There were few changes at the top of the rankings for athletes in the 2022 class. Travis Hunter remains the No. 1 prospect at the position in America. He is also the top-rated player from the Peach State, which features a trio of five-stars.
2022 DEFENSIVE RANKINGS: Athlete | Safety | Cornerback | Outside linebacker | Inside linebacker | Strongside defensive end | Weakside defensive end | Defensive tackle
2022 OFFENSIVE RANKINGS: Offensive tackle | Offensive guard | Center | Wide receiver | Tight end | Running back | All-purpose back | Pro-style quarterback | Dual-threat quarterback
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE:
Monday: Five-Star Countdown
Tuesday: New Rivals250 | Big movers | Where five-stars stand | Five-star watch | Farrell's thoughts
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | Programs with most commits
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released
Friday: State rankings released
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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PROGRAM WITH THE TOP COMMIT: Florida State
Travis Hunter is etched as the No. 1 athlete and remains the No. 12 overall prospect in America. The Suqanee (Ga.) Collins Hill standout pledged to Mike Norvell and the Seminoles back in March 2020 and is approaching the one-year anniversary of his commitment.
Hunter recently reaffirmed his Florida State pledge amid programs like Alabama, Georgia and LSU all continuing to touch base. The five-star do-it-all athlete with major upside at defensive back believes the ‘Noles are on the verge of a turnaround.
Florida State also holds a commitment from Quincey McAdoo, one of the top prospects from Arkansas who pledged to the ‘Noles in January.
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PROSPECT ON THE RISE: Nolan Ziegler
The Notre Dame commitment added his fourth star and ascended to the No. 20-ranked athlete in the country. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder is a back-to-back state champion out of Michigan. He stuck to his commitment even after former Irish defensive coordinator Clark Lea left for Vanderbilt and was replaced by Cincinnati’s Marcus Freeman.
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PROSPECT TO WATCH: Brenen Thompson
One of the nation’s most sought-after recruits, Brenen Thompson trimmed his list down to a dozen after his junior season, a group that included Texas A&M, Clemson, Nebraska, Auburn, Texas, Stanford, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama, Oregon, Georgia and Texas Tech.
Thompson has strong ties to numerous programs across the country, but the West Texas speedster is in no rush to make a decision — even after the NCAA extended the dead period through May. Oklahoma and Texas A&M are two regional programs that are major players in the Thompson sweepstakes. Let’s see how quickly Steve Sarkisian can make up ground or if national powers like Clemson or Alabama close the gap.
