Southeast Spotlight: Questions about the 2025 rankings
Rivals.com national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. takes a look at a few of the most burning questions regarding the upcoming 2025 rankings update in the Southeast region.
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RELATED: Questions about the 2025 rankings in the Mid-South
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1. CAN ANYONE CATCH ELIJAH GRIFFIN?
This is the most obvious question nationally for the 2025 class, not just in the Southeast. The Peach State pass-rusher has competition close to home and well beyond for the the top ranking in the country. Even just among pass-rushers, Griffin has a few elites on his heels such as Armondo Blount of Miami (Fla.) Central, who kicked off his campaign with a whopping six sacks on Friday night. Griffin was of course no slouch in his opener, registering 2.5 sacks of his own.
As the cycle rolls on, though, Blount will be joined by David Sanders Jr., Bryce Underwood and many others as the case for their own lofty spot atop the rankings boards. The tough part is that each premium position prospect should all but dominate even as 'marked' men throughout the 2023 season, so the splitting of hairs will have to be zoomed in even further in making the call between now and January of 2025 when all is said and done with the class.
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2. BIG DEFENSIVE BACKS ARE BACK
The 2025 class is shaping up to be a battle of the bigs atop the defensive back rankings in the Southeast, with the highest-ranked prospects each standing 6-foot-1 or better. It begs the question on just how large the ground may become, eventually creating positional questions between cornerback and safety thereafter.
In the South, DJ Pickett is already a five-star and the top-ranked safety in the class, but even his position could come into question considering he's already 6-foot-5. He has wide receiver experience in addition to family ties to the front seven, so his physical development will be something to track independent of his game regardless of position. The top two corners in the region are also on the bigger side in Chris Ewald Jr. and Na'eem Offord, each pushing 6-foot-1, with Offord closer to 200 pounds. There's little question on either prospect's ability at the line of scrimmage or in run support, so we'll need to see third-level cornerback play during the season. If not, the conventional crop of more compact cornerback types will rise at the position.
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3. THE QUARTERBACK RANKINGS ARE WIDE-OPEN
The most over-scouted and pre-hyped position in our industry is, of course, the quarterback spot, where some are crowned to be on a five-star track from the middle school ranks like Trevor Lawrence or Julian Lewis, who have each somehow lived up to the hype. But in 2025, at least in the South, that no-brainer recruit who has been known forever doesn't quite exist.
It means the initial rankings haven't been easy, as the 2022 season carried a ton of weight while the offseason probably mattered more than it should have, so this group should remain a fluid one throughout the 2025 cycle. It's like each top candidate has a clear area in question or for improvement as their junior seasons begin.
The current table-setter is KJ Lacey, the Texas commitment out of Saraland (Ala.) High School, who has been compared to Bryce Young because of his lack of size, yet elite production and modern game traits. Then in Georgia you have Antwann Hill on the other end of the spectrum at a college-ready 6-foot-4, 210 pounds despite some mechanical inconsistencies.
Other four-stars such as Bekkem Kritza and Jama Malone aren't clear-cut No. 1 players at their prep programs at this time while one who is, Miami commitment Luke Nickel, looks like the high-floor candidate among this bunch.
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4. FIVE-STAR WATCH
There are only 10 five-stars in the current 2025 Rivals250, a number we know will rise with time. In the South there are several prospects that could push for that status as we learn more about their 2023 seasons. Here are three to watch.
Few prospects in any class, at any position, look as Saturday (or Sunday) ready as Terry does, but more importantly his play backs it up. He doesn't get to face the elite Atlanta-area competition at Manchester (Ga.) High School, but he was a one-man wrecking crew against fellow blue-chippers at the Future 50 event this summer. Terry looks like the next great Georgia interior lineman.
DeBose is not as polished as some of the other top offensive tackle types in the class but he is getting better at every stop and he has clearly committed to his frame in shedding some baby weight this offseason. DeBose was the only blocker to win against Terry at the Future 50, where he also flashed a strong punch and anchor in addition to his length and low plane skill. As he continues to progress, DeBose looks like he'll be in the mix for the No. 1 OT spot all the way through the cycle.
While some positions are about getting longer or bigger players, some have molded toward hybrid roles and the edge and off-ball linebacker positions have moved there most notably. Walker fits that mold perfectly, working as a stand-up edge, off-ball talent and even moonlighting as a running back on offense. He does each with success and flash from an explosiveness standpoint, forcing multiple turnovers and scoring multiple defensive touchdowns to open his 2023 season. The awareness is just as impressive as the physical traits with Walker.