Rivals Roundtable: Which prospect is the toughest to rank?
In today’s offering of the Rankings Radar, we ask all the analysts to name one player whose performances confuse them and how if influences their ranking.
MORE RIVALS ROUNDTABLE: Which pitch do recruits think is overrated?
ROB CASSIDY, Florida analyst
Manuel isn't confusing in the way that he's hot and cold. He's confusing in the way that he struggles to stay on the field when it comes to practices and games. Manuel is an impressive talent, but missed the entirety of spring practice and has now transferred high schools mid-season. When the four-star wide receiver plays, he's clearly a high level prospect but it's easy to wonder if the inconsistency he's showcased lately has stunted his development.
MIKE FARRELL, National recruiting director
While I don't have a region, I will say that Young is that guy for me. You see him in big games and he's outstanding and makes you think he's the next Kyler Murray but in person he can be underwhelming because of his lack of size and some accuracy issues. The guy who freelances and dominates on the field is the guy we have ranked so high, but if you saw him in camp settings you'd never think this was a high four-star prospect.
ADAM FRIEDMAN, Mid-Atlantic analyst
Cowan is one player that I’ve been scratching my head about. He has all the tools, size, quickness and strength to be a dominant defensive lineman in high school and in college. Cowan has done well in camps and in the games that I’ve seen he made a lot of plays, but on film there are times when he disappears or gets washed out of the play. His inconsistencies leave me confused about how highly he should be rated.
ADAM GORNEY, West and national analyst
Wilson was at one point a five-star prospect and one of the biggest reasons was because he had such a physically-dominant presence on the field. I saw him look great as a sophomore and then over the last year or so, he tailed off a little bit and was not quite as dominant on the field or in off-season events.
But then I saw him again earlier this season and not only is he a huge target but he showed off excellent hands and he made some tough catches. I still think he could dominate even more but at No. 19 among wide receivers, that might be a little too low if he keeps looking good through his senior season.
JOSH HELMHOLDT, Midwest analyst
Lockett is probably the biggest enigma out of the Midwest in 2020. He had a sensational sophomore season playing alongside fellow four-stars Kaden Johnson and Jalen Suggs, but then transferred to a basketball academy in Ohio right before the start of his junior season. He played a handful of football games last fall with a local high school, and then bounced back to Minneapolis right at the start of his senior season where it sounds like he's only played in one game so far. The talent is definitely there, but his development has to be way behind the curve with those frequent course changes and lack of on-field experience. I guess we'll see when, or if, senior film arrives.
CHAD SIMMONS, Southeast analyst
Johnson is a guy I like more than many other analysts, but he has had his ups and downs on the biggest stages. He is a south-paw that doesn't camp too much, and he does not play on the 7-on-7 circuit, so when evaluated by analysts, it is usually the one time we see him in that setting.
He has to improve his consistency as a passer as he prepares to be an LSU Tiger, but I am still a believer in his ability. His ranking has fluctuated over the last 18 months, and he currently sits at the back-end of the Rivals250. I have seen him enough to believe he is a four-star talent, so I look forward to seeing him live again later this fall.
SAM SPIEGELMAN, Texas and Louisiana analyst
Omeire is one for sure. He debuted as a Rivals100 wide receiver and still remains in the discussion as one of the premier pass-catchers in Texas and in the country, and the Texas commit has all of the skills to follow through on that rating. He's physically imposing, tall, can stretch the field and make catches over the middle. His tape is incredible and he's flashed that in-person from time and time, especially at RCS Houston.
However, he battled an injury at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas and struggled in 1-on-1s. He also has been dealing with subpar quarterback play to open his senior season. We know he's capable of being a big-play receiver, but he has failed to consistently play up to his potential.
WOODY WOMMACK, Southeast analyst
Lawrence is one of the toughest guys for me this cycle. He's a terrific athlete who has spent just as much time during his high school career playing basketball as he has football. With excellent testing numbers and good upside, he could develop into an elite player at the next level, but he hasn't quite shown that yet on Friday nights.