Three-Point Stance: Recent commits, 2020 questions, new coaches
TAKE TWO: Does Kentucky have an edge for five-star Justin Rogers?
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a look at some recent big commitments, five burning questions for the 2020 class and how first-year Power Five coaches are recruiting.
1. REVIEWING LAST WEEK'S BIG COMMITMENTS
It’s that time of year, commitment time and this past week there were plenty of big ones to comment on. Here are the ones that stand out the most…
DE James Sylvester, TCU – Another big commitment for TCU. Sylvester is a tall, athletic kid who can disrupt passing lanes and get after the passer.
OT Nate Anderson, Oklahoma – Anderson is a converted defensive end and tight end who has great feet and a nasty streak. These kind of athletes can turn into great players after a few years of growth in college.
DB Justin Hodges, Miami – Hodges is a very tall cornerback who is adding size and strength and has very good length. Will he stay outside or turn into a safety in the end?
CB Brandon Jones, Stanford – Jones is a very instinctual cornerback with good speed who can play bigger than his size. He has adequate length and will fill out and get stronger in college. His upside is excellent.
OT Tosh Baker, Notre Dame – Baker is a tall and lean offensive tackle who will add weight to his great frame and become more powerful without losing athleticism. He’s a few years away but could be a great one down the line.
LB Mohamed Kaba, South Carolina – Kaba is a tall, skinny linebacker who can run and has excellent athleticism but needs to add bulk and get stronger. He’s excellent in coverage already so as he adds weight, he will not lose his ability to drop and cover.
OT Jackson Stoefen, Kansas – A tall, thin offensive tackle, Stoefen is a good athlete who also plays baseball and has yet to commit full time to football. Once he does, he could be a multi-year starter in the Big 12.
LB Mekhail Sherman, Georgia – Sherman is a home run commitment with size, speed, good instincts and power. He can cover a ton of ground and has quick twitch ability. He should be a star in Athens.
QB Brendon Lewis, Colorado – Lewis is a nice pickup at quarterback for the Buffs because he has good size and can move. He’s still a little raw as a passer, but he can be a dangerous weapon down the line for Colorado if he develops.
QB Jay Butterfield, Oregon – Butterfield is a tall quarterback with a great frame to fill out who has a strong arm but can also move around a bit. He’s raw, but his talents are evident and he could be a first-rounder down the line if he develops.
WR Savion Williams, Arkansas – Williams is a big wide receiver who could grow into a tight end eventually. What he lacks in great speed he makes up for in strength and the ability to snatch the football. He’s also hard to tackle.
OT Austin Blaske, NC State – Another one of those tall tackles with room to fill out who can steer opponents where they want them but just need to add mass and power.
LB Jeremiah Trojan, UCLA – A Trojan at UCLA? He is a big inside linebacker who is good at the point of attack and still has room to grow. He could end up as a defensive end down the line.
ATH Andy Alfieri, Cal – Alfieri is a big kid who projects at linebacker at the next level. He can fill out, is good in coverage and is just starting to reach his potential.
WR Casey Filkins, Cal – A solid slot receiver with reliable hands, he will be a quarterback’s best friend because he can make tough catches look easy.
WR Jeremiah Hunter, Cal – Hunter has good size and length and had a monster season producing 28 touchdowns. He’s a very good pickup and could be the go-to receiver for Cal before long.
OT Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech – Rogers is an athletic kid who could play guard or tackle and needs to fill out and add weight and power. He’s a bit raw but very athletic.
WR Blake Nowell, TCU – Nowell has great size for a wideout and he’s fairly thick already but he can add weight. He’s good at adjusting to the football and he has sneaky speed.
OT Tate Ratledge, Georgia – Ratledge is a big, powerful offensive lineman who is an excellent run blocker but has the athleticism to be an elite pass protector as well. He’s a home run commit for Georgia and will be a three-year starter down the line.
2. QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT 2020
Where will Justin Rogers land? Rogers was once a heavy lean to Tennessee but then Georgia entered the picture, Kentucky showed him a great time on his visit and he raved about a conversation with Nick Saban. And Michigan has always been in the mix as well. Rogers announces his decision next week and many think it will be Kentucky, but one thing is for sure: His first commitment might not be his last and this will be full of drama until the end.
How many five-stars will Clemson end up with? Clemson currently has commitments from four five-star prospects and should get a fifth this month when defensive end Myles Murphy makes his choice. It’s unclear which prospects will finish the 2020 cycle as five-stars and which will drop to four, but can Clemson land eight or so five-stars as Alabama and Georgia have in the past?
Will Julian Fleming say no to the Big Ten? Fleming was once considered a strong lean to Penn State and then Ohio State appeared to be the biggest threat. However, watch out for Clemson and Alabama is also a threat. The wide receiver is the kind of talent the Big Ten needs to keep in Big Ten country.
Can LSU hang onto all of these guys? LSU has commitments from players all over the country and outside of its normal recruiting footprint. Can the Tigers hang onto them? A lot will be determined by how the season goes. Look for prospects such as Rakim Jarrett, Antoine Sampah and Elias Ricks to look around a bit if Ed Orgeron doesn’t have a great season.
Who will have the No. 1 class? I would say Clemson easily, but the Tigers might be only taking 19 guys, which is one below our 20 limit and could hurt their chances. We know LSU and Alabama will take full classes and Georgia will be a threat as well so it’s wide-open. I’ll still say Clemson right now, especially if they take a full 20 or more.
3. CHECKING IN ON FIRST-YEAR POWER FIVE COACHES
Time to take a look at how first year Power Five coaches are faring as we are deep into the May evaluation period.
Mack Brown, North Carolina – North Carolina is the early surprise in the country with the No. 12 class in the country, led by four different four-star commitments. This is impressive since the Tar Heels are coming off a horrible season but Brown has always been able to recruit.
Neal Brown, West Virginia – Brown only has four commitments so far in the 2020 class with all of them ranked as three-stars. It’s a slow start but the quality isn’t bad.
Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech – Georgia Tech is right up there with North Carolina as a surprise so far in 2020 with the No. 13 class in the country and a healthy three-star
average with 12 commits.
Ryan Day, Ohio State – The Buckeyes aren’t missing a beat under Day with a 3.88 average star ranking and a class just outside the national top 10. Five-star Paris Johnson Jr. is the gem of the class and they are trying to keep him away from many others.
Manny Diaz, Miami – Miami is doing very well with the No. 4 class in the country, 14 commitments and a nice 3.71 star average. There is a ton of talent in this class.
Chris Klieman, Kansas State – Klieman has five commitments so far, but four of them are three-stars so that’s not bad.
Les Miles, Kansas – Miles is doing okay at Kansas considering what he has to work with when it comes to recent success. The Jayhawks are No. 39 in the country with only six commitments and the star average isn’t bad.
Mike Locksley, Maryland – Locksley is known as an excellent recruiter, but it will take some time. So far it’s not bad with six commitments, all of them three stars, and the No. 36 class in the country.
Scott Satterfield, Louisville – Satterfield inherited a mess so he has only three commitments so far and a big job ahead of him.
Mel Tucker, Colorado – Tucker is known as a very good recruiter as well but only has three commits so far, although all three are three-stars.
Matt Wells, Texas Tech – Wells only has two commitments so far and is off to a very slow start, although the pickup this past week was a good one.