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Three-Point Stance: 2021 rankings, doghouse, elite players

National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with some intriguing 2021 names to keep an eye on heading into next week's rankings meetings, 10 coaches who are not doing a great job and some recruits that deserved to play on better teams.

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MORE FACT OR FICTION: Penn State is most underachieving team

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series

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1. CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS DISCUSSION

Kyle McCord
Kyle McCord (Rivals.com)

Class of 2021 rankings meetings are coming up soon, so I thought I’d look at the prospects at each position that I expect to be discussed the most.

QB Kyle McCord — I don’t think the Ohio State commitment is a five-star, but there will be some debate as he’s shown improvement in some key areas.

RB LJ Johnson — Is he the best running back in Texas over Camar Wheaton? I don’t think so, but it’s much closer than we thought.

WR Jacorey Brooks — Brooks has been making a case for the best receiver in the state of Florida this year.

TE Thomas Fidone — Is he a five-star talent at a position where those are rare? We will debate.

OL Kingsley Suamataia — He’s raw but I absolutely love his upside and ceiling. Is he the next Penei Sewell?

DL Ja’Tavion Sanders — He still has a lot of filling out to do but he’s a dynamic pass rusher.

LB Barrett Carter — He’s so athletic he can do everything you want at the linebacker position. Is he five-star worthy?

DB Sage Ryan — I love his versatility and he’s so fluid as an athlete he reminds me a bit of Keenan Allen back in the day.

2. COACHES THAT ARE HEADED TO THE DOGHOUSE

James Franklin
James Franklin (AP Images)

Earlier this week I singled out 10 coaches who are doing a great job so far this season. Now I might as well look in the doghouse and name 10 coaches who are struggling.

1. James Franklin, Penn State — No one expected an 0-3 start. The loss to Indiana was a coaching issue, which is hard for fans to swallow.

2. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan — Is this the beginning of the end? How could a team look so good one week and so awful the next?

3. Ed Orgeron, LSU — You have to cut him some slack with all the losses but this defense has been embarrassing.

4. PJ Fleck, Minnesota — What the heck happened? The boat is taking on water and the Gophers look terrible against real and even average opponents.

5. Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee — After a 2-0 start the wheels have fallen off. The Kentucky loss was as bad as the Arkansas one. Or maybe not. I’m confused.

6. Mike Norvell, Florida State — Things are even worse than expected and expectations were very low. This is a mess.

7. Chip Kelly, UCLA — Only one game in and it’s clear UCLA will underachieve. That’s impressive.

8. Scott Satterfield, Louisville — What the heck happened here? This was at least supposed to be an explosive offense.

9. Scott Frost, Nebraska — Things are getting worse it appears and even a legend like Frost can feel the heat when the team just plays flat.

10. Tom Herman, Texas — Keep in mind had he lost to Texas Tech as he should have, he’d probably be fired by now.

3. ELITE PLAYERS THAT DESERVED BETTER

Marvin Wilson
Marvin Wilson (AP Images)

Finally, hearing about injuries to players like Marvin Wilson and Aidan Hutchinson got me to thinking about some elite players who deserved to play on much better teams during their college careers.

1. Marvin Wilson, Florida State — Marvin has a non-stop motor and a great NFL future barring serious injury. He chose a program that was simply sinking and didn’t know it.

2. Joseph Ossai, Texas — He could be the best defensive player in the country and he’s once again on a very average Texas team that should be better.

3. Trey Smith, Tennessee — He’s fought high expectations and health scares to become one of the most solid guards in the county and he doesn’t deserve this quarterback play.

4. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State — One of the elite tight ends in college football has to see his final season go down the drain in three games?

5. Wan'Dale Robinson, Nebraska — I’m not saying he’d be better off at Kentucky where he originally committed because their offense also stinks, but it would be nice to see him on an elite team.

6. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA — He has some skills and upside and just happened upon UCLA when Chip Kelly stopped caring about surrounding him with weapons.

7. Elijah Moore, Ole Miss — The Rebels' offense is fun but imagine him at a program like Alabama or Florida.

8. Javian Hawkins, Louisville — He’s a terrific running back playing behind a horrible offensive line. He’s the new Cam Akers of the ACC.

9. Asante Samuel, Florida State — Two from the Seminoles? They are that bad and Samuel has been solid on a defense that doesn’t seem to care.

10. Paris Ford, Pitt — He’s opted out but had three interceptions before he left for a team that is massively underachieving on defense.

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