Three-Point Stance: Big commits, 2021 pledges, musings
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with thoughts on some big recent commitments, the best 2021 commitments so far and some random recruiting thoughts.
MORE: The highest-ranked signee for each Big Ten program
1. BIGGEST RECENT COMMITMENTS
While July is a slower month when it comes to recruiting and commitments, that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some important pledges over the last week or so. Here are my thoughts on some of them…
RB Kendall Milton, Georgia – The five-star deciding to head across the country to continue the running back tradition at Georgia speaks volumes about the extent of power Kirby Smart has in the recruiting world.
WR Johnny Wilson, Oregon – Wilson is an elite talent with great size and a huge ceiling. This continues the streak that the Ducks are on in Southern California.
DB James Smith, Washington – He may not be the fastest nor most fluid corner, but he has good size, he can play safety at the next level and he comes from a great, winning program. This is the kind of kid Washington develops into a star.
OL Chad Lindberg, Georgia – A big, physical offensive lineman with a great frame, this is a huge pickup for Georgia from the state of Texas.
RB Jabari Small, Ole Miss – A dynamic player in space, Small could do a lot of damage in the Ole Miss offense and is sneaky strong.
OL Coleon Smith, Brady Feeney, Indiana – Two interior linemen, one with massive size (Smith) and one with a great frame who could grow into a tackle (Feeney).
DE Derrell Bailey Jr., Virginia Tech – A big defensive end who could also grow into a defensive tackle, this is a very good get for the Hokies from Tennessee.
TE Steven Mahar Jr., Syracuse – A tall and agile target at tight end, Mahar will fill out and be a threat to stretch the field.
OL Thomas Shrader, Lloyd Willis, Florida State – Two athletic linemen with good size and length, this is obviously an important position for Florida State to recruit.
DE Morven Joseph, Florida State – A former Gators commitment, Joseph will likely be hybrid at the next level who can rush off the edge when needed.
OL Jonathan Denis, Oregon – A very athletic interior lineman, Denis is another really good get for Mario Cristobal from the Southeast.
DB Marcus Clarke, Miami – Clarke can play offense or defense in college but will get his first look on the defensive side of the ball for the ‘Canes.
OL Dwayne Allick, Boston College – He has the body of a guard but he could be a future center or even a tackle because he is smart and very technically sound. He’s perfect for the Boston College offense.
ATH Marcellus Moore, Purdue – He’s not related to Rondale but they plan on using him in a similar fashion. He’s not as big or strong but man is he fast.
LB Jaden Harrell, Iowa (2021) – A good-sized linebacker who is just starting to add strength, Harrell will be one to watch for 2021 and a good early get for Iowa as an in-state kid.
DB Kamar Wilcoxson, Florida (2021) – Already a re-commitment for a 2021, this will be an interesting one to watch but this kid has a ton of talent and is a huge get (again) for the Gators on defense.
DB Tim Burns, Miami (2021) – He may not be the biggest corner but he is fast and plays bigger than his size.
QB Carlos Del Rio, Florida (2021) – Dan Mullen targeted Del Rio and had him high on his board so he’s a good get from Georgia and obviously a future fit in the Florida offense.
DE Landyn Watson, LSU (2021) — A big-time DE from Texas choosing the Tigers this early continues to show how well Ed Orgeron is recruiting out-of-state.
2. TOP 10 COMMITS IN THE 2021 CLASS
As you can see above, it’s never too early to start tracking the 2021 class as prospects are committing at a solid rate. Here are my top 10 commitments for the 2021 class so far…
QB Brock Vandagriff, Oklahoma – It doesn’t get much bigger than going into SEC country and pulling out the top quarterback and No. 1 player in the country. The Sooners are flexing their muscles.
DE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State – One of the most talented defensive ends at this stage of his development in Rivals.com Ohio state history, Sawyer brings athleticism and a great motor to the table.
QB Kyle McCord, Ohio State – I love McCord’s arm strength and the way he handles himself in the pocket and in a few years he could be a star.
OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame – This commit speaks to the ability of Notre Dame to produce offensive linemen in recent years and lure them from anywhere, especially right up the road.
QB Sam Huard, Washington – Another very talented quarterback commitment for Washington, Huard is a lefty with excellent potential and accuracy.
QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan – He struggled a bit at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas but he has the tools to be very good, he just needs to get bigger.
ATH Seven McGee, Oregon – An elite athlete, he can do many things at the college level and is the type of player Pac-12 teams like Oregon need to attract.
WR Dont’e Thornton Jr., Penn State – A huge wide receiver for a 2021, he will be a force to be reckoned with as he gets stronger and even faster.
WR Deion Smith, Mississippi State – This is a huge in-state get early for the Bulldogs and a kid with size but also excellent body control and agility.
CB Latrell McCutchin, Alabama – I love this kid and think he is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential. He could be a prospect who pushes for five-stars before too long.
3. RANDOM RECRUITING THOUGHTS
Here are some random recruiting thoughts…
... If Texas can close on running back Bijan Robinson after Ohio State took what was considered a very strong lead it will be a major get for Tom Herman and company. It appears now that Robinson is leaning toward Texas and the Longhorns are already on fire for 2021. They could be taking the next step in recruiting which is saying something after a great finish last year.
... It appears Florida State is going to land Florida all-purpose back Jaylan Knighton who was the other running back Ohio State wanted in this class. If the Seminoles land Knighton that will be huge because he can be used as a running back or slot receiver and has elite speed. What will Ohio State do next if both Knighton and Robinson head elsewhere? Jalen Berger from New Jersey will be one to keep an eye on.
... Georgia Tech is expected to keep the momentum going for 2020 with a commitment from Florida wide receiver Bryce Gowdy who is one of the true sleepers in this class. How can a Rivals250 talent be a sleeper? With so many talented receivers in this class Gowdy gets overlooked but I liked him a lot at the Five-Star Challenge and think he can be an excellent No. 1 for Georgia Tech rather than a No. 2 or 3 elsewhere.
... The more he visits Texas A&M the more I think the Aggies will be in the very final mix for running back Zachary Evans. Alabama would probably be the pick now or perhaps LSU but Jimbo Fisher is a top-five recruiter as a head coach in college football and will make this interesting.
... This may sound crazy but I’d love to see Noah Sewell play running back in college. I think he’s be a star and could play at 260 or so running in the 4.5 range. Talk about a human bowling ball. Maybe a program in the Pac-12 will give him a chance to be Myles Jack? Behind the right offensive line he’d be unstoppable.