Even though campus visits and off-campus recruiting have been restricted for the next month in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there is still a lot of interesting things going on with the 2021 class.
In today’s roundtable, we ask the Rivals analysts which position do they think is the strongest in this recruiting cycle?
MORE ROUNDTABLE: Which school is off to impressive start?
ROB CASSIDY, FLORIDA RECRUITING ANALYST
There are a lot of impressive defensive ends in this class. And while few of them are from my region, guys like Korey Foreman, J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer look like can’t-miss prospects. The depth at the position is just as impressive as the talent at the top. Four-star prospects Ja’Tavion Sanders and Monkell Goodwine both have massive upside and could find themselves in the five-star conversation before all is said and done.
ADAM FRIEDMAN, EAST COAST RECRUITING ANALYST
This year's group of quarterback prospects is really good and the talent pool is very deep. There are 11 quarterbacks in the Rivals100. That's the same amount as linebackers and defensive backs. A number of these quarterbacks have the skill set to lead a talented program to a National Championship.
ADAM GORNEY, WEST COAST/NATIONAL RECRUITING ANALYST
This is a special defensive end group and there is a good possibility that there could be more five-stars out there. Foreman is really special, Tuimoloau reminds me of Arik Armstead, Tunmise Adeleye could really emerge among this group, Sawyer has the potential to be like the Bosa Bros. at Ohio State and others will emerge as well. This quarterback class is really good, but I like the defensive end potential a little more.
JOSH HELMHOLDT, MIDWEST RECRUITING ANALYST
Quarterback is the answer for me here. There are currently 11 quarterbacks ranked among the top 100 players in the class. That number has been reached only twice before in the Rivals Era, first in the 2004 class and then in the 2018 class that featured Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. Those kind of numbers are evidence that this is a rare and elite quarterback class.
CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
Quarterbacks always stand out at the top, but for me, it is a strong group in the trenches on both sides of the ball this cycle. Offensive tackle is a position I really like. In the Rivals100, there are 16 offensive tackles, and five of those are in the top 27. Amarius Mims is the top tackles, and the Peach State OL is the No. 2 in the country. He headlines a very strong group.
SAM SPIEGELMAN, SOUTH-CENTRAL RECRUITING ANALYST
The entire quarterback and offensive tackle class is really strong this year. Rivals has already had a revolving door of quarterbacks near or at the top of the rankings since this time a year ago and Caleb Williams is an easy choice at No. 1, but the position is group -- from Williams down to Jalen Milroe to Dematrius Davis to Ty Thompson, and on the pro-style side, you can pick your position with Vandagriff and on-the-border five-stars from Sam Huard down through JJ McCarthy. Beyond that, there's a slew of really high-upside three- and four-stars in Garrett Nussmeier through Ty Keyes and Eli Stowers through Kaidon Salter.