12/7/2015 football Edit

Rivals100: New five-stars, big movers

Rivals.com

Publisher

The new Rivals100 Presented by Under Armour for the class of 2016 has been released -- our second-to-last of the recruiting cycle -- and yet another new No. 1 prospect has emerged.

The prestigious list started off with wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers as No. 1 way back in June of 2014 and since then quarterback Jacob Eason, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and quarterback Shea Patterson have topped the charts. Now it's Paramus (N.J.) Paramus Catholic defensive tackle Rashan Gary who leads this elite group and hopes to hold onto the top spot as we head into all-star season.

"This has been a crazy year so far when it comes to finding that elite No. 1 guy," said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. "I am not sure there is a surefire prospect in this class that stands out as a confident No. 1, as you can see by all the changes. That happens some years and will happen more often as we start to rank players earlier and earlier. Last year, we had a change right before the all-star games with Josh Rosen taking over for Byron Cowart and then Cowart earned it right back, so we'll see what happens with Gary, Lawrence and Patterson as well as many others in striking range."

However, Gary, a 6-foot-5, 290-pounder from New Jersey, could easily end up being that No. 1 guy in the end.

"He's a big, well put-together kid who can move and those guys are always coveted," said Farrell. "He's been playing a lot on the outside at defensive end this season and I think that will help him as he transitions back inside in college. It has improved his get-off, his use of his hands and his footwork and he's a little less scheme specific than he was before. He's a special player no doubt."

Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman, who has seen Gary develop for years, agrees.

"Gary's dominance throughout the camp season was well-publicized and there were times this season where he completely took over games. When used correctly, he is a game plan destroyer," said Friedman. "This year, we saw Gary's scheme versatility more than in previous seasons. He lined up as a defensive end for much of the season and locked down his side of the field."

Many feel Michigan has a big edge for Gary heading into the final stretch of recruiting with Auburn, Ole Miss, USC, Alabama and others all jockeying for position. He will announce his decision at the Under Armour All-America Game or on Signing Day.

In addition to a new No. 1, Rivals.com is unveiling three new five-star prospects and also has three prospects losing that coveted fifth star. Here's the breakdown of each:

"Jones' instincts, nose for the ball and athleticism made him an excellent linebacker as a junior. As a senior, Jones, a Maryland commit, is much stronger and it has allowed him to be much more physical. Many of his hits this season sent players flying through the air and into the backfield. Jones' ability to make plays sideline-to-sideline and knock players out of games have elevated him to a five-star." --

Friedman

"Jones isn't as big or filled out as some of the other five-star linebackers, but he delivers as big a punch as any of them. He's a guy who covers a lot of ground, rarely false steps or misreads a play and when he arrives at the ball he does so at full speed, often under control and with authority. I expect him to be a tackling machine at the next level as he fills out even more." -- Farrell

Curtis Robinson

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei

"There are few linebackers in this class who cover ground as well as Robinson, who runs with tremendous speed from sideline-to-sideline and who can also go into coverage without a problem to make plays. Not only is Robinson incredibly fast, he can come up and hit to pop the ball out and the Stanford commit is so smart. Robinson was well coached at Mater Dei and could have a tremendous career with the Cardinal." --

Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst

"Like Jones, Robinson isn't as big as some of the others but he is a very effective tackler, covers a ton of ground and is exceptional in coverage. He reads plays easily, takes the right angle and path to the ball and has the knack for making the big play. Instincts and more instincts allow him to be all over the place and get skinny when needed or shed blocks at the point of attack." -- Farrell

LOST FIFTH-STAR

Malik Henry

Long Beach (Calif.) Poly

"Henry has a tremendous amount of talent and there is no questioning his arm strength or his ability to escape pressure to prolong plays, but he has had a low completion percentage in his high school career and he runs out of the pocket too often when pressure is coming. At the college and NFL level, quarterbacks sometimes have to take it on the chin to deliver the ball and that's not something the Florida State commit has shown in high school." -- Gorney

"It's always hard to project quarterbacks, especially when they look like a million bucks in camp settings, 7-on-7 and the like but struggle with being consistent in game play. After a down junior season, the IMG Academy situation and now an average senior year where his completion percentage speaks to that lack of consistency in mechanics and vision of the field, Henry has been on our radar as a possible four-star instead of five for a while and we haven't seen enough development to keep him at that elite level." -- Farrell

Kareem Walker

Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic

"Walker's physical abilities have not diminished but his game has changed a little from his sophomore year to his junior and senior years. The are times when he doesn't seem like a decisive runner. He may not have perfect running lanes, but he looks like he is hesitating before deciding to bounce outside where defenders can chase him down. Michigan leads in Walker's recruitment." -- Friedman

"Walker has had big games this year, but he's also had games where he was shut down and it's not all about his offensive line play. He's been more hesitant at the line of scrimmage than he has in the past, he's put the ball on the ground here and there and at times you see him with his back to the line of scrimmage or defenders which will not work well in college. He has talent, there's no doubt about that, but he hasn't taken the next step that was expected." -- Farrell

Shavar Manuel

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

"Manuel has not developed in the way most projected. He still has a tremendous frame and an extremely high upside, but he carries some bad weight and was not the dominant force most expected him to be as a senior. He'll need to do some conditioning work if he's to reach his full potential early in his college career." -- Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

"Manuel has gone from a kid I saw on film as a younger dominant edge rusher to a massive inside tackle and there's nothing wrong with that -- if you can dominate at the same level but in different ways. And he hasn't done the latter. He still flashes at times and makes big plays and has to be accounted for, but he's also not quite as strong at the line of scrimmage as you'd want for a big man and conditioning has become a question. Florida and Florida State seem to be in a battle for Manuel with LSU, Auburn and Clemson all in the mix as well. It will come down to official visits in January and likely a Signing Day decision for Manuel."-- Farrell