Take Two: How solid is Quavaris Crouch's hold on No. 1 ranking?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network.
MORE TAKE TWO: Can Oklahoma rule Lone Star State recruiting in 2019?
THE STORYLINE
Quavaris Crouch is the new No. 1 prospect in the 2019 class - and there was healthy debate about which prospect should take over the top spot after five-star quarterback JT Daniels reclassified to 2018.
The Charlotte (N.C.) Harding University five-star athlete is a standout running back and linebacker and it’s still unclear which position he will play over the long term. That leads to some of the questions about whether Crouch should or should not be the No. 1 overall prospect in the class.
A slightly undersized version of former Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough from a physical standpoint, Crouch is a specimen who has special ability on both sides of the ball. But is it a major concern that the 6-foot-3, 222-pound standout does not have a specific position he’s focused on and is still a star at two spots?
It did not stop the Rivals.com team of analysts from moving Crouch up from second to first in the rankings, but the 2019 class is shaping up to be one where someone could emerge to the top spot and it isn’t an open-and-shut case, almost like it was with Clemson signee Trevor Lawrence, who was so incredibly talented it was tough to move him off No. 1 during the 2018 cycle.
Offensive tackle Darnell Wright, wide receiver Theo Wease, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and receiver Jadon Haselwood round out the new top five. Those four and many others could push toward No. 1 as the 2019 cycle moves through the offseason.
Crouch is special - but is he a potential NFL star at running back or linebacker? That may or may not be much of a concern as this cycle continues.
FIRST TAKE: ADAM FRIEDMAN, RIVALS.COM RECRUITING ANALYST
“Crouch is a superior athlete that dominated both sides of the ball last season. As a running back he was unstoppable and it always took at least two defenders to take him down. Crouch is a punishing runner with the speed to score from pretty much anywhere on the field. On the defensive side of the ball, Crouch terrorized quarterbacks and created a number of turnovers. He plays with a violent demeanor and it serves him well as a linebacker and defensive end.
“The biggest question mark for Crouch has to do with what position he will play in college. There is little doubt that he would be a very successful running back, but he has expressed interest in potentially moving to linebacker. He isn't as experienced on the defensive side of the ball but has all the physical tools to excel there. Much of the conversations Crouch will have with college coaches will be about his position and the school that he ends up with will likely have a plan in place for both sides of the ball.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“He reminds me of Ernie Sims when you talk about a physically impressive kid who could play multiple positions. Sims back in the day was always going to be a linebacker but there were schools that told him, ‘If you want to play running back, you can be a running back.’
“Dylan Moses was the other guy who was a linebacker/running back who we had at No. 1 at one point. These are different situations though. Crouch is much more comfortable on the defensive side of the ball at the same stage than Moses and he’s more aggressive physically.
“It’s not really a great 2019 class so far when it comes to top-end talent. He didn’t win by default and it was quite a debate. We try not to have athletes and guys without a position at the top, but he was too good compared to the other guys to not be No. 1.”