The latest Rivals250 for the class of 2021 has been released and with it comes four new five-stars, one prospect that lost a fifth star and not a ton of overall movement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Let’s start with the much needed preface: This has been an especially challenging rankings cycle with the sudden stoppage of offseason events due to the coronavirus pandemic. We still saw a lot of prospects in numerous regions, but other parts of the county were obviously scouted much less. Five of the scheduled 12 Rivals Camp Series events were held and analysts saw just under 1,000 prospects at these camps, and we were at some non-Rivals events that were held prior to mid-March. But it was very difficult to move prospects around while others stayed the same or even slid as some moved ahead of them. There is no winning in this situation, but we weren’t going to bump anyone without merit.
For the first time since I can remember, our national top 10 remains in the same exact order — Korey Foreman, Amarius Mims, Caleb Williams, J.T. Tuimoloau, Brock Vandagriff, Maason Smith, Camar Wheaton, Jack Sawyer, Bryce Foster and Tommy Brockermeyer. This is an unprecedented situation, but I feel very good about our top 10 because it's a very talented group.
Things start to change a little from Nos. 11-17 as we have four new five-star additions and one player losing his fifth star. Wide receiver Mario Williams checks in at No. 12 while quarterback Sam Huard, defensive end Tunmise Adeleye and offensive guard Donovan Jackson check in at No. 14, 15 and 16 respectively.
Defensive end Tyreak Sapp lost his fifth star and drops to No. 19 in the Rivals250. I clearly overvalued him a bit coming out of the Future 50 Camp and others who saw him at our camp in Miami felt that a five-star ranking was a bit high based on his get off and lack of elite length.
Here’s a breakdown from our regional analysts of the prospects who added a fifth star and of Sapp.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:
MONDAY: Five-star countdown | Who should be the next five-star WR? | Who is best OG? | Who will finish No. 1? | How was this rankings cycle different?
TUESDAY: New Rivals250 released | Mind of Mike
WEDNESDAY: Offensive position rankings released
THURSDAY: Defensive position rankings released
FRIDAY: New state rankings released
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
FOUR NEW FIVE-STARS
“Williams' blend of explosiveness and ball skills makes him a truly special wideout that reminds me of former Texas A&M star Christian Kirk. One of the most consistent players in the country, Williams is the rare prospect that never seems to have an off day. Oklahoma seems to be the favorite to land his commitment, but he has yet to visit Norman because of the coronavirus pandemic." — Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
“The first thing that stands out about Sam Huard is that he rarely makes a bad throw. Almost every pass is right on the money and accuracy is the most important consideration for quarterbacks. He has the full trust of his receivers because they know Huard is going to deliver the ball to them on time and keep the offense moving.
"One reservation as to why he wasn't already a five-star was his physical makeup, but Huard continues to develop, grow and look like a college quarterback so that's no longer a concern. It's uncanny how calm he stays in the pocket when it's collapsing and he has the athletic ability to dodge defenders, find receivers down the field and maintain accuracy.
"Huard made an early commitment to Washington and his recruitment has been shut down since." — Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst
“Adeleye has always had talent but he’s taken it to the next level and showed the strides he's made at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami this offseason, where he dominated a number of FBS-bound tackles. The Ohio State pledge's blend of power and rare quickness will make him an elite pass rusher in the Big Ten." — Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
“New five-star Donovan Jackson has been reclassified from offensive tackle to guard, which is a major part of the equation as we added the coveted fifth star. Jackson was a high four-star at tackle, with the ability to physically dominate in pass protection, but when considering a future inside at guard, there are few in the country better.
"Jackson is a force on the Bellaire Episcopal offensive line, which is paving running lanes the majority of the time. Jackson is the anchor of that unit and is a physical force at that. Jackson has also reshaped his body and his athleticism and mobility should allow him to pull and block in space.
"Jackson committed to Ohio State back in January given his family's roots in Ohio and is a big reason why the Buckeyes currently hold the nation's No. 1-ranked class.” — Sam Spiegelman, Rivals.com Mid South Recruiting Analyst
LOST THEIR FIFTH STAR
“We admittedly got too high on Sapp early on, something we realized as the sample size grew. We still believe the South Florida-based prospect is one of the best players in the country, but he has not dominated at the level you'd like to see from a five-star.” — Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst
