12/7/2015 football Edit

Rivals100: Risers and Sliders

Rivals.com

Publisher

As always, much of the attention in a rankings release is focused on the No. 1 guy and the five-stars (or former five-stars), but let's not forget that this next-to-last ranking for the class of 2016 is about jockeying for position to move into those spots.

The latest release of the Rivals100 Presented by Under Armour for the class of 2016 has some big movers and a few of these guys could earn five-star status if they continue to impress. We examine prospects who made significant moves in this latest round of rankings, led by Clemson running back commit Tavien Feaster.

"While we lost three five stars, two of them -- FSU quarterback commitment Malik Henry and running back Kareem Walker - are still very much in range to earn it back and we've seen that done before," said Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell. "But there are also guys like Tavien Feaster, the Clemson running back commitment as well as his future Clemson teammate Tre Lamar, a linebacker, Tennessee Vols quarterback commitment Jarrett Guarantano and USC wideout commitment Michael Pittman that made big jumps into that discussion range as well."

With the final ranking for this class following some remaining playoff games and the all-star season, there is plenty of room for movement. Here's a look at prospects that jumped more than 30 spots either within or into the Rivals100 and those who dropped more than 20 spots within the Rivals100.

"Keep in mind that players falling less than 20 spots is simply some shifting in the rankings and not a 'considerable' drop," said Farrell. "Same with moving up less than 30 spots. At this stage that's not a huge move either."

"Despite getting injured towards the end of the season, Guarantano might have had the most impressive year of any quarterback. The Tennessee commit put up huge numbers while consistently taking hits from defenders. Guarantano has a cannon for an arm, his accuracy is impressive and the runs he can break off make many wonder if he can be stopped."

-- Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

Michael Pittman

Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

158

+116

"Pittman has been one of the top overall prospects in California this season and he has shown signs that he could be the best receiver in the state which is loaded with top WRs this cycle. He has excellent hands and great size, can get open down the field or take a short pass and make something happen and the USC commit has surprising speed. He had a fantastic season and deserved a major bump."

-- Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Analyst

Tre Lamar

Roswell, Ga

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

109

+66

"Lamar has always been a little out of place at offseason camp events, but when the pads are on, it's hard to deny the talent the Clemson commit brings as a middle linebacker. His football IQ along with his physicality makes him the perfect person to anchor a defense."

-- Wommack

Landon Young

Lexington (Ken.) Lafayette

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

+37

"The Kentucky commit continues to develop nicely and looks more and more like he could be a future bookend tackle. Players with his size and frame are rare and as he continues to get stronger he projects well not only to college, but beyond."

-- Wommack

Javon McKinley

Corona (Calif.) Centennial

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

+37

"McKinley is a big target with some of the best hands in the country. Anything that is thrown his way, McKinley almost always brings in and then he has game-breaking speed down the sidelines. In a loaded year at wide receiver in California, McKinley is one of the best and in any spread offense he could shine tremendously. Oregon is considered to be one of McKinley's top schools, but UCLA is still battling for the four-star receiver and Notre Dame is heavily involved as well."

-- Gorney

Kellen Diesch

Trophy Club (Texas) Byron Nelson

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

"As a junior, Diesch had a big frame and some nice athleticism, but he was on the light side and was projected to move from his role of tight end and defensive end to offensive tackle in college. However, as a senior he has added weight to his frame, stayed light on his feet, and in his first season at tackle the Texas A&M commit was a dominant presence in the trenches."

-- Jason Howell, Rivals.com Mid-SouthRecruiting Analyst

Devin Asiasi

Concord (Calif.) De La Salle

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

103

+31

"Asiasi does not get the credit he deserves as a pass-catching tight end since De La Salle runs the ball so much but he can split out and he's such a huge target with great hands that he's a vital piece in any offense. The four-star has embraced his role in high school, is a physical, hard-nosed blocker and will do anything for his team to win. Alabama has made a tremendous impression on the four-star and could be considered out in front if he decides to leave the Pac-12. If Asiasi stays closer, USC would probably be the team to beat."

-- Gorney

D'Andre Christmas-Giles

New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

"Despite missing his junior season due to transfer rules, Christmas-Giles was quick to draw attention once tape from his senior year made the rounds. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds he is a big presence in the middle with a quick first step and the strength to overwhelm opponents. He made plays up and down the line of scrimmage for the St. Augustine Purple Knights throughout 2015. Christmas-Giles is committed to Tennessee, but he is taking his official visits. TCU, Texas, and Nebraska are a few teams to watch in addition to the Volunteers."

-- Howell

Dillon Mitchell

Memphis (Tenn.) White Station

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

"Mitchell's quiet nature allowed him to slide under the radar at most events, but there wasn't anything quiet about his monstrous senior season. Whether it was as a quarterback, running back or wide receiver, Mitchell found a way to make plays. He finished the year with an eye-popping 43 touchdowns. His versatility makes him the type of weapon Oregon has built their program around over the past five years."

-- Wommack

David Long

Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

134

+140

"Long is an athletic corner who was tested against some great receivers this year and usually won more than he lost. The Stanford commit is fine playing press coverage at the line or giving some cushion and then snapping up to knock down the ball. Moreso than most cornerbacks in the West, Long has tremendous athleticism and this keen sense of where the ball is going to make a play."

-- Gorney

Brian Burns

Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

"Burns was a standout on an American Heritage team that made plenty of noise this season. He's added significant muscle and is a much stronger player than he was in the offseason. What makes Burns special is the fact that he was able to maintain his quickness and agility while beefing up his upper body. Burns is now powerful as well as rangy, which is a lethal combination. Burns was trending toward Florida before the Georgia coaching change and seems to be leaning more heavily in that direction since. Miami will likely be involved until the end."

-- Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

Joseph Jackson

Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

"Jackson looked as impressive playing offense as he did playing defense this season and showed off his quickness and versatility while playing tight end and splitting out wide on occasion. Jackson will likely play defense at Miami, and his dexterity and power will certainly come in handy there. The fact that he played both ways for his high school team simply allowed him to show his full skill set."

-- Cassidy

Cornell Powell

Greenville (N.C.) Rose

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

151

+53

"Powell is a tough receiver with deceptive speed and quickness. The Clemson commit has become a more reliable receiver and can make a lot of big-time plays in the open field. One of the things that makes Powell such a highly rated prospect is the fact that he can be an effective receiver running any route."

-- Friedman

Chase Claypool

Abbotsford, B.C.

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

100

196

+96

"At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, the Notre Dame commit is a unique physical specimen at the wide receiver position, but when he first started attending camps in the spring he left a lot of questions on the field. A summer spent working against players in the States, though, refined his skill set and we saw dramatic improvements. Senior film demonstrated that Claypool has continued to progress at an accelerated level and he is utilizing that rare combination of size and open field elusiveness."

-- Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst

SLIDERS

K.J. Costello

Rancho Margarita (Calif.) Rancho Margarita Catholic

NEW RANK

PREV. RANK

DIFFERENCE

-56

"Costello has a cannon for an arm - and sometimes that is the issue. The Stanford commit needs to learn to put some air under his passes and develop a touch pass when he gets to college. He can rip it in there as well as anybody in this class but not every throw can be a dart. Also, Costello completed less than 60 percent of his passes and threw nine interceptions. That could be result of Santa Margarita not being loaded at receiver but he also needs to be able to sustain drives down the field by completing more balls."

-- Gorney