Texas spotlight: Five with something to prove at Five-Star Challenge
The state of Texas will be well represented at the upcoming Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas on June 10 in Indianapolis. Fourteen prospects from Texas will be at the event, and all of them will have something to show Rivals analysts. Here is a look at five in particular with perhaps the most to gain from a strong showing next weekend.
MORE: Mid-Atlantic prospects with something to prove at Five-Star | Southeast | West
In a Rivals ranking update earlier this year, Eagles was a name brought up as a possible five-star candidate. He’s not quite there yet, even after flying out to Atlanta to earn his place in the Five-Star Challenge, but he’s a breakout performance away from making his move up. Physically, few prospects look as perfect for their position as Eagles does at wide receiver, but in order to get to that truly elite status, he’ll have to show that he can create separation more consistently from defenders - more specifically on routes that ask him to do more than just get behind the secondary. Eagles released a top 10 earlier this spring, and Clemson, Oklahoma and Texas seem to be among the leaders within that group.
O’Neal has already been a fast-riser in the Rivals Rankings over the last two updates, and if he doesn’t advance beyond where he’s currently placed, he’ll still be among the nation’s elite. However, for him to continue his ascent and crack a high spot within the Rivals100, he’ll need to prove that he’s more than just a boom-or-bust safety in pass coverage. O’Neal is as decisive and explosive a prospect as there is. He is a devastating hitter, but is still more of an instinctual defensive back rather than a technical one. O’Neal recently released a top seven, and Clemson and Texas A&M figure to be the leaders within that group.
Landry recently earned his fourth star after a position change to weakside defensive end. Whether or not he plays defensive tackle in college -- as he does in high school -- is yet to be determined. One thing that isn’t in doubt is his fierceness as a pass-rusher and he proved as much all spring long at multiple events. Going up against some of the best offensive linemen in the country will be a good litmus test to see if he’s just in the middle of a nice run of performances at camp events or if he’s turned a corner and is the real deal as a swing-player along the defensive line.
Mayden recently committed to Mississippi State and was an original member of the 2018 Rivals250, and though he is still the highest-ranked quarterback prospect in Texas, has since slid from the national rankings. If three-star Grapevine quarterback Alan Bowman wasn’t so on-the-money in the Dallas event, Mayden likely would have taken camp MVP honors. Although a significant part of his evaluation as a player is tied to his ability to create plays with his feet, he has experience in 7-on-7 tournaments and should be capable of giving himself a chance to play his way back into the Rivals250 as he prepares for his senior season.
McKinley may be overlooked as a high-end four-star prospect because the book on him is that he’s too slight of build to be complete prospect as a cornerback. In reality, McKinley is continuing to grow physically, but doesn’t let his stature dissuade him from playing physically on defense. Other elite corners also generally seem a step faster than McKinley, but not many have the same sense of timing and feel for when to get his head around to search out passes and make plays on the ball. McKinley was also once a member of the Rivals250 and will be anxious to prove he belongs back in that picture. Earlier this spring, McKinley released a top nine, but since then, Oregon and Washington have entered the picture and could be giving him new options before cutting his list down again.