Rivals100 Update: Nine new five-stars

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The final Rivals100 for the class of 2018 has been released and with it comes the addition of nine new five-stars.

The top three for 2018 remains the same led by Clemson quarterback signee Trevor Lawrence and Georgia quarterback signee Justin Fields followed by USC commitment Amon-Ra St. Brown.

We placed former 2019 prospect JT Daniels, a USC quarterback commitment, who recently re-classified into the 2018 class at No. 4. The discussion around Daniels was a good one with some feeling he is better than Fields, while others feeling he should be lower down the list.

Following Daniels and essentially holding their spots are Clemson defensive end signee Xavier Thomas and Penn State signee Micah Parsons. Alabama signee Eyabi Anoma, after a great Under Armour week, jumped up 17 spots to No. 7 and is followed by cornerback Patrick Surtain, Georgia offensive line signee Jamaree Salyer and Georgia running back signee Zamir White. The Bulldogs boast three players in the top 10 while Clemson and USC have two each.

New five-star Nick Petit-Frere moved up to the No. 1 offensive line spot in the country and is joined as a new five-star by six other prospects in the second half of the five-star pool. Here’s a breakdown of those that earned their fifth star and the two players that fell back down to four-stars.

“Daniels, a USC commitment, had a mind-boggling high school career where he led Mater Dei to a state championship this season and finished his time there throwing for more than 12,000 yards with 152 touchdowns and 14 picks and he skipped his senior season. Rarely does he throw a bad pass and Daniels is phenomenal at dissecting defenses at the line of scrimmage and picking them apart with pristine passes. He had outstanding receivers to help him but he should have those at USC as well. With Sam Darnold leaving early for the NFL Draft, there's no question Daniels, who was excellent at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, will compete for the starting job next season.” – Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst

“Petit-Frere’s long frame and light feet have always been in place, but the fact that he’s retained his athleticism as he adds weight makes him special. He looked like a lean, college ready tackle at this year’s Under Armour All-America game. Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and others are involved in his recruitment.” – Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Florida Recruiting Analyst

“Shorter has been trending up in the rankings for a while now and his performance at the Under Armour All-America Game and in the practices helped push him up to five-star status. The Penn State signee’s size is obvious but watching his body control when he is running routes and leaping to catch the ball is tremendous. Shorter will definitely give defensive backs headaches in the red zone because of that size, catch radius, and his reliable hands.” – Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

“I absolutely loved Griffin when I watched him during his senior season because he's so smooth, so athletic and he was a big-time playmaker in all three phases for Mission Viejo. He performed really well against elite national competition at the Under Armour game, only furthering our belief he's one of the best players in this class. There have been comparisons to Darnay Holmes, especially when the new five-star was committed to UCLA, but Griffin is a little different in that he's skinnier and more sudden than Holmes. USC is a main contender in his recruitment with a host of SEC and ACC powers also in the mix.” –Gorney

“Those who saw the U.S. Army All-American Bowl saw the two interceptions Sterns made, but that was really just the capstone on what was an outstanding week in San Antonio for the future Texas Longhorn. Sterns was around the football all week, showing great range in coverage and plenty of physicality to be an asset in run support. In looking for a five-star safety, we want to see not only the physical tools, but also elite playmaking ability and Sterns showed us all of that in San Antonio.” – Josh Helmholdt, Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst

“Campbell is a work in progress, but his size and speed combination will play well in college. If he continues to learn the position, he should be a can’t-miss prospect by the time he sets foot on campus. Physically, they don’t make cornerbacks much better than Campbell, who is considering Miami and Georgia.” – Chad Simmons, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

“I've been making the case for Kendrick to be a five-star since late August, when I saw him play live and walked away completely floored with his performance. Kendrick is an explosive athlete who spent the season playing quarterback for his high school but stepped in with the nation's best wide receivers at the Army Game and was one of the most consistent performers in attendance. I can't wait to see the type of plays he will make when he's a full-time wide receiver and has the chance to develop under the staff at Clemson.” – Woody Wommack, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

“Waddle’s performance throughout the week at the Army All-America Bowl confirmed what his highlights have shown throughout his entire high school career; that he’s deadly in the open field with his ability to make defenders miss. Add to the fact that he can turn on the afterburners and outrun entire defensive units, and he is everything coaches look for in a modern slot receiver. He may not be as tall as other elite receiver prospects, but he’s sturdy enough to absorb a hit or break a tackle to continue a big play. Waddle seems to be most seriously considering Alabama, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M.” – Nick Krueger, Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst

“Cox flashed his ability to be disruptive at defensive end a few times during practice, but it was when the lights came on and he was on the big stage during the game that he really showcased his ability off the edge. He finished with two sacks in the Under Armour All-America game, he had a couple of pressures and he was doing damage against some top offensive tackles. If he puts it all together at Georgia and plays at this level consistently, he could be a day one NFL draft pick.” – Simmons

“The reports from the Under Armour game were not altogether complimentary for Williams' showing there and that has been my concern over the last year or so when he emerged as an elite national prospect. Williams looks like a million bucks and could be incredibly special at receiver, defensive back or possibly linebacker if he bulks up but he doesn't exactly take over and dominate like he should. At his size with his athleticism, Williams should be unstoppable especially at receiver but sometimes he fades away. Oregon is considered the front-runner but USC is making a serious push among others.” – Gorney

“In the past, The Texas signee has always been resourceful enough to find workarounds for his weaknesses as a player, but during his week at Army, receivers consistently exposed those weaknesses in a major way. He’s still a smart, talented player, but his reaction time and recovery speed aren’t at the level of other five-star corners.” –Krueger