Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge: Comparisons for 2020 standouts
The 2020 recruiting class is still new to fans of college football recruiting, but many of the elite prospects in that class are participating in the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas. As a way of getting familiar with those prospects, here are some comparisons that should further explain what kind of players they are.
MORE FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE: Offensive roster | Defensive roster | Five teams with key commits | Five who could flip | MVP predictions | Farrell's storylines | Best Five-Star Challenge performance ever? | Which QB will shine brightest? | Who will improve stock the most? | Full Rivals Camp Series coverage
Comparison: Christian Hackenberg
“Bailey has been on the scene for so long and he is looking a lot like former Penn State QB Christian Hackenberg. They both have big arms and are supremely confident, but they can get a little overconfident at times. Neither Bailey or Hackenberg are very quick.” - Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst
Comparison: Brady White
“Pyne and White have very precise throwing motions and they are known for getting the ball out of their hands quickly. Questions about their height will follow them around for the rest of their careers but their other abilities give them plenty to use as they work towards success.” - Friedman
Comparison: Kyler Murray
“Young is a dynamic playmaker with his arm and his feet. He had a huge sophomore season and is poised for an even bigger junior year now at powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. Young is incredibly intelligent, rarely makes mistakes and has a great feel for when to make a big play and when to escape pressure, find a receiver down the field and keep the offense moving.” - Adam Gorney, National/West coast recruiting analyst
Comparison: Kerryon Johnson
“At the high school level, Johnson was an elite two-way player at running back and defensive back. I don’t think that Evans is that kind of player, but from the perspective of comparing them as running backs, Evans has some physical advantages that would likely give him the edge over Johnson at the same point in their development. Johnson had more natural ball skills as a pass-catcher, but from the standpoint of considering Evans’ run power and productivity as a rusher, he is truly a unique talent.” - Nick Krueger, Mid-South/Texas recruiting analyst
Comparison: James Quick
“Britt has a bright future ahead of him and a lot of his traits remind us of Quick. Both have very good size-speed combinations and can really stretch the field. Just like Quick, Britt can make a lot of plays after the catch.” - Friedman
Comparison: Austin Mack
“Rooks is a good route runner with pretty reliable hands and is similar in size to Mack. Neither have elite speed but they are consistently targeted by their quarterbacks because they do the little things well.” - Friedman
Comparison: O.J. Howard
"The comparisons between Gilbert and Howard start with athleticism. Howard was a leaner athlete coming out of high school than Gilbert is now, but they both are explosive, big athletes. They are nightmare match-ups for linebackers or defensive backs to try to cover. Could Gilbert follow Howard to Alabama? The Crimson Tide are in this race very much with schools like Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee, to name a few." - Chad Simmons, Southeast recruiting analyst
Comparison: Liam Eichenberg
“With a lean frame and a physical attitude, Harrison and Eichenberg were pretty similar prospects at this stage. Both have technical issues with their pass blocking but their length and agility are comparable.” - Friedman
Comparison: Isaiah Wynn
“Morris burst onto the scene last offseason as he dominated camp after camp around the Southeast. The same could be said for Wynn back in the day as he was a warrior known for dominating opponents on the camp circuit. Wynn also has positional versatility, something that Morris posses as well. After a successful career at Georgia, Wynn went on to be a first-round pick of the New England Patriots of this year's NFL Draft, a path Morris would surely like to follow.”- Woody Wommack, Southeast recruiting analyst
Comparison: Andre Smith
"I am old enough to have covered Andre Smith coming out of high school, and he was a uniquely talented prospect. There have not been many prospects to come out of high school since I would compare to him, but Rogers is a pretty good one. Both have the same knock, and that's lack of height. But, they both compensate with being exceptionally light on their feet while also combining above average strength for the position. Although we list Rogers at guard, he could kick out and play tackle at the next level because of his athleticism." - Josh Helmholdt, Midwest recruiting analyst
Comparison: Mario Edwards
“As a high school prospect, Edwards was known for his ability to come off the edge and get after the passer and Capehart has the same reputation now. Unlike Edwards, Capehart is already ahead of the curve when it comes to playing inside at defensive tackle. His positional versatility is one of the reasons why he's so highly coveted and a reason that Clemson worked quickly to get him committed.” - Wommack
Comparison: Antonneous Clayton
“The similarities between Dorbah and Clayton are far more than the differences. Both are more lean, pure pass-rushing defensive ends and can be very disruptive getting into the pocket in a hurry. However, both players can get caught up from time to time if they don’t win the the battle right off the snap, but that’s what you get sometimes. Dorbah might not get very bulky but has certainly proven to be athletic and is a two-sport athlete that plays basketball. His future in football might not be tied to specifically being a down lineman, but for now, his bread and butter is rushing off the edge just as Clayton’s was.” - Krueger
Comparison: Daron Payne
"Payne was a monster in the middle and Jackson is very similar. They have similar frames, they are both about power first and they are extremely disruptive big bodies in the trenches. Jackson is a former LSU commit and he is likely headed to play somewhere in the SEC like Payne." - Simmons
Comparison: Yetur Gross-Matos
“Gross-Matos was a big bodied end that really grew into his frame as he entered his senior season. Murphy is moving along the same development path with similar quickness and athleticism off the edge.” - Friedman
Comparison: Vontaze Burfict
“At his best, Burfict was a machine who make tackles all over the field, all the time. That's Flowe. He is a physical specimen who loves to be physical and plays like a wild man on the field who makes tackle after tackle after tackle. He's not a cheap-shot artist at all, he's just a tough, hard-nosed athletic linebacker who loves to hit.” - Gorney
Comparison: Shaquille Quarterman
“Quarterman was McCluster’s size at this point of his high school a career and really didn’t come into his own until he was a senior. McCluster is just now starting to specialize at linebacker, so it seems his career could follow a similar path.” - Cassidy
Comparison: Reggie Ragland
“Sampah and Ragland are big interior linebackers that make a ton of tackles. Sampah is a little leaner than Ragland but he has the frame to fill out like Ragland did.” - Friedman
Comparison: Shaun Wade
“Two players from the same high school, Davis is nearly a Wade clone at this juncture. The two boast incredible length and busted on the scene early in the high school career. If Davis spends the next year adding muscle in the manner that Wade did as a junior, they will have the same sort of pro potential.” - Cassidy
Comparison: Tarvarus McFadden
“Ricks has tremendous length and he uses it to his advantage. He's great at the line of scrimmage being physical and tough with his wiry strength and then when the ball is in the air, Ricks can turn and knock away passes smaller cornerbacks can not reach. He could move to safety easily but he's special at corner.” - Gorney
Comparison: Quincy Wilson
“Ringo is incredibly athletic who can be moved around the secondary and is extremely valuable all over the field. He has bouncy athleticism, he's a playmaker, competitive and smart. Ringo has been impressive this offseason and is definitely someone who has five-star potential.” - Gorney