the national rankings; it’s squarely at the top.
Five-star quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei remains our top-ranked prospect. There are five others -- Justin Flowe, Elias Ricks, Kendall Milton, Johnny Wilson and Gary Bryant -- inside the top-50. Five of the six are already five-stars, which is far and away the most of any state.
Add to that the likes of Bryce Young, Clark Phillips, Jermaine Burton, Daniyel Ngata, Jay Butterfield and Jalen McMillan inside the Rivals100, in additions to 10 more prospects throughout the Rivals250. The California presence at the top of Rivals’ 2020 rankings is unparalleled.
Close calls in the Peach State
As usual, the talent in Georgia is littered across the Rivals250 rankings. Inside the Peach State, there were some close calls amongst the elite prospects.
Five-star athlete Arik Gilbert headlines the crop early on in the 2020 cycle. He’s up two spots and sits at No. 7 overall. As we dip into camp season, Gilbert will have to stave off four-star Cartavious Bigsby, who also rose up seven spots and is inside the top 50.
Tight races are common in Georgia this year. Five-star offensive tackle Myles Hinton leads the pack among a talented group of linemen. That group features four-stars Broderick Jones and Tate Ratledge, who rank as the Nos. 23 and 30 prospects in the country. Jones jumped 23 spots in the updated Rivals100 and could push Hinton for his post in-state.
It’s also worth watching the quarterback tandem of Tennessee commitment Harrison Bailey and LSU commitment Max Johnson. Bailey currently holds the edge as the No. 43 overall player, ahead of Johnson at No. 85.
There’s no doubt that we could see some fun competition at athlete, tackle and quarterback in Georgia this year.
RACE FOR TOP DL IN THE BOOT
It’s no secret: Louisiana is a state that annually produces elite defensive linemen. That trend dates back to the likes of Glenn Dorsey, Marcus Spears and Monday Night Football’s own Booger McFarland. More recently, it’s talents such as Rashard Lawrence, Tyler Shelvin, Davin Cotton and Ishmael Sopsher.
Those are household names -- not only in The Boot, but nationally -- and the 2020 class features a tightly contested race between two of the country’s best yet again.
Jaquelin Roy surpassed Jacobian Guillory as Louisiana’s top defensive tackle in the updated Rivals250. Roy, an early LSU commitment, jumped up two spots to No. 115 overall. Guillory, who was inside the top 100 in the initial release, dropped a bit to No. 118.
Roy impresses with his big-man athleticism and ability to get after the quarterback, while Guillory uses brute force and elite strength. This should be a unique battle to watch throughout the cycle, and don’t sleep on fast-rising tackle Jalen Lee to insert his name into the mix as well.
NEW KING IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
There was only one five-star from Florida in the initial Rivals250. That, of course, was Fred Davis, who sat atop the rankings for 36 prospects included among the nation’s best.
Davis has since been dethroned. Demarkcus Bowman has joined the five-star category and surpassed Davis as the top prospect from the state of Florida after climbing up 15 spots to No. 16. Bowman currently ranks as the No. 3 running back on Rivals.
Elsewhere in the state, four-star athlete Avante Williams jumped Marcus Rosemy. Four-star receiver Michael Redding was one of the nation’s biggest risers, jumping 84 spots into the top 50. The same goes for another wideout, Bryan Robison, who leaped 37 spots inside the top 100.
Quarterback Carson Beck was another new addition to the Rivals100. The Jacksonville prospect is now the No. 6 pro-style passer in the land.
There were movers and shakers all over the country, and Florida was no exception. It appears there is still plenty of jockeying for position left to be seen as we move forward.