Three-Point Stance: Big commitments and must-gets
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with thoughts on some recent huge commitments, his list of the biggest commitments so far in the 2020 class and five 2021 guys that are must-gets for certain schools.
1. Back and even better than before: Impact commitments!
With rankings meetings all last week, I skipped the Three-Point Stance and with it my thoughts on many new commitments. Here are the ones I find to be the biggest.
RB Marshawn Lloyd, South Carolina – This is a huge pickup for the Gamecocks as Lloyd has a lot of potential and could be the workhorse for the offense. Some like Lloyd better than others on our staff, but everyone agrees this is a great get.
DE Braiden McGregor, Michigan – McGregor is a big end who does well against the run and can get after the passer with power. He’s one of the most hotly debated prospects when it comes to rankings.
RB Chris Tyree, Notre Dame – Tyree may not be big but he’s sudden and very explosive and can be used in many ways in the Notre Dame offense. He’s a dynamic player.
OL Jake Wray, Colorado – This is a great get for former UGA coach Mel Tucker out of the state of Georgia and Wray could be the leader of the line for many years.
WR Thaiu Jones-Bell, Alabama – Jones-Bell is the latest dynamic receiver to choose Alabama from South Florida. He’s a slot with sneaky strength and excellent speed and an ability to separate.
RB Jo’Quavious Marks, Mississippi State – Marks can do a lot for an offense and has the ability to be a three-down back who can hurt you out of the backfield as well. This is a huge get from Georgia for the Bulldogs.
DT Jalen Carter, Georgia – Carter is an athletic defensive tackle who can handle the run but also get after the passer. His athleticism will show even as he gets bigger and stronger.
DT Justin Rogers, Kentucky – Talk about a home run commitment. I love Rogers on either side of the football as he has great athleticism. He reminds me of Gerald McCoy as a defensive tackle and could have a similar career.
DB Joel Williams, Florida – Williams is an excellent athlete and has good size for a corner and the ability to track the ball as a safety if he makes that move. He’s very versatile.
TE Jonathan Odom, Florida – Odom is an excellent get for Florida because he can stretch the field and has good hands. He’s also going to be a good blocker. He’ll be a key in the Florida offense.
RB Kobe Pryor, Clemson – Pryor has good size and sneaky speed and could be the next underrated running back to make it big at Clemson like Travis Etienne.
DE Myles Murphy, Clemson – The latest five-star commitment for Clemson comes from Georgia, an area they have recruited very well under Dabo Swinney. Murphy could be the next great lineman for the Tigers.
2. The 10 biggest commitments in the 2020 class
There have been a ton of early commitments for the 2020 class but some are bigger than others. As we head into June, let’s take a look at the biggest ones from a national standpoint.
DT Justin Rogers to Kentucky – This one is the most impressive commitment so far. Kentucky doesn’t get five-stars that often and Rogers is a special talent. They will have to hold off many schools to keep him but this is a massive commitment for coach Mark Stoops and sends a message to the country.
CB Elias Ricks to LSU – DBU is a real thing so I guess this isn’t that unexpected, but for the nation’s top corner to leave California and head to Louisiana is a big deal.
QB DJ Uiagalelei to Clemson – The No. 1 player in the country heading across the country to Clemson is a big deal and the fact that he’s a quarterback and will follow Trevor Lawrence makes it even bigger. This shows the power of Clemson’s recruiting brand.
WR Rakim Jarrett to LSU – This was very surprising as many expected Jarrett to choose Ohio State early in the process. LSU produces great wide receivers but the quarterback issues make this an interesting pledge. Pulling a five-star from D.C. is a big deal.
DT Bryan Bresee to Clemson – The Maryland product seemed to favor Clemson from the beginning and this is how the Tigers defense was built – by recruiting all over the east coast.
LB Mekhail Sherman to Georgia – Georgia has proven they can recruit all over the country under Kirby Smart and especially on the east coast. Sherman is a guy who might have ended up in the Big Ten before Smart came along.
RB Marshawn Lloyd to South Carolina – Lloyd is a borderline five-star prospect and will be a guy who could change his running style as he gets bigger but he’s going to be the best running back since Mike Davis for the Gamecocks.
LB Antoine Sampah to LSU – This was a bit of a stunner as Sampah didn’t hint much at a commitment to LSU but it shows how well Ed Orgeron can recruit. And if LSU starts recruiting nationally, watch out.
LB Chris Braswell to Alabama – Alabama gets passed over sometimes on lists like this because everyone expects them to recruit big-time players from all over. But the work they’ve done in the DMV continues and he’s perfect for their defense.
OL Kevin Pyne to Boston College – BC has been known to recruit offensive linemen over the years but too many good players from Massachusetts have been leaving the state recently. To get Pyne, who has a very high ceiling, is as important a commitment as it has gotten in years.
3. Five 2021 superstars and the schools that must, must sign them
The first 2021 rankings are coming soon and there are a few guys that will be ranked highly that I think are must gets for certain programs. Here are five of them….
QB Brock Vandagriff and Georgia – Georgia will get a good quarterback in 2021 if they want one but Vandagriff is in state and a big-time talent. Oklahoma is making a huge push to pull him out of state and Georgia needs to keep him.
DE Korey Foreman and USC – Foreman is a special talent and the kind of player that USC would normally keep in state in the old days but under Clay Helton, nothing seems certain. Will it be a new coach that tries to keep him around? It could be.
OL Savion Byrd and Texas – Byrd is a special offensive lineman who has a great frame and athleticism and can be a difference-maker at left tackle. Texas has some fierce competition for him, but they need to keep him in state.
CB Corey Collier and Miami – Miami already has a commitment from DE Donell Harris who is elite but they will need to fight to keep him. Collier is another South Florida talent that would be key to the ‘Canes defense.
WR Emeka Egbuka and Washington – Arguably the top receiver in the 2021 class, Egbuka is an elite talent from Washington that just can’t get away from the Huskies. However, everyone will be recruiting him.