Rivals Rankings Week: Ten biggest risers in the Rivals250
The latest update of the 2024 Rivals250 is out and there are a lot of changes. Here is a look at the 10 biggest movers in the newest Rivals250.
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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
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released
Friday: State rankings released
Saturday: Rankings Roundtable
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1. DB AARON FLOWERS
Moved up: 156 spots
Oregon is getting a well-rounded safety prospect in Flowers. He excels in coverage, using his instincts and ability to anticipate the pass to help him get his hands on the ball. Flowers has pretty good ball skills and hauled in seven interceptions this season while knocking down eight passes.
He is fast in his backpedal and smoothly turns his hips and runs with receivers. Flowers closes on the ball well and is quick to get downhill to support the run defense. He can be physical near the line of scrimmage and has no problem dispatching blockers who get in his way.
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2. CB ONDRE EVANS
Moved up: 148 spots
Evans is a big-time defensive back prospect with the tools to play a variety of positions in the secondary. Georgia is taking him as a cornerback and it's easy to see why. Evans is a bigger cornerback who knows how to play physically with receivers at the line of scrimmage and down the field. He played wide receiver a lot this season and those ball skills translate to the defensive side of the ball.
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3. OT JOSIAH THOMPSON
Moved up: 135 spots
Thompson has been a steady riser in the rankings and that continued in this update with a big jump into the top 50. The South Carolina commit has impressive natural athleticism and measurables but this season he has shown increased strength and aggression on the field.
Thompson has bullied defensive linemen around on running plays, driving them back into the linebackers and finishing his blocks. Thompson continues to be a very effective pass blocker too. He uses his long arms and impressive lateral quickness to keep defenders out of the backfield.
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4. DT LJ MCCRAY
Moved up: 114 spots
McCray is just scratching the surface of his potential and has proven to be a dominant defensive lineman. The Florida commit is a versatile defensive line prospect who has the look of a player who will likely grow into an interior defensive lineman. McCray can use his quickness, length and brute strength to overwhelm offensive linemen.
He does a good job breaking free and chasing down the ball carrier. McCray is a big hitter and sure tackler who has shown technical development over the last year.
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5. DB JORDAN PRIDE
Moved up: 98 spots
It's been a tough road for Pride but he came back very nicely after tearing his ACL last year. The Texas A&M commit is a physical safety with a knack for getting his hands on the ball. Pride plays with discipline and is a great jump ball defender. He tracks the ball well and has a way of baiting quarterbacks into bad throws. Overall speed is still a bit of a question mark with Pride but he seems to be in the right place at the right time.
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6. CB AARON SCOTT
Moved up: 79 spots
There is a lot to like about Scott but one of the reasons for his jump up the rankings is his consistent improvement from year to year. The 6-foot Ohio State commit has great speed, plays the ball well and can lock down an opposing team's No. 1 receiver.
Scott's technical improvement has helped him react to throws faster and help in run support quicker. He doesn't get off balance when receivers run double moves and seems to just physically overwhelm receivers even when he isn't trying to knock them off their route.
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7. OT WESTON DAVIS
Moved up: 76 spots
There aren't many athletes that line up at offensive tackle like Davis. The LSU commit has shown solid technical development and his impressive quickness and coordination are obvious on tape. Davis has gotten stronger and it shows when he's run blocking and shooting his hands in pass protection. If Davis continues on this trajectory he could end up one of the better offensive linemen in college football before all is said and done.
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8. LB GARRETT STOVER
Moved up: 75 spots
This move up the rankings for Stover is a bit overdue. The 6-foot-1, 209-pound Ohio State commit does a great job flying to the ball carrier and is a sure tackler. Stover will bulk up and get stronger once he arrives in Columbus and that will help him keep offensive linemen from slowing him down.
He has the quickness and explosiveness to be a three down linebacker and the coaching staff at the next level should be able to mold him into whatever linebacker they need him to be.
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9. QB DEMOND WILLIAMS
Moved up: 66 spots
Williams may be on the smaller side but he is an explosive runner with a strong arm and an eye for big plays. This season the Arizona commit threw for 3,000 yards, 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions while running for more than 1,000 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Williams did all of this with a completion percentage around 77 percent. He is elusive in the pocket and shows the ability to fire the ball into tight windows.
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10. WR JEREMIAH MCCLELLAN
Moved up: 69 spots
McClellan isn't a blazer but he has great quickness and route running savvy, which allows quarterbacks to throw into large windows. The Ohio State commit is a physical receiver and is very tough to bring down once he has the ball in his hands. McClellan can take advantage of smaller defensive backs thanks to his strong playing style and his ability to come down with jump balls on a consistent basis.
He will be very effective on crossing patterns and should not have a problem producing against even the most physical defensive backs.
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