Rivals100: Risers and sliders
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RISERS
"Ross is a very athletic kid who could play on either side of the ball and
backed up his impressive senior film with impressive work at the Army Bowl. From
what I was able to see on video and in the game, he's an explosive kid who will
also be a special teams standout." -- Mike Farrell, National
Recruiting Director
"There may not have been a guy who had a smoother, easy-going stride out on the
field during Army Bowl week. He spent most of his time working on offense and he was able to make
quick adjustments on the fly and use his length to high point the ball.
Regardless of his position it was easy to see his athleticism. He made some
tough plays and he made them look effortless." -- Jason Howell,
Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
QB
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
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DIFFERENCE
39
75
+36
"I have always liked his arm strength, but it was his poise in the
pocket, his ability to keep his eyes downfield and his field vision as well as
his consistency that made him the best quarterback at Under Armour and a guy I
think could be a star in college and beyond." -- Farrell
"Florida State is taking three quarterbacks in this recruiting
class, but Francois -- at least during the Under Armour week -- clearly separated himself as
the best one. Francois was deadly accurate during the game, completing all his
passes, including a beautiful deep ball to George Campbell and then coming back and
throwing across the field for a touchdown to Clemson tight end commit
Garrett Williams. He threw the nicest ball out of any quarterback at
Under Armour and while he can run to pick up yards, Francois seems most
comfortable sitting in the pocket and picking apart defenses. He did that really
well all week." -- Adam Gorney, West Recruiting Analyst
DE
Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou
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40
137
+97
"This kid fits in with the massive ends already at Oregon but I think he ends up
moving inside and becoming a dominant 3-technique. He has the potential to be a
Haloti Ngata-kind of prospect if he continues to develop. He's that
physically gifted and impressive" -- Farrell
"Kaumatule is an absolute behemoth. There wasn't an offensive tackle that he
went against that could match his sheer size and strength at Under Armour.
Throughout the week of practice, he pushed around offensive linemen, beating them
to the inside and outside during one-on-ones. What's even scarier is that
Kaumatule still has room to fill out his frame. He could end up being a
defensive tackle when all is said and done." -- Adam Friedman,
Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
LB
Brookhaven, Miss.
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DIFFERENCE
43
77
+34
"Lewis is a big and physical linebacker who will only get bigger and stronger.
He arrives at the ball with a thump, is very effective moving forward and has
some quick-twitch ability in space and sideline-to-sideline reaction time. He
has all the physical tools to be special." -- Farrell
"Linebackers at All-Star events sometimes get lost in the shuffle because they
can't blitz and there are other restrictions that make it tough for players at
that position. Sometimes, they disappear. Not Lewis. The soft Ole Miss
commit who's now embroiled in one of the hottest recruiting battles in the
country had a phenomenal week. He is a big-time hitter, physical, comes up and
can really knock the breath out of a running back hitting the hole. Lewis was
impressive in camps, but that setting doesn't do him justice. He's the kind of
kid who loves to put the pads on and go hit." -- Gorney
DT
Las Vegas (Nev.) Liberty
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52
NR
NA
"Wow, do I like the way this kid looks. He's just huge and moves so well. He's
going to be a massive 3-technique who can move down the line and string things
out. His backside pursuit is excellent, he's athletic with a motor and he's good
enough to play end if needed. I think a lot of people are going to regret
sleeping on him." -- Farrell
"The USC commit had a fantastic week at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and
saved his best for last, capping a dominant performance with two sacks in the
game. He has the size and tenacity to be a force for the Trojans early on,
especially following the departure of Leonard Williams. Jefferson
doubled as a tight end in high school, and that versatility allowed him to
improve his footwork and ultimately helped him become a better defensive
prospect. His natural strength makes him a handful on the interior." --
Blair Angulo, West Recruiting Analyst
CB
Jefferson (La.) Riverdale
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DIFFERENCE
58
199
+141
"A very active and athletic cornerback and a willing tackler, Jackson is about speed. He can turn and run with anyone and
he arrives at the ball quickly. He has great hips and good technique and very good in
space. He's a lockdown guy. He created a lot of buzz at the Army Bowl and
rightly so." -- Farrell
"Explosion is the word that comes to mind in regard to Jackson. He showed his
skillset on both sides of the football throughout the Army Bowl week. There were
some questions regarding his level of competition during the season, but Jackson
made it clear he shines bright on the biggest stages. His burst out of the break
and quick-change ability were on another level." -- Howell
OT
Summerville, S.C.
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DIFFERENCE
72
119
+47
"Bailey is a massive kid on film and could play tackle or guard. With a mean
streak and a physical edge, he's going to be an early starter in college." -- Farrell
"The hulking 6-foot-6, 325-pound Bailey shied away from marquee events during
the offseason and while he's always been ranked high, we didn't have a chance to
really stack him up against elite talent. At the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas,
Bailey looked bigger, stronger and more athletic than ever, showing that he has
the ability to be an instant impact guy at the next level. Bailey's combination
of size and athleticism is very rare, especially at guard." -- Woody Wommack,
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
LB
Dallas (Texas) Skyline
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76
238
+162
"Long and angular and very good at moving forward and taking good angles,
Wheeler covers a lot of space and loves to hit. He arrives at the ball with
force, plays with good pad leverage and gets skinny when he needs to without
being afraid to take on blockers as well. He was one of the biggest surprises at Under Armour." -- Farrell
"Wheeler was another linebacker who made his presence felt, but in a different
way than Lewis. Sure, the new Texas commit can come up and hit, but he's far more
athletic and covers ground so well. Wheeler has long arms and legs and does an
excellent job of coming up like a missile to make a hit or to get sideline to
sideline and wrap up. He's bouncy and moves so well for someone his size and
that's why he was so successful during the Under Armour week." -- Gorney
WR
Patterson, La.
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DIFFERENCE
78
145
+63
"I didn't know Charlot had that extra gear, but he showed it at Under Armour,
especially on special teams. He's going to be a deep threat and a fun guy to
watch in the return game. He's a home run threat." -- Farrell
"Charlot provided a good chunk of the fireworks at the Under Armour All-American
Game. He is much faster than we originally thought, and is very shifty in the
open field. When Charlot has the ball in his hands, he is a threat to score from
anywhere on the field. He showed off great athleticism throughout the week and
made plenty of plays to warrant a move up the rankings." -- Friedman
QB
Folsom, Calif.
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DIFFERENCE
84
248
+164
"The West Coast quarterback class has been well documented for years, but this
kid doesn't seem to get the attention he deserves. When you watch him on senior
film, you see a poised quarterback who sees the field well and has the touch and
arm strength to put up monster numbers at the next level like he has in high
school." -- Farrell
"Browning threw 91 touchdown passes this season alone and 229 TDs in his career,
a national record. Those numbers are mind-boggling and incredibly impressive, but
some argue that Browning is a system quarterback and it's fair to say that for
years Folsom's offense has put up insane statistics without high-level FBS recruits. The difference with Browning is that he is a top-level quarterback
who can make all the throws, not just dump the ball off short and let receivers
run down the field. In the state championship game -- a 68-7 win over previously
undefeated Oceanside -- Browning calmly led his team on drive after drive, threw
a great deep ball, nice touch passes and did everything to prove he's not a
system quarterback but a phenomenal QB who plays in a great system." -- Gorney
DE
Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes
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DIFFERENCE
85
212
+127
"Walker is a tweener and has been forever, but he's the perfect hybrid guy who
will get his numbers in the backfield but also be effective in drops and
coverage. He's a non-stop motor guy who is very good at avoiding blocks and
picking the right spot where the ball will be. He's very instinctual and will
put up monster numbers in sacks and tackles for a loss if he continues to
develop." -- Farrell
"Listed at 212 pounds, Walker seems stuck between the defensive end and
linebacker positions. What his Army Bowl week performance showed us is that it
does not matter which position he lines up at, he can play in space and he is
stronger at the point of attack than his size would suggest. Walker's
versatility should allow him to see the field early at Georgia, and his ability
to come from any direction will give offensive coordinators ulcers." --
Josh Helmholdt, Midwest Recruiting Analyst
TE
Fayetteville, Ark.
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DIFFERENCE
90
155
+65
"I love O'Grady's hands and his catch radius. He is going to be a quarterback's
best friend because he can catch them high, low or behind him and he rises to
the football and fights for it. He's athletic and is a downfield threat, so he
can flex out, but he's also a willing blocker." -- Farrell
"A one-handed catch in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl raised some
eyebrows, but O'Grady was stellar throughout the week in practices, too.
Whenever the West opened up the playbook, the Arkansas commit made the
most of his opportunities. He has great hands and is fluid enough to be a
nightmare for linebackers in the passing game, and he showed a willingness to
get physical as a blocker." -- Angulo
DT
Fresno (Calif.) Clovis North
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DIFFERENCE
91
138
+47
"Athletic big men are hard to find and when Daniel is on, and wants to compete he
can be very effective. He's a guy that surprised a bit at Army when I broke
things down, because I didn't expect him to be so physical and effective. He is a
guy who has a high ceiling and is just starting to come into his own." -- Farrell
"Daniel uses his size and strength very well, and he played with really good
leverage. He has a nice first step and he is capable of getting immediate
penetration. He was one of the top defensive linemen throughout the week as he
often overpowered opponents in one-on-ones and caused disruption during team
drills." -- Howell
OT
Houston (Texas) Westfield
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DIFFERENCE
98
129
+31
"Weathersby has a great frame with broad shoulders and a thin waist,
so he could add another 30 pounds and remain as athletic as he is. He played out
of position at Under Armour at guard, but delivered and was physical with some
big and athletic interior linemen. He didn't have the best game, but his body of
work and versatility moved him up." -- Farrell
Ole Miss played
offensive guard all week and did an excellent job. There were times during
practice where he had issues with speed on the inside, but generally Weathersby
handled all the interior offensive linemen really well. He's super powerful, so
once he gets his hands up, he generally controls the rep and he has an excellent
power base where no one is going to move him." -- Gorney
SLIDERS
QB
Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep
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DIFFERENCE
60
38
-22
"I was expecting Wimbush to take that next step and shine on the Under Armour
stage and earn that fifth star, but I saw the erratic play we saw during the
summer and not the confident quarterback he was most of his senior season.
Consistency is the key with Wimbush when it comes to mechanics, because accuracy
is up and down, but he still has a very high ceiling." -- Farrell
"There is no doubt that Wimbush is a special talent and had a lot of success as a
senior, but his performance at the Under Armour All-American Game and during the
practices leading up to it were not spectacular. In practice, it was very obvious
that he, along with many of the other quarterbacks, had difficulty adjusting to
the speed of their wide receivers and his offensive line really let him down in
the game. Wimbush still has a bright future ahead of him at Notre Dame." --
Friedman
OT
Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt
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DIFFERENCE
67
44
-23
"Prince is a raw kid with a lot of upside athletically and he has excellent
size, he was just a bit over his head when it came to the quickness and speed at
Army and he'll need to work on continuing to move his feet. He has a ton of
potential and he didn't slide much because he's still a very nice prize for
someone." -- Farrell
"Prince had a solid performance at the Army Bowl. The one concern we have with
him is the 6-foot-6 offensive tackle tends to be a waist-bender and not a
knee-bender. That hurts his balance and his leverage. A good offensive line
coach will be able to improve that aspect of his game, but not being a natural
knee-bender is something he will always fight." -- Helmholdt
QB
Stephenville, Texas
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DIFFERENCE
97
57
-40
"Stidham is an effective dual-threat kid who is still learning the position of
quarterback and that showed at Under Armour. His arm strength isn't as good as I
thought it was and his accuracy was off most of the week. I think we just had
him a little too high." -- Farrell
"Stidham did not have a phenomenal week. The Baylor commit did not do anything
all that special during practices or games to prove he was one of the top 50 or
so players in the country. To be fair, All-Star weeks are oftentimes really
difficult for quarterbacks because getting chemistry so quickly with receivers
is not easy. Plus, like Blake Barnett, Stidham is a running threat and that wasn't
really all that utilized during the week. But even in his passing ability,
Stidham didn't show all that much and an adjustment in his ranking was deemed
necessary." -- Gorney
DT
Lincolnton, N.C.
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PREV. RANK
DIFFERENCE
100
39
-61
"Roseboro was a guy we had too high and he keeps changing his body, so it's hard
to get an accurate read on where he'll play. We saw him in the summer at 290
pounds and he was a dominant inside guy in camp settings, but he lost 30 pounds
during the season and isn't an explosive edge guy as a
defensive end, so we slid him down to where we felt more comfortable after seeing
him numerous times." -- Farrell
"Roseboro didn't have an awful week at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl by
any means. It's just that it was clear that he wasn't a top-50 prospect as his
previous ranking indicated. He's still belongs among the top defensive tackles
in America, and the strength he showcased during All-Star week was downright
impressive. He needs to be become quicker, work on his technique and shed some
bad weight to realize his true upside, which is extremely high. There is a lot
to like about Roseboro, who has a wealth of physical tools. He just needs to
polish his game before he's ready to dominate on the college level." --
Rob
Cassidy, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Blair Angulo
West Recruiting Analyst
Rob Cassidy
Midlands/Southwest Recruiting Analyst
Adam Friedman
Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
Adam Gorney
West Recruiting Analyst
Josh Helmholdt
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Jason Howell
Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
Woody Wommack
Southeast Recruiting Analyst
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