The high school football season has hit the halfway point in the Southeast and it's time to take a look at which players are impressing and which players might be headed for a drop in Rivals Rankings. Today we focus on five Southeast players trending up and a pair trending down.
RELATED: Class of 2018 Rivals250 | Midwest Stock Report
STOCK UP
Anderson is making a push for that five-star discussion when the 2018 rankings are updated. He has added strength, is playing stronger at the point of attack and has one of the best get-offs in the country. Anderson has been a nightmare off the edge this season. He is long, extremely athletic and is showing that he is one of the best in the country. Alabama and Georgia look to be the top schools at this time, but Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee are hanging around.
Smith just continues to go out and make plays. Rivals has watched him play twice this season and he locks down the receiver he is up against and is playing tough and physical. Smith is not afraid to make the one-on-one tackle on the perimeter. The Georgia commit has two interceptions, and he had another pick-six that was called back due a penalty. Smith is playing at a high level this season, just as he did all spring and summer on the camp circuit.
Reese is likely not going to be outside the Rivals100 much longer. The Michigan commit is playing safety, but he has spent a lot of time inside the box. Reese is about violence between the lines. He is strong, athletic, physical and he plays with aggression. Reese is likely to settle in at inside linebacker at the next level and will never have to leave the field. Defensive coordinators want to build their defenses around guys like Reese against all the spread offenses. His stock is on the rise.
Kendrick plays out of position on his high school team, working at quarterback rather than his future position of wide receiver, but it's clear that regardless of where he plays that the Clemson commit is a special talent. He has wowed so far this season while leading his team to victories over an incredibly difficult schedule. While he has kept a low profile during the bulk of his high school career, his star is shining brighter every week.
Teague is likely out for the season with an ankle injury, but despite that setback he's already shown this season that we have him a little bit underrated. Teague played through the ankle injury this past week and still rushed for 150 yards against rival Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland and has the type of size and speed that made him a target for several big-time programs. The injury may put a damper on his chance to rise even higher, but he deserves to be ranked higher than No. 32 at his position.
STOCK DOWN
It is not that Miller has played bad by any means, but we'd like to see him make a few more plays. We'd like to see more consistency in the trenches. You see the size, the strength and the athleticism, so the ability is there. We just want to see him a little more active. He has a lot of potential. That is why Alabama, Auburn, Florida and others are fighting for him.
Mukuamu rose to four-star status on the back of a great offseason, showing the ability to cover a lot of ground combined with elite size and length. However, this fall he's playing cornerback and he has thus far failed to show the type of physicality that you like to see from an elite safety. Mukuamu's athleticism and length are tantalizing, but he will need to step it up to maintain four-star status.