The first Rivals Rankings Week for the 2023 class is well underway and some key position battles are becoming clear. Today national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst/rankings director Adam Friedman debate who should be the top-ranked defensive tackle in the 2023 class.
*****
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Monday: Five-star countdown
Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | Gorney's thoughts
Wednesday: Recruiting updates on offensive players in the ranking | Positions producing the most 2023 talent
Thursday: Recruiting updates on defensive players in the ranking | Who is on the cusp of the Rivals100?
Friday: Rankings roundtable
*****
FRIEDMAN'S VIEW: JASON MOORE
Moore is an elite talent out of powerhouse Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha, the same program that produced Chase Young and many other talented prospects. Now in the middle of his sophomore year, Moore is showing the progress we are looking for from him. He is mostly playing defensive end right now, but he'll likely grow into a defensive tackle in college.
Moore's frame has plenty of room to fill out and he is developing at an impressive rate. He may not be the dynamic pass rusher people have come to expect DeMatha to churn out, but he is a very solid interior defensive lineman that holds up well at the point of attack while getting penetration to disrupt quarterbacks on passing downs.
*****
GORNEY'S VIEW: FRANCIS MAUIGOA
Maugioa has done a tremendous amount of traveling over the last few years, starting in American Samoa, then going to San Bernardino (Calif.) Aquinas and then back to Samoa during the pandemic. He has now settled in at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and is ready to dominate on a national level, competing against some of the best players in the country.
Mauigoa has tremendous physical tools at 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, and he's not afraid to play tough and his versatility stands out most. He's legitimately someone who could shine at defensive end or defensive tackle. He can also switch to offensive tackle and have a major impact there as well.
And I'm not just talking about a serviceable defensive or offensive lineman but one that could be a five-star on either side of the ball. The reports out of IMG early on have been fantastic and Mauigoa has that special drive and toughness to be one of the top overall prospects in the 2023 class.
