Rivals Rankings Week: Who will be No. 1 in 2021 rankings?
The initial 2021 rankings will be released Tuesday, and the No. 1 player is up for grabs. Below, three Rivals analysts make a case for a player in their region.
Rivals Rankings Week:
Monday: Who will be No. 1?
Tuesday: 2021 Rivals100 revealed
Wednesday: 2021 Offensive position rankings
Thursday: 2021 Defensive position rankings revealed
ADAM GORNEY, NATIONAL/WEST RECRUITING ANALYST
When I first saw Tuimoloau last spring during the 7-on-7 season I was stunned that he was a 2021 prospect because he was so big and moved so well. At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, I expected Tuimoloau to lumber around the field and not really be comfortable with his physical frame but he moved so effortlessly and so smoothly, it was easy to see he was one of the best athletes in this class.
He also plays tight end because he can move so well, but his future is on the defensive line, whether that’s as a big defensive end or moving inside to defensive tackle. A good comparison would be Arik Armstead, although Armstead is a few inches taller - both players are tremendous athletes who at the same stage I would like to see completely dominate a little bit more.
Washington is going to be a player for Tuimoloau but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Oregon and many national powers get involved because he has such rare traits.
JOSH HELMHOLDT, MIDWEST RECRUITING ANALYST
There was a defensive end from the Columbus area in the 2019 class who rated five-stars by the name of Zach Harrison. The appeal with Harrison was a rare and special combination of size and athleticism, but the knock was that he had not put it all together on the field yet. Well, Sawyer brings that same special combination of size and athleticism, and that has already translated into a dominant high school football player.
The one fact I like to point to when explaining the level of Sawyer's athleticism is that he earned second team all-state honors... as a sophomore... in basketball! Already committed to Ohio State for football, Sawyer is one of the best basketball players in Ohio's 2021 class, and he translates that athleticism to the football field where he is a terror off the edge with a relentless motor.
There is some risk with Harrison, who signed with Ohio State in February, but Sawyer is one of the best bets in this entire 2021 class.
CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
The state of Georgia has been a hotbed for quarterbacks in recent years and Brock Vandagriff is the next elite signal caller to come out of the Peach State. He is one of the best in the 2021 class and is an easy call for five-stars. Vandagriff checks just about every box as a quarterback, and that is why he can pretty much go play at any program in the country.
Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma have been viewed as the favorites for a couple of months now, and whether it is one of those schools, or someone else that gets him, will get a prospect who could be No. 1 in this class.