Tuesdays with Gorney: New 2024 Rivals250 released

The new Rivals250 for the 2024 class was released on Tuesday and that means it’s time for Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney to break down his thoughts by position in this week’s Tuesdays with Gorney.

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Rivals Rankings Week

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown

Tuesday: New Rivals250 revealed | Ten on the cusp of five-star status

Wednesday: Offensive position rankings

Thursday: Defensive position rankings

Friday: State rankings

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Georgia commit Dylan Raiola held the No. 1 spot after not winning the Elite 11 but scoring the best at the all-important pro day during that event. But the race is getting tighter and he’s not a supreme lock for that top spot as Alabama pledge Julian Sayin has been phenomenal all offseason and was the winner of the Elite 11.

Ohio State pledge Air Noland is a new five-star and I’m excited about this one. The Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes lefty quarterback had a huge junior season but then at the Elite 11 he was absolutely phenomenal and so consistent. He’s got a smooth, compact delivery and in Columbus his job will be made easier by elite receivers all around him.

CJ Carr, the Notre Dame commit, remains under consideration and he gives off some Jared Goff vibes where he’s not overly spectacular but every throw is very nice and the ball gets where it needs to be. Michigan commit Jadyn Davis got bumped down to a high four-star as we’re concerned about his drastic dipping of the ball in his release.

Florida State commit Luke Kromenhoek scored the lowest of all 20 quarterbacks during the Elite 11 pro day but he still moved up because he’s relatively new to playing the position, we love his upside and his competitiveness, and he looked good otherwise. Trever Jackson also has a tremendous amount of upside and he threw the fastest ball at Elite 11.

Florida commit DJ Lagway is one of the best-looking QBs in the class and he’s also under five-star watch but he has a little quirky release as well, which isn’t the end-all, be-all of rankings but something to consider.

We didn’t make a ton of changes at running back or all-purpose back but they very well could be coming through senior seasons and especially at all-star events.

Florida State commit Kameron Davis remains No. 1 at running back but Michigan pledge Jordan Marshall is my pick for the top back nationally and then Oklahoma commit Taylor Tatum, Penn State pledge Quinton Martin and Georgia commit Chauncey Bowens are all in the running.

The best back nationally might be new Georgia pledge Nathaniel Frazier – and he might not even be the best running back on his own team. The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout shares carries with 2025 standout Jordon Davison but Frazier is dynamic with the ball and he’s gotten jacked up this offseason to handle the SEC load.

It’s going to be nearly impossible to move Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith off the No. 1 line. He was so great again this offseason and looked like a million bucks at the Elite 11 plus I love his competitive drive as he wants to be great. He’s the best high school receiver since Julio Jones – and maybe even better at the same stage.

After that, the floodgates open as Texas Tech lean Micah Hudson sits in second, followed by Tennessee pledge Mike Matthews and then Ryan Wingo, who has Missouri very high on his list with Texas and others right there. The St. Louis (Mo.) University standout has had a quiet offseason so others will push him for five-star status.

That next group of receivers are all good and all could be under five-star watch with Texas A&M commit Cam Coleman, Ohio State pledge Mylan Graham, Clemson commit Bryant Wesco, Georgia commit Ny Carr, Boise State commit Gatlin Bair and Notre Dame commit Cam Williams all very high up there. A big senior season could push FSU pledge Elijah Moore way high as well because he’s one of the best-looking receivers in the class.

This tight end group is absolutely loaded and while we have 13 in the Rivals250, it still might not be enough.

There will be pressure on top-rated Florida State commit Landen Thomas at No. 1 because LSU pledge Trey’Dez Green is a physical specimen and multi-sport athlete but others could push much higher as well.

No one looks better than 2025 reclass and Oklahoma commit Davon Mitchell. Nebraska commit Carter Nelson could be a Brock Bowers clone but maybe even more athletic (he does play 8-man football in high school though) and then Alabama commit Caleb Odom and others will be watched through their senior seasons.

There are 29 four-star tight ends in the class. It’s loaded.

There are no five-star offensive linemen yet in this class which is rare but it’s also reflective that the offensive tackle spot is not exactly loaded like it’s been in previous years or how it looks to be shaping up in 2025. Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei’s Brandon Baker is a phenomenal player as Texas, Oregon and others pursue him. But there is still lots of room for change toward the top with Guerby Lambert and Grant Brix as two players who could make things really interesting.

The best offensive linemen might be interior guys as Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Jordan Seaton and especially Tampa (Fla.) Catholic’s Eddy Pierre-Louis have caught my eye. NFL teams could fall in love with Pierre-Louis’ power and speed, and then Notre Dame commit Peter Jones shouldn’t be forgotten about, either.

What I love about Texas commit Colin Simmons – and why fifth nationally might still be too low – is that he has a never-ending motor, he makes plays all over the field and those players always excel in college and beyond. He has most of the physical traits, too, but he doesn’t just rely on those to dominate. I still think he’s a top four or five player nationally.

He leads the weakside defensive end rankings which are basically edge players who can be in space and then the other five-star is South Carolina pledge Dylan Stewart. Arizona commit Elijah Rushing has all the physical traits to be special and then Booker Pickett is someone to watch as well because he’s filling out and is a stat machine.

At strong-side defensive end, new Missouri commit Williams Nwaneri leads the way and if we decide not to put a quarterback No. 1 in the class then Nwaneri would be under serious consideration since defensive end is such a primo position. But Kamarion Franklin is really elite and Eddrick Houston, the two other five-stars, came out guns blazing in a scrimmage this past weekend.

There could be more five-stars since Georgia commit Joseph Jonah-Ajonye and Florida commit Amaris Williams among others are under consideration.

Ohio State commit Justin Scott and David Stone are the lone five-stars at defensive tackle and it’s a group that could see movement but big senior seasons need to happen. From Nos. 3-10 in the position rankings, there could still be a significant amount of changes.

Georgia commit Justin Williams is the best linebacker in the class, just someone who can do it all and has the physical makeup of an elite player in coach Kirby Smart’s defense. But Florida commit Myles Graham (who’s also an elite running back) is also high and he has elite traits as well if not the length and ranginess of some other linebackers.

Although the position has been devalued in the NFL (only one linebacker was taken in the first round of this previous draft and none in the second) there are some players at that position who cannot be overlooked when considering new five-stars in the coming months.

Leading the way are Sammy Brown (Clemson), Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Notre Dame) Dylan Williams (Oregon) and new Auburn commit Demarcus Riddick among others.

Georgia commit Ellis Robinson is the lone five-star cornerback but that is far from settled as Florida State pledge Charles Lester and high four-star Kobe Black among others remain in the running for the top spot at the position. Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe’s speed keeps him high in the running as this group has a lot of depth but I’m not sure a ton of five-stars.

Safety is absolutely loaded with Florida State commit KJ Bolden, Zaquan Patterson and new Alabama pledge Peyton Woodyard leading the way but Florida commit Xavier Filsaime and Texas pledge Jordon Johnson-Rubell could keep pushing toward the top of this list.

I’m not entirely sold that Miami commit Joshisa Trader is a five-star. He’s a very good player – both at receiver and defensive back – but does he scream future first-round pick? Not yet. He remains on the list as the rankings aren’t ruled by an iron fist but he has a lot to prove in the coming months.

Timpson, Texas, standout Terry Bussey might be a five-star, though, as he plays all over the field in high school and versatility is a huge consideration in the rankings. Tennessee commit Boo Carter is another one to watch because he’s so productive on the field and whether he plays receiver or defensive back over the long term, he reminds me of a slightly less-athletic Adoree’ Jackson or Darnay Holmes at the same stage.

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FINAL 2023 TEAM RANKINGS: Comprehensive (overall) ranking | High school/JUCO ranking | Transfer portal ranking

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