Published Jun 18, 2020
Three-Point Stance: Recent commits; Big Ten QBs; G5 OL
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Mike Farrell  •  Rivals.com
Rivals National Columnist

National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with look at several big, recent commitments, a ranking of the Big Ten's starting quarterbacks and a breakdown of the top offensive linemen in the Group of Five.

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1. RECAPPING SEVERAL BIG COMMITS

Here are my thoughts on several big-time commitments that have happened over the last couple of weeks:

RB Damir Collins, Oregon State — A highly productive running back who put up massive numbers last year, he could impact very early.

LB Gavin Barthiel, Georgia Tech — He’s not the biggest linebacker in the world but he makes plays all over the field and has a knack for forcing fumbles.

DE Nathan Rawlins-Kabonge, Oklahoma — The former basketball player is new to football but has excellent length and athleticism and a super high ceiling.

QB Walker Howard, LSU (2022) — Howard enters his first year as a starter in 2020 but he has impressive upside and throws a great football. He’s been excellent at camps and has a good future.

WR Romello Brinson, Miami — Brinson brings downfield speed to Miami the moment he hits campus and is a huge South Florida keep.

DB Dyson McCutcheon, Washington — The son of former USC player Daymon McCutcheon, Dyson has a ton of upside and is a great get for the Huskies.

TE Hudson Wolfe, Tennessee - A massive in-state grab, Wolfe is a big target and a red zone threat.

TE Landen King, Auburn — King is tall and lanky and can extend the field. He keeps the Texas momentum rolling for Auburn.

ATH Jayden Johnson, South Carolina — Johnson has played quarterback in high school and projects as a big safety or even a linebacker in college.

DB JD Coffey, Texas — Coffey does it all for his team from interceptions to sacks and tackles for a loss. He’s all over the field.

DB Ishmael Ibraheem, Texas — Ibraheem plays the ball in the air very well and is a true lockdown cornerback.

OT Austin Weiner, Kansas State — Weiner has NFL bloodlines and a great frame to fill out. He’s a future OT in a tight end’s body.

DT Brayden Wood, Kansas State — Wood is a physical and nasty player on the defensive line who fits the K-State mentality.

ATH Christian Leary, Alabama — Leary runs a 10.5 100 meters and is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He simply outruns people.

DB Kani Walker, Louisville — The former Boston College commitment is very quick to the football and an aggressive player who has size and speed.

QB Tajh Bullock, Virginia Tech — A dual-threat who fits the Hokies' system well, Bullock keeps defenses off balance and plays at a high level in New Jersey.

ATH Javin Burke, Virginia — Burke can do many things and could play defensive back or wide receiver, although he has been a standout at quarterback.

ATH Isaiah Newcombe, UCLA — Newcombe has good bloodlines and can play receiver or defensive back. He’s a good local get.

2. RANKING THE TOP QUARTERBACKS IN THE BIG TEN

Tuesday I ranked the quarterbacks in the SEC. It wasn’t easy but at least most teams have established starters returning this fall. Today, I look at the Big Ten, where things are a bit more iffy.

1. Justin Fields, Ohio State — There is no debate at the top here as Fields is the second-best quarterback in the nation behind Trevor Lawrence.

2. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota — I like Morgan a lot, probably more than most, and I think he has a similar year to last season when he threw for 3,200 yards and 30 TDs.

3. Sean Clifford, Penn State — This is where the first drop off to Tier 2 starts as Clifford is very solid but is more of a game manager.

4. Michael Penix, Indiana — Penix is dynamic and keeps opponents off balance with his ability to run. If he can stay healthy, he’ll have a huge season.

5. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska — Martinez showed a lot of promise his freshman year but fell back as a sophomore, so who knows what to expect? He has a high ceiling.

6. Jack Coan, Wisconsin — Coan is a solid game manager as well like Clifford, but not a guy you ask to win a game by himself.

7. Brandon Peters, Illinois — I like Peters and he has shown promise. He had some good moments last season and threw for 18 scores.

8. Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern — I like Ramsey better than most and saw some good things out of him at Indiana. He’s going to help Northwestern a lot.

9. Jack Plummer, Purdue — Plummer is solid and showed some flashes in his first year getting a chance to start.

10. Dylan McCaffrey, Michigan — McCaffrey is an unknown, but he has good bloodlines and he’s more mobile and likely more accurate than Shea Patterson.

11. Josh Jackson, Maryland — Jackson has been up and down in his career but has a lot of experience and he makes good decisions for the most part.

12. Spencer Petras, Iowa — Replacing Nathan Stanley won’t be easy and Petras has only 11 passing attempts on his resume.

13. Rocky Lombardi, Michigan State — Lombardi has not looked good in his limited appearances so he needs to take a huge step forward to replace Brian Lewerke.

14. Noah Vedral, Rutgers — Vedral goes from third on the depth chart at a bad Nebraska team to the starter of a much worse Rutgers team.

3. THE BEST GROUP OF FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

I continue my look at the top Group of Five players for the 2020 season with my ranking of the offensive lineman, something that is never easy.

1. Nolan Laufenberg, Air Force — A very steady run blocker who can pass protect as well. He’s a reason why Air Force owns the run game and time of possession and NFL scouts have noticed.

2. Brady Christensen, BYU — A big tackle, Christensen is an exceptional pass blocker with good feet and the anchor of the offensive line for BYU.

3. Kayode Awosika, Buffalo — He’s a big right tackle who is very good at run blocking and has become a road grader the NFL likes.

4. James Empey, BYU — Empey is one of the best centers in the country and has been coached up since he was young. He’s very smart and has an NFL future.

5. Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State — Gilmore will go down as one of the best offensive linemen in the history of the program and has good size and power for the NFL.

6. Jaelin Fisher, Charlotte — Another excellent center, Fisher leads a balanced offense and opened holes for numerous 100-yard rushing games last season by Benny LeMay.

7. Cole Schneider, UCF — Schneider is consistent in run and pass blocking and rarely makes a mistake.

8. Luke Goedeke, Central Michigan — A one-year starter, Goedeke has already turned heads as an elite run blocker.

9. Danny Godlevske, Miami (Ohio) — A very solid and cerebral center, Godlevske is the leader of the offensive line and a leader on offense.

10. Jaylon Thomas, SMU — He’s not the tallest or longest tackle, but he gets the job done.

11. Peter Nestrowitz, Navy — A very solid guard and excellent run blocker, he’s the leader on the offensive line for a team that puts up monster rushing numbers.

12. Jakari Robinson, Cincinnati — He’s a sawed off center, but he uses his natural leverage to his advantage and has very good feet. He’s not as much of an NFL prospect as some other centers on this list which drops him down a bit.

13. Tristen Hoge, BYU — The former Notre Dame lineman is coming off an injury-riddled year, but he showed in 2018 how good and versatile he can be.

14. James Hudson, Cincinnati — The Michigan transfer is locked in at left tackle for the Bearcats and has the size and talent to dominate.

15. Parker Boudreaux, UCF — Boudreaux is a ball of muscle who transferred from Notre Dame and he can play guard or center. He’s a powerful run blocker.

16. Vincent Picozzi, Temple — He missed part of last season but showed enough in nine games to be on this list. He’s a huge key for Temple this season.

17. Arvin Fletcher, Southern Miss — Drake Dorbeck got a lot of the attention last year but Fletcher hasn’t missed a start since earning a role in 2017.

18. John Ojukwu, Boise State — A huge tackle he could play right or left for Boise State and will be the anchor of the line.

19. Noah Hannon, Appalachian State - An undersized center, Hannon gets the job done with leverage, angles and toughness. He’s a steady as they come.

20. Obinna Eze, Memphis — A rare four-star commitment for Memphis, Eze is an athletic freak. He’s still raw in many ways but his ceiling is high and he will start at LT this season.