MORE: About the Five-Star Challenge
The Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 25, and with 100 of the top prospects from the 2020 and 2021 classes in attendance, many college programs are going to keenly interested in the event’s outcome. One of those programs will be Michigan, which will have three commits and several top targets in attendance. Here are some storylines to follow.
1. BRAIDEN MCGREGOR'S RATING
There has been no prospect in the Midwest’s 2020 class I have answered more questions on about his rating than McGregor, and the reason is because other networks have him ranked significantly higher. We have the Michigan commit rated as a four-star prospect and have evaluated him extensively over the last couple of years, but when a prospect is ranked highly one place fans tend to think everyone else has him underrated.
The Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in Cincinnati was not one of McGregor’s better performances, but he was also limited when he tweaked his hip in warm-ups. He will get another chance to showcase his ability at the Five-Star Challenge. There is no concern about how McGregor’s size and athleticism will match up, but the level of talent at this event will test his game like no other event in the past, and give us a great opportunity to see whether our rating is too low or others’ are too high.
2. J.J. MCCARTHY MAKES HIS CASE FOR NO. 1
When the first Rivals100 for the 2021 class was released earlier today, quarterback Brock Vandagriff arrived as the No. 1 ranked overall prospect in the class. Not far behind, however, was Michigan quarterback commit J.J. McCarthy, who debuted at No. 11 in the ranking. In fact, the top three ranked quarterbacks in 2021 will each be in Atlanta for the Five-Star Challenge, which will give us a good look at those prospects side-by-side early in their prep careers.
McCarthy has the moxie that should allow him to play to his potential and not be intimidated by the level of talent at next week’s event. Having fellow commits like McGregor and four-star 2020 cornerback Andre Seldon at the event, along with several guys he knows well including fellow 2021 quarterback Kyle McCord, should further put him at ease and allow the Chicagoland prospect to showcase his talents in Atlanta.
3. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
While Michigan fans will be interested to see how their trio of commits perform among the top prospects in the 2020 and 2021 classes, one of the hottest topics at every Five-Star Challenge is who is recruiting whom. The commitments representing Michigan who are headed to Atlanta are among the most ardent advocates for the program among the Wolverine’s current commitments.
Belleville, Mich., cornerback Andre Seldon is Michigan’s longest-tenured 2020 commitment, having pledged one year ago, and no one has outworked 2021 quarterback J.J. McCarthy on the recruiting trail since he committed last month. They will be looking to encourage others in Atlanta to join them, particularly Rivals100 running back Jalen Berger and 2021 prospects Raheem Anderson and Darion Green-Warren, each of whom is among Michigan’s top targets in their respective classes.
