Tuesdays with Gorney: Race for No. 1 spot in Rivals250 is opening up

There is a great debate coming for the No. 1 spot in the 2025 Rivals250 – and this one feels a little strange because it doesn’t seem like in years past that there’s a clear right answer.

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The quarterback position – once thought to be a little light at the top – has proven itself to be phenomenal in this class and there are a lot of discussions ahead about Julian Lewis, Bryce Underwood, Tavien St. Clair and now Keelon Russell for the top spot there.

Lewis, who’s committed to USC but being pushed by Auburn and Colorado, has done nothing wrong this offseason as the Carrollton, Ga., standout had strong, sturdy and solid performances at both the Rivals Five-Star and the Elite 11, along with numerous 7-on-7 events.

The five-star and current No. 1 has not hid this offseason and has basically been on the road nonstop for months. He has to get some credit for that level of exposure.

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LSU quarterback commit Bryce Underwood is the enigma.

The Belleville, Mich., five-star has all the physical tools in the world, looks and plays awesome in person and when he’s at an event, Underwood has superstar potential.

But the problem here is that the five-star has only been at a few offseason events so the evaluation opportunities have been drastically limited compared with the other elite quarterbacks in the country. Underwood opted out of the Elite 11 and the Rivals Five-Star and was also not at the OT7 Finals.

Then there is Ohio State commit Tavien St. Clair.

If anyone who was already a five-star has had an even bigger breakout summer it’s been St. Clair, who was dynamite at the Elite 11 and then came to the Rivals Five-Star in Jacksonville and threw the hell out of the ball.

From a physical standpoint, to how he is around the other players and his leadership qualities, to poise, to accuracy, St. Clair could be the complete package in this class. He’s also going to a balanced offense but one that’s stacked with elite receivers that could make him look even better in Columbus.

There will be a lot of discussion about Alabama quarterback commit Keelon Russell as a five-star as well. While no ranking is guaranteed, Russell has shown elite qualities at numerous events this summer and if there’s a comp to Jayden Daniels in this class, it would come from the Duncanville, Texas, standout.

And that’s only the quarterback discussion for No. 1 overall in the 2025 Rivals250.

Five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr. has had a very light offseason as he gets back to full health and ready for a big season at Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day. There’s no question that Sanders looks like a million bucks and is a dominant offensive force along the line but in a class loaded with so many elite quarterbacks, can we go offensive tackle over all of them?

Duncanville, Texas, five-star receiver Dakorien Moore is an interesting choice. We had Jeremiah Smith No. 1 in the 2024 class and while he’s a physical freak of nature who only comes along once in a while, Moore is so productive, so electric and so special in the passing game that he’s going to at least get some discussion.

Ohio State cornerback commit Devin Sanchez and five-star Georgia defensive linemen Justus Terry and Elijah Griffin are going to be brought up as well. They’re all too special physically and on the field to be left out of the talks.

In the end, though, I see this discussion being steered to the quarterbacks in the class with an argument for and against Lewis, St. Clair and Underwood at the top.

It’s a strange feeling: Each one feels the right pick for No. 1 for different reasons. It feels like there’s no wrong answer here. But we’re trying to find the right one as well.

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