Twitter Tuesday: High ceiling three-stars, Miami's QB, NFL rookies
Our weekly #TwitterTuesday file continues as readers ask National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell their football questions via social media. Here are four questions we chose, including Farrell’s take on Miami's quarterback situation.
MORE: Updated Rivals100 rankings | Risers and sliders | New five-stars
The Nebraska fanbase is, at least to me, the most rabid fan base on the internet, so the ranking of Huskers defensive back commitment Brendan Radley-Hiles, nicknamed “Bookie,” is always a hot topic.
After a great showing at The Opening this summer, Radley-Hiles was in the discussion for a fifth-star in our latest Rivals100 release but fell four spots short at No. 30. The reason? It once again goes back to size at his position. Radley-Hiles, who I have labeled a smaller Jamal Adams at the same stage, is listed 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, which obviously isn’t ideal height or length for a cornerback.
That doesn’t mean he has zero chance of breaking through as a five-star. After all, Lamont Wade was a five-star at 5-foot-9 or so last season and Levonta Taylor was a five-star in 2016 at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds in 2016. Radley-Hiles isn’t quite as dynamic as an athlete as Wade and doesn’t have the same pure coverage skills of Taylor at the same stage, but size alone won’t keep him from a fifth star.
What we want to see is Radley-Hiles to take the next step in his development at IMG Academy this season. We know he’s physical and likes to hit, and we know he’s a leader with a great motor who covers a lot of territory. We just want to see how he can lock down bigger receivers in a tough high school football schedule this season. If he plays as he did this summer, I fully expect him to finish with that fifth star, but it will take a big season to break through.
I felt Taylor was a tad overrated at No. 10 in the country in 2016 but I was all for Wade’s No. 11 ranking last year. The difference? Wade was more physical and had more of a knack for being around the ball and making big plays than Taylor. I feel similarly about Radley-Hiles, but this is a group decision and with IMG playing such a national schedule and all of our analysts able to see at least one or two games, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
It’s still early as we have two rankings left in the 2018 class, but here are a few that stand out to me.
Florida State running back commitment Charles Strong could end up as an absolute beast in college if he adds some speed. He gets overlooked a bit compared to some of the elite backs the Seminoles have landed in the last couple of cycles.
Texas offensive line commitment Reese Moore is a little light right now but I like his footwork and wouldn’t be stunned if he joins a long line of former high school tight ends who emerge late as elite tackles in college.
Clemson linebacker commitment Jake Venables, the son of Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, is a kid I could see succeeding at a higher level than expected because of his football IQ.
And finally, two wide receivers from out west stand out a bit to me: Geordon Porter and Kobe Smith. Porter is as fast as they come as a track kid but needs to show he can use that speed to be a dominant football player. Smith focused on basketball quite a bit and is still raw. However, both have a lot of talent.
The one three-star I get asked the most about is Ohio State running back commitment Master Teague. He had an amazing season-opener (341 all-purpose yards, four TDs) - which wasn't factored into these rankings as they were finished last week - and could prove to us this season he needs to be ranked higher.
I don’t claim to have any inside information here and a quarterback could be named as early as Tuesday, but it appears head coach Mark Richt will go with either Malik Rosier or Evan Shirreffs rather than risk starting true freshman N’Kosi Perry. Rosier and Shirreffs got the first team reps in the team's second preseason scrimmage and both were solid, completing more than 50 percent of their passes, although each also threw an interception (against two touchdowns each). Perry meanwhile was 6-for-12 for 88 yards and a score.
It appears it will be Rosier if you base it off the first team reps and numbers through the first two scrimmages. He is more mobile than Shirreffs and that could be key as the Hurricanes have some offensive line question marks.
Perry, who was obviously a fan favorite as a highly-regarded four-star last year, has struggled with accuracy in live situations and would be a risky choice for Richt at this point. Does that mean we won’t see Perry at all this season? I don’t believe that to be the case. A redshirt year would do him well, but he’s too talented and athletic not to use in certain schemes and situations.
The Miami defense is good enough to lead the Hurricanes on run for an ACC division title and the play at quarterback will be crucial to reach that goal.
I’ll go with Tennessee because of the 1-2 punch of Derek Barnett and Alvin Kamara. Barnett has three sacks in his first two NFL preseason games and has looked the part of a veteran NFL defensive end already with the use of his hands and leverage. Kamara, who is overlooked a bit with Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson on the Saints roster, has looked great as a change-of-pace back and third-down threat.
Those aren't the only Vols rookies that have impressed this preseason. Josh Dobbs could could end up winning the backup job at Pittsburgh. Cam Sutton is working outside and inside for the Steelers defense, showing off his versatility. Jalen Reeves-Maybin has been impressive early at a position of need for the Detroit Lions. Josh Malone has had two impressive games with the Bengals.
It’s only been two weeks but the Vols rookies have impressed me.
