Rivals Rankings Week: Ten biggest movers in the Rivals250
The new Rivals250 was just released and, even though the spring and summer evaluation periods have been thrown off by the pandemic, there were still many opportunities to see and evaluate the progress of a large number of prospects. Here is a closer look at the 10 biggest movers in the new Rivals250.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE
MONDAY: Who should be No. 1 in 2021? | Counting down the 20 five-stars | Looking at new five-stars
TUESDAY: Rivals250 revealed | Mike Farrell's thoughts on Rivals250 | Where five-stars stand in recruiting | Schools with most R250 commits | Ten big movers
WEDNESDAY: QB rankings | RB rankings | WR/TE rankings | OL rankings
THURSDAY: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings
FRIDAY: State rankings spotlight
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WR CHRISTIAN LEARY
Rankings move: Leary is the highest new addition to the Rivals250, coming from low four-star status to the top-50 of the Rivals250 with a Rivals Rating of 6.0.
Reason for the change: “Leary is one of the faster players in the state. After comparing his film and measurables to that of other players of the same size at his position, it was clear that he compared favorably to many. Leary needs to be molded, but his speed and athleticism make him a high upside prospect.” - Rob Cassidy, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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WR XAVIER WORTHY
Rankings move: Worthy was a mid-level three-star prospect and now has a Rivals Rating of 5.9 inside the top 60 of the Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “When I first watched Worthy on tape I liked him a whole lot but wrongly went a little conservative on his ranking, so that needed to be adjusted. The Michigan wide receiver commit is incredibly fast with the ball in his hands, he can be a threat in the slot or outside, he's a playmaker the Wolverines can use all over the field and there were whispers that a lot of top national programs thought he was one of the best receivers in this class. Nothing about his game said three-star, and so while I was conservative in the first ranking, I knew it had to be changed and we got that done this week by moving him way up.” - Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
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DL KEESHAWN SILVER
Rankings move: Silver earned a bump in his rating in a rare mid-rankings cycle review by National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. As a new four-star with a 5.9 Rivals Rating, Silver was slotted at No. 72 in the new Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “Silver is a beast on the field and we fully expect him to be a dominant prospect at the next level. He has the strength, speed and athleticism to create mismatches across the defensive line and he is still pretty far from his developmental ceiling. Silver’s scheme versatility and ability to be effective against the run and the pass are just a couple reasons he was slotted inside the top 100.” - Adam Friedman, East Coast Recruiting Analyst
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LB RANEIRIA DILLWORTH
Rankings move: Like Silver, Dillworth got his rating boosted by Farrell’s mid-rankings cycle review. The new four-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.9 landed at No. 93 in the new Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “Dillworth’s ceiling is sky high and he isn’t just an athlete on the field. He is physical, productive, and an every down player. The Isaiah Simmons comparisons might be a bit of a stretch but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Dillworth is a major factor against the run and the pass and can make plays near the line of scrimmage or in the open field. He has a lot of room left to fill out his frame and there are high hopes for Dillworth at the next level.” - Friedman
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OL REUBEN FATHEREE II
Rankings move: Fatheree was No. 214 in the previous Rivals250 with a Rivals Rating of 5.8. His Rivals Rating jumped to 5.9 and he was slotted at No. 83 in the new Rivals250, a move up of 131 spots.
Reason for the change: “Fatheree is a unicorn in terms of his massive frame (6-foot-8, 285 pounds) with elite athleticism. He's a left tackle with length, excellent feet and plenty of experience in pass protection for a Richmond Foster offense predicated on deep passes downfield. Fatheree is also a major contributor in the run game with serious upside.” - Sam Spiegelman, South Central Recruiting Analyst
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QB CARLOS DEL RIO
Rankings move: Del Rio was a four-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.8 outside of the Rivals250 after the previous rankings update and is now a four-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.9 at No. 139 in the new Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “Del Rio has had an outstanding off-season. From the Elite 11 to different quarterback camps he has worked out at, he has impressed. His game has really improved in the consistency department. He had a good season last year, showing his arm strength and athleticism, but he was at times hot and cold as a passer. That has taken a big step the last six months, and although it was a different off-season, the Florida commit has put in a lot of hard work and it looks to have paid off.” - Chad Simmons, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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DB KENDAL DANIELS
Rankings move: Daniels was No. 230 in the previous Rivals250 with a Rivals Rating of 5.8. He moved up 107 spots in the new Rivals250 to No. 123 with a Rivals Rating of 5.9.
Reason for the change: “Daniels is the answer to spread offenses -- an athletic hybrid defender that can cover like a safety and defend in the box like a linebacker. Oklahoma's No. 1-ranked prospect brings a similar skill-set to recent Clemson first-round pick Isaiah Simmons due to jack-of-all trades playing style and ability to make big-time plays on both sides of the ball. Daniels is going to fill up box scores in College Station for years to come.” - Spiegelman
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CB DEUCE HARMON
Rankings move: Harmon was No. 249 in the previous Rivals250 but was moved up to No. 146 with a new Rivals Rating of 5.9.
Reason for the change: “Harmon has proven to be one of the best lockdown corners in the entire South Central Region the past two-plus years and continues to step up to different challenges. Over the past two seasons, Harmon has broken up 20 passes, nabbed five interceptions and forced three fumbles while also contributing to stop the run. Harmon possesses elite speed and plays quick. He will fill an array of roles for the Aggies whether it's at corner, in the nickel and in the return game.” - Spiegelman
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LB POWER ECHOLS
Rankings move: Like Silver and Dillworth, Echols received a ratings boost during Farrell’s mid-rankings cycle review. The new four-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.9 was slotted at No. 151 in the new Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “Echols has received a lot of praise throughout his high school career and rightly so. He is a very instinctive inside linebacker and makes a ton of tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage. Defensive coordinators love how sure a tackler he is, but the reasons for his big move up the rankings are his increased speed and athleticism. Echols has worked hard to be more of an asset on outside runs and in coverage. When you combine those skills with what he can do inside the box, you get a very highly rated prospect.” - Friedman
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OL DYLAN FAIRCHILD
Rankings move: Fairchild is a new four-star with a Rivals Rating of 5.8 and was placed at No. 157 in the new Rivals250.
Reason for the change: “We have seen Fairchild a couple of times since the end of the 2019 season and the Georgia commit continues to impress. He went out and won a state championship in wrestling after a strong junior campaign as an offensive lineman. He plays tackle for his team, but will slide down in Athens to guard, where he will shine. He has great feet, he is very strong, he is a mauler in the trenches and he could be in store for a big senior season.” - Simmons