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Published Jan 23, 2018
Final 2018 Rivals250: The biggest movers
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Adam Gorney  •  Rivals.com
National Recruiting Director
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@adamgorney

MORE: Updated Rivals250 Rankings | New five-stars | Movers in Rivals100

The top three players in the newly released Rivals100 stayed the same with Clemson signee Trevor Lawrence holding on to the top spot and Georgia signee Justin Fields and USC commit Amon-Ra St. Brown following him. Then things got switched up since USC quarterback commit JT Daniels reclassified to the 2018 class and there was plenty of shuffling after the all-star events.

Today we take a look at the prospects who made the biggest moves both up and down in the final Rivals250 for this recruiting class. After closing out their senior seasons and then seeing many of them at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Under Armour All-America Game, there was plenty of movement to note:

UP

Movement: +57

“Mustipher’s energy, strength and ability to disengage from offensive linemen really helped him put on an excellent performance at the Under Armour All-America Game and in the practices leading up to the game. The Penn State signee has a ton of potential and could really thrive in the team's defensive system.” - Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman

Movement: +34

“Stills is one of the more explosive defensive linemen in the country and at the Under Armour All-America Game he showed off very good hand techniques, which helped keep offensive linemen off of him and allowed him to make a lot of plays in the backfield. The West Virginia signee will wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage in the Big 12.” - Friedman

Movement: +69

“Miller had a steady week of practice at the Under Armour All-America Game, but in the game, he took it up a notch. He was very disruptive, he got consistent penetration and he showed his athleticism for a big man. He’s committed to Auburn.” - Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Chad Simmons

Movement: NR to 121

“Silvera proved his incredible senior season was no fluke during all-star season, as he was up to the task against other blue-chip prospects. The four-star defensive lineman is committed to Miami but having a final look around.” - Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Rob Cassidy

Movement: +94

“The physical tools have always been there for Perkins, but we wanted to see him take his game to the next level and be more dynamic. That lightbulb clicked on in San Antonio and the future Oklahoma Sooner showed the ability to put pressure on the quarterback from both the end and tackle positions.” - Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt

Movement: NR to 129

“The progression we have seen in two years from Hutchinson has been remarkable. The Michigan Wolverines legacy was getting dominated by kids who would never sniff a Division I offer when he was a sophomore, but he capped his prep career by dominating the most talented postseason all-star game.” - Helmholdt

Movement: +30

Angilau is a versatile lineman who can play anywhere across the offensive line and excelled at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl because he’s tough, hard-nosed and doesn’t back down to anybody. I’ve also seen the Texas signee excel at defensive tackle where he plays with reckless abandon and gets after it on every snap. He’s going to have a lot of chances to get on the field early in Austin.” - Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney

Movement: NR to 138

“Faalele’s size has never been in doubt. He’s every bit of 6-foot-9. He has, at times, looked a little stiff but he appeared athletic at this year’s Under Armour Game. Minnesota could be getting a steal with the massive Australian import.” - Cassidy

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Movement: +51

“Overshown could prove to be underranked by the end of his college career based purely on the potential that he showed while in Orlando for Under Armour Week. His natural athleticism allows for him to turn a misstep into a spectacular play on the ball in pass coverage, which is a dangerous combination with how devastating a hitter he can be in run defense. He’s committed to Texas.” - Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger

Movement: +50

“Ademilola has shown outstanding improvement over the course of the last two years and at the Army All-American Bowl he did a great job of using leverage and hand techniques to shed blockers and make plays in the backfield and from behind. The Notre Dame signee has room to fill his frame out and should be a solid contributor for the Fighting Irish.” - Friedman

Movement: NR to 178

“After seeing Pooka play this season I was converted to a believer in his abilities. The Kansas signee reminds me of former Oregon star running back LaMichael James due to his combination of elite speed and surprising power for a back his size. I think he will be a lot of fun to watch for the Jayhawks next year and beyond.” - Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wommack

Movement: +40

“Fontaine showed more consistent playmaking abilities at the Under Armour All-America Game and he has a chance to be an early contributor at Maryland. He has a ton of potential and plenty of room to fill out his frame.” - Friedman

Movement: NR to 187

“Watkins impacted every Under Armour All-America Game practice and caught as many balls as anyone during the workouts. He’s undersized, sure, but his ability to get separation against other projected FBS stars can’t be overlooked. Watkins committed to Florida over the weekend.” - Cassidy

Movement: +43

“It had been some time since we got a really good evaluation update on McGrone, but the Army Bowl gave us a full week to see his development and his development has been strong. The future Michigan Wolverine is a fast and athletic linebacker who is very comfortable playing in space.” - Helmholdt

Movement: NR to 203

“Monday is a long and rangy defensive back with aggression. He is thin and he will need to add weight at Auburn, but he flies to the ball, he delivers big hits and he showed very good coverage skills throughout the week in Orlando. He was one of the top defensive backs from start to finish.” - Simmons

Movement: NR to 216

“Miner’s jump was based on his senior season, as his skill seems to have caught up to his impressive length. A Penn State signee, Miner should continue his positive trajectory when he arrives on campus.” - Cassidy


Movement: NR to 220

“Jones does a good job keeping receivers in front of him in coverage, but is a decisive and punishing hitter when coming up to support in run defense. He’s an athletic defensive back that closes quickly and covers a lot of ground in the blink of an eye. He’s also been known to use that explosiveness as a return man on special teams as well. Nebraska is considered the favorite and he’s committing later this month.” - Krueger

Movement: NR to 222

“We've always known Thompson was a talented player but he took his game to another level over the past six months. He impressed while playing all over the field and leading his team to the state championship, and continued that impressive play while working at wide receiver at the Shrine Bowl. Word is South Carolina wants him to play defense in college but it's hard to imagine him not having the ball in his hands at the next level.” - Wommack

Movement: NR to 223

Murray might be the slightest bit undersized but he loves competition, he’s strong and tough, and really mixed it up during the Army Bowl, which I liked to see, because he wasn’t going to let anybody beat him all week long. Off the field, Murray is affable and pleasant. On it, he’s no-nonsense and tough as nails. The UCLA commit will bring some much-needed toughness to the interior line for the Bruins.” - Gorney

Movement: NR to 244

“Wray has always been in or around the back end of the Rivals250 and the Ohio State commit earned his way back into the final rankings with a solid showing at the Army Bowl. The converted tight end is still relatively raw but he's added a lot of weight to his frame over the past two years and should only continue to improve with quality coaching at the next level.” - Wommack

Movement: NR to 247

“I’m actually concerned Harrison might even be underrated after watching his senior season highlight tape. He’s electric with the ball in his hands, incredibly difficult to tackle because he slips through tiny spaces, breaks tackles and squirms out the other side for huge gains. Harrison is a deep threat because of his speed or he can take the short pass and make multiple defenders miss. He also has excellent balance down the sideline to never step out of bounds. The former Oregon commit is looking at the Ducks along with Tennessee, Florida State and many others.” - Gorney

Movement: NR to 248

“Mascoll had a good showing at Army Bowl week. He has gotten stronger and he showed active hands in drills, he played tougher and he flashed his quickness off the edge. Clemson's defensive front has been strong in recent years and Mascoll could be next in line.” - Simmons

Movement: NR to 250

“Edwards was just on the cusp of the Rivals250 so he slid into a vacated space. He didn’t appear in a major all-star game, but when one man moves down, another has to move up. His senior film is impressive and he has the sort of coverage skills that may make him a star in the Big 12 during his time at Oklahoma.” - Cassidy

DOWN

Movement: -46

“There is no question Hufanga is a talented football player who was solid during Army Bowl week but I don’t know if he’s a safety or a linebacker or a little bit of a tweener who doesn’t exactly fit one spot. He’s an athletic and physical kid, no doubt, but I didn’t see a freak athlete in San Antonio. The USC signee is still a special recruit but needed to move down a few spots after comparing him to other elite players during Army week.” - Gorney

Movement: -69

“Allen is a big safety, which Notre Dame likes a lot, but he continued to struggle in coverage against top wide receivers in San Antonio. He is an instinctive player who is physical, but his speed and ability to change direction made it tough for him in the All-American setting.” - Simmons

Movement: -64

“Hill is a mountain of a man and he is one who can push defenders back, but his biggest obstacle on being successful at Georgia will be his weight and conditioning. He simply needs to get into better shape. Many expect him to do that and play early in Athens, but his weight hindered him some in San Antonio against elite defensive linemen.” - Simmons

Movement: -36

“Cooper, a Florida State signee, is a strong interior defensive lineman who is tough to move and that is more of what he showed in Orlando. He eats up space and frees up guys around him, but he needs to improve on making plays and firing off the ball better.” - Simmons

Movement: -39

“Vann did not have a bad week per se in San Antonio, but he just did not stand out on the big stage. He somewhat went unnoticed in practice and the game, so he dropped some in the rankings due to others making big moves up. He has signed with South Carolina.” - Simmons

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