The fifth edition of the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented By Under Armour is in the books and, with such an important anniversary of an amazing event, we thought it would be cool to look back at the top five prospects that attended at each position. Today we look at the safeties.
Note: The order is based on a combination of success at the event, success at the high school level and, in many cases, success in college. Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
MORE: Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: QBs | RBs | WR/TEs | OL | DL | LB | CB | Full Five-Star Challenge Coverage
The Skinny: James avoided any recruiting drama by committing to Florida State almost three years before his National Signing Day. Nowadays when a recruit commits as early as James did, they seldom stick with that school, but he never wavered and signed with the Seminoles. As a true freshman, James slid right into the Florida State secondary like a veteran, finishing with 91 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three passes defended.
Farrell’s Take: James was outstanding at our first event in Baltimore playing both sides of the ball and still dominating. His non-stop hustle and amazing work ethic stood out but it was his athleticism that made it clear to me I was watching the best safety I have ever scouted. James is simply a freak of nature.
The Skinny: Blanding, who had offers from a majority of the top programs in the country by the end of his sophomore season, always held Virginia in very high regard. Knowing that Charlottesville was the place for him, he decided not to drag out his process and committed to the Cavaliers almost a year before his National Signing Day. Blanding had a huge true freshman season and followed it up with another productive sophomore season. Look for more of the same from Blanding in 2016.
Farrell’s Take: Blanding made our event in Atlanta as an underclassmen but couldn’t make it the next year in Chicago due to a scheduling conflict. Joining one of the best secondary groups every assembled at an event with Kendall Fuller, Eli Apple, Jourdan Lewis and Jalen Tabor he was key to his team’s victory. Blanding had two-way ability and reminded me a bit of Keenan Allen out of high school, although it was more apparent that his future was on defense.
The Skinny: Adams took official visits to LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M, but it came down to the Tigers, Gators and Rebels. Despite a strong relationship with Hugh Freeze at Ole Miss and having his godfather, Joker Phillips, as an assistant at Florida, LSU pulled away and received his commitment at the 2014 Under Armour All-America game. After two quality seasons at LSU, Adams has positioned himself for a monster junior season.
Farrell’s Take: Adams was always a bit undersized for a safety but he was in non-stop motion all the time, showed great leadership ability and also had a lot of swagger. He was constantly chattering in the ears of the receivers and getting them off their game and he was physical even in touch 7-on-7 football. I loved his energy and wish I had overlooked his minor size issue to make him a five-star.
The Skinny: Okudah originally committed to Baylor but decommitted even before the recent scandal that rocked the program. Ohio State is thought to be his current leader with schools like Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, LSU, Stanford, Oklahoma and Notre Dame also in the chase.
Farrell’s Take: Okudah covered like a cornerback at the event in Atlanta last month and showed off impressive speed and instincts during both portions of the camp. He’s a special safety who could play some linebacker down the line a la Su’a Cravens and Jabrill Peppers.
The Skinny: Smith, usually referred to as JuJu instead of John, decided to play the recruiting game despite USC being seen as the favorite from the start. After Lane Kiffin’s dismissal there was a little bit more of an opening for other schools, especially UCLA which fought hard to bring him to the other side of Los Angeles. In the end, Smith surprised no one and committed to the Trojans on National Signing Day. Making the move to wide receiver at USC, Smith’s transition has been seamless as he has become one of the more explosive offensive players in the country.
Farrell’s Take: Smith played at our Chicago event as a safety and was outstanding in that role, but we always knew he had the ability to play offense at the next level. He showed what a fluid and natural athlete he was and lived up to his five-star billing at the event despite not getting as much action as he would have liked.
