The initial top 100 for the 2027 class was released this week and the rankings will expand as the evaluation process continues. With four five-stars already identified, here are 10 more who could find themselves joining the elite of the elite before the end of the rankings cycle.
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
There have been very few tight ends that have garnered a general consensus like Bowman has this early in the rankings cycle. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end from California is a very natural pass catcher with the size and strength to be an asset as a blocker.
He isn’t the most refined route runner at this stage in the process, but there’s plenty of time for him to develop in this area. He’ll be one to watch throughout the rest of the rankings cycle.
There’s so much to like about Brown’s game and everyone is still trying to determine whether his ceiling is highest on offense or defense. Right now we lean toward Brown’s future as a cornerback because has the length, speed and ball skills to make a greater impact in the secondary.
It’s difficult to find defensive backs who bring the playmaking abilities that he has at this stage in the process but Brown and his 10.72 speed will make life difficult for any receiver that lines up across from him.
Five-star running banks are becoming a rarity but if there’s one in this class, it might be Crowell. The prolific runner (1,737 yards and 25 touchdowns last season) out of Alabama has the skill set of a potential five-star. He has great burst once he gets the ball in his hands, sees running lanes well and is a very powerful runner.
Crowell has posted a 10.73 100m time this spring and that solid speed has shown up on the gridiron.
It’s early, but this class of offensive linemen looks pretty good and Ford might have the highest ceiling of the bunch. The massive offensive tackle from Texas is an impressive athlete at the position who is quick out of his stance and can maul defenders at the point of attack.
Ford does a good job in his past and understands how to set and reset his hands to keep defensive linemen out of the backfield. As he gets older and physically matures, Ford should be able to play with better leverage on a consistent basis.
Garror is already a well-known prospect in this class thanks to his early commitment to Alabama but college football fans will come to know him for his ability on the field very quickly. The 6-foot-2, 200-plus pound defensive end might be the twitchiest pass rusher in this class.
As a freshman, he posted eight and a half sacks and he’ll likely beat that total this year. Garror shows great burst at the snap, balance as he works off the edge and impressive hand techniques to keep offensive linemen from slowing him down.
Garror isn’t a massive or overly long defensive prospect, but his speed and skill set make him one of the most intriguing in the class.
Green is tall and long, has powerful hands and is a twitchy pass rusher from a two or three-point stance. There’s plenty of room to fill out his frame as he gets older so he should become an even more dominant player at the point of attack.
Greene is definitely on the shortlist of potential five-stars down the road given his physical attributes.
It’s hard to build a defensive end from scratch much better than Kitchen. He has all the physical size, length and proportions that a college coach is looking for in a defensive end. Kitchen brings plenty of strength to the field as well. He’s a solid athlete, which we can see when he lines up as a tight end.
As Kitchen gets older we’ll be watching to see how he refines his skill set and becomes quicker and more violent at the snap.
There are a number of quarterbacks in this class who are under five-star consideration, but Rivers is one who will continue to come up throughout the ranking cycle during these discussions. The Alabama native and son of longtime NFL quarterback Philip Rivers has had an excellent start to his sophomore season, already throwing for more than 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns while completing almost 68 percent of his passes.
The competition Rivers faces on a weekly basis isn’t incredible, but he is playing some solid teams with a few prospects on either side of the ball. His quick release, arm strength and ability to quickly read the defense and throw to the open receiver have all stood out thus far in the evaluation process.
While he may lack experience against high-end competition, the nearly 6-foot-5, 215-pound Whitehead is a force to be reckoned with. Last season, he had nine sacks and he’s already up to three so far this year. His combination of speed and quickness along with his size and length make it very hard for offensive linemen to keep him from disrupting the play.
Right now, Whitehead plays all over the defensive front but his future is at defensive end, where he’ll be considered as a potential five-star, if he continues to refine his technique and mature physically.
There’s a lot to like about the way Yancey plays the game. The explosive receiver out of Texas is quicker than fast, but still plenty fast at this stage of his career. He has really reliable hands and the way he gets in and out of his cuts with such an aggressive style should be really appealing to college coaches around the country.
Yancey will likely line up as a slot receiver at the next level but he has tools to line up out wide as well. He also brings impressive run after the catch skills to the field.
