Rivals250: Risers and sliders
National Signing Day 2015 has come and gone, so the focus turns to the 2016 class and
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updating rankings with the spring evaluation period around the corner.
There were plenty of changes in the newly-updated Rivals100 Presented by Under
Armour that was released Monday, and the same can be said for the Rivals250.
More significant movement is expected through the spring, but even now there is a
lot of player movement as the camp and 7-on-7 season gets underway.
Starting at the top, Folsom, Calif., went undefeated this season and won the
state bowl championship game by 61 points. Four-star offensive tackle Jonah Williams dominated throughout the season and especially in the final game, so it
was necessary to move him up drastically in the latest round of rankings.
The Elite 50 Experience in Orlando that coincided with the Under Armour
All-America Game was also a valuable evaluation tool in recent weeks. Many of
the top 2016 prospects in the country competed against each other and that
allowed for another opportunity to see many of them in person.
Like always, there was plenty of volatility both up and down in the Rivals250
-- just like in the Rivals100 -- so here is a look at the major movers in the latest
round of rankings.
Williams is a tough, hard-nosed offensive tackle who plays through the whistle
and loves to be physical and take control of defensive linemen. The Folsom
prospect has excellent size and it seems the longer the game goes, the stronger
and tougher Williams gets. Folsom runs a super-fast offense, so he doesn't have
to hold his blocks all that long, but when it runs the ball, Williams opens up
huge holes for his team's running backs. -- Adam Gorney, Rivals.com
West Recruiting Analyst
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Campbell is one of the biggest of the bigs. In fact he may be a bit too big. However, he is light on his feet and he is flexible. He bends really well and he packs a very big punch at the point of attack. There have been concerns with his weight, but it was clear to see it did not hold him back as a junior. When he engages his opponent, there is going to be violence whether its because of Campbell's quick and powerful punch or because of him driving them into the dirt. -- Jason Howell, Rivals.com Mid-South Recruiting Analyst | ||||||||||
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Tagaloa can be effective both ways on the line, but his best position is defensive tackle because he's so tough and loves to be physical in the trenches. Not only does the De La Salle standout take up a lot of space and like to stuff the run, but he's surprisingly fast into the backfield. In the state championship game, Tagaloa regularly shed one or two blockers to make plays. He did that all season and has continued to impress over the years. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Duvernay was at the Rivals250 Underclassman Challenge last offseason and had a solid showing. At the Elite 50 Experience presented by Under Armour in Orlando, Duvernay really impressed. He and five-star quarterback Shea Patterson hooked up multiple times for big plays down the field. Duvernay excelled at running difficult routes with complex double moves. His great combination of speed and length make him a difficult matchup. -- Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst | ||||||||||
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Betiku is just learning the game and already he has had dominant moments. He is a physical specimen who could play defensive end or outside linebacker. He's fluid, athletic, fierce and once his game gets refined even more, he could be something special. Betiku had a good performance at the Elite 50 Experience in Orlando, but what we saw even more out of him is a prospect with tons of potential who just needs to keep learning how to master his craft. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Smith was a little off-the-radar during his junior season, but he has loaded up with major offers in the last few weeks and his junior film is a major reason why he's gotten so much attention. The first thing that stands out about the 6-foot-7, 276-pound prospect is that he's tough, he loves to seek out defenders and hit them. He's a good run blocker, but Smith is special because at his size, he can move downfield and block. It will be interesting to see how he performs during the off-season circuit. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Mayden is one of the better put together defensive backs in the region. He has shown the ability to play both cornerback and safety and has exceptional footwork to go along with a big physical presence. -- Howell | ||||||||||
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The 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect is listed as a wide receiver on the opening graphic of his junior highlight tape, but the first clip shows how truly versatile he is. On the play, Winston drops back into coverage from the linebacker position and jumps in front of a pass, proceeding to evade seven defenders for a 35-yard touchdown return. As a receiver, Winston is just as impressive. Aside from being a downfield threat, he shows a good feel for middle routes and the vision to make would-be tacklers miss. -- Blair Angulo, Rivals.com West Recruiting Analyst | ||||||||||
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Rice has tremendous junior film, but his coming out party was Florida Fire 7-on-7 tryouts. He was as physical as any player at the event and also shined in coverage. Rice can play a number of positions at the college level. Whether or not Florida State, to which Rice is committed, beefs him to be a linebacker or decides to keep him at free safety is a choice the Seminoles will need to make. He can certainly run like a defensive back as things stand now and covers sideline to sideline with tremendous athleticism and aggression. -- Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst | ||||||||||
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There might not be a prospect whose stock has risen as high as Harry's in recent weeks. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound wideout is explosive off the line of scrimmage and elusive enough to make him a threat to score anytime he touches the football. Harry is also a standout basketball player, and he uses that leaping ability well near the goal line. He is also a willing blocker in the run game, too. -- Angulo | ||||||||||
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McCulloch has a big frame and can be a versatile linebacker on the college level. He is comfortable in coverage and he drives through the ball carrier when he arrives to make a tackle. He has some nice lateral quickness and a long wingspan which allows him to close throwing lanes. -- Howell | ||||||||||
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Robinson is a two-way standout who probably projects as an outside linebacker but also excelled at wide receiver in his junior season. The Mater Dei standout is smart, instinctual and does a fantastic job getting to the sideline to stop the run. Robinson is especially long and athletic for a linebacker and that allows him to make tons of plays on the edge. He's best at reading what's going on, diagnosing what to do and then going and making the tackle. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Okwara's junior film was very impressive. He is very aggressive, plays with great explosiveness and can run sideline to sideline. It was hard to tell on film how big he actually is, but after seeing him in person there is no doubt his every bit of his listed 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Being able to do what he did on film at that size makes him a special prospect. Looking at how much room he has left in his frame, Okwara has a real chance to make big strides going into next season. -- Friedman | ||||||||||
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Logan's strength is his strength. He has great upper and lower body strength and he does not stop. He may not be the quickest off the ball, but he does not stop. His motor, combined with his strength and hands, allow him to be a constant disruption at Destrehan. -- Howell | ||||||||||
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Parker is really good at press coverage and giving some space and then coming up to make the play. What's most impressive about him is how well he defends the deep pass. Parker has a knack for covering down the field, out-jumping wide receivers and picking off passes. He also plays wide receiver so he's not just a corner without good hands. Parker is very good at making plays and picking off passes, which makes him an even better corner. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Eifler can move up in the box to stuff the run or drop back and do a great job playing the pass and picking it off. The Bishop O'Dowd standout is super physical, so he is comfortable playing near the line, breaking through and tacking running backs. He looks even better dropping back, reading the quarterback's eyes and making a play. It also speaks to his athleticism that on his highlight film when he intercepts a pass he can outrun running backs and receivers to the end zone. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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The 6-foot-2 Nixon has been grabbing offers seemingly every day as of late and his acceleration out of cuts and sure hands are two major reasons why. Nixon possesses a devastating change of pace that shows on film and he seems to catch anything thrown his way. He's smooth out of his cuts and able to high-point balls that are thrown up for grabs. It's not hard to see why colleges have been lining up to offer him scholarships as of late. -- Cassidy | ||||||||||
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Wiley was the talk of the Rising Seniors event in Atlanta, mainly because of his explosive athletic ability. Wiley can play with his hand in the dirt or in space, and at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he looks like he could develop to play either role at the next level. Several schools jumped on Wiley following the release of his junior film and he's a guy to watch at big events this offseason, because his stock may continue to rise. -- Woody Wommack, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst | ||||||||||
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Modster threw for 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for nearly 700 yards and another 16 scores as a junior. He's most comfortable sitting in the pocket and dissecting defenses whether it's zipping it across the middle or putting some air under it on the deep pass. What makes Modster even more special is he has the ability to run the read-option, gain yards on designed runs, or if the pocket breaks down he can escape and make things happen. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Akingbulu was originally a basketball player, so he has tremendous athleticism and he can run down the field surprisingly well for his size. He can block down the field and is super long, so when he gets his hands on a defender, Akingbulu usually controls the play. One thing he needs to work on is being more physical. He needs to learn how to hit people and drive them into the ground instead of just moving them out of the way at times. -- Gorney | ||||||||||
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Not much was known about Fries when we updated our rankings last time. Looking at his film, Fries is a big, strong lineman that could play guard or tackle. He drives his feet on contact and stays low to maintain his leverage. At only 265 pounds right now, Fries has lots of room to fill out and add strength, which is kind of scary because he is already a people-mover. -- Friedman | ||||||||||
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| Mike Farrell National Recruiting Director |
| 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 Womack Southeast Recruiting Analyst |
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