Updated 2018 Rivals250: Players on the rise
High school football seasons around the country are wrapping up and last week Rivals.com released its new 2017 rankings.
There is no better time than now to also update the 2018 rankings. On Monday, the Rivals100 Presented by Under Armour for the 2018 class was released along with seven new five-star prospects. Cartersville, Ga., quarterback Trevor Lawrence remained in the top spot, but there were plenty of changes throughout that list that carried over to this Rivals250 release.
Here are the biggest risers in the Rivals250, with plenty of top prospects moving up in the latest rankings release.
MORE: Updated Rivals250 | Ten who slipped in Rivals250 | Seven new 2018 five-stars
Movement: +53
Analyst’s take: “Joseph is committed to LSU. The best thing about Joseph is that he hasn’t yet become the player that he could. He is an elite-level athlete that can do a number of different things in the secondary. His length and speed allow him to close in a snap.” – Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Rob Cassidy
Movement: +48
Analyst’s take: “Moore’s most recent offer is from Cal, but he has over 40 total offers. Moore doesn’t play on a high school team that chucks the ball around a lot, but he’s a sharp route-runner with long speed that can take the top off a defense in the blink of an eye.” – Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger
Movement: +105
Analyst’s take: “Stephens could be the next big-time defensive back from Fresno. He can play cornerback or safety, he’s excellent defending the deep ball because of his speed and playmaking ability and even though he isn’t huge, Stephen can come up in the box to make plays as well. USC, Oklahoma and many others remain involved.” – Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney
Movement: +140
Analyst’s take: “We took a bit of a chance when we ranked Fields at the back end of the Rivals250 over the summer, but he paid back our confidence with a magnificent junior season. He's capable of beating you with both his arms and his legs and has poise beyond his years. Fields committed to Penn State over Tennessee, North Carolina and others.” – Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wommack
Movement: +65
Analyst’s take: “Cherry took November visits to Alabama and Texas A&M and holds five offers. Cherry is big, solid defensive end that still hasn’t fully tapped into the monster he can be. With a lot of physical tools at his disposal, he’ll be an elite pass-rusher.” - Krueger
Movement: +44
Analyst’s take: “Young continues to thrive as a safety and playmaker. He is a punishing hitter and has very good ball skills. Young is extremely dangerous with the ball in his hands and can score from anywhere on the field. Florida State has a leg up on the field here.” – Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Cox may be the next great edge rusher to come out of the state of Georgia. Coaches rave about his raw ability and he has ideal size along with a frame that can easily add muscle down the line. Clemson, Georgia and Alabama are among the schools vying for his services.” - Wommack
Movement: +51
Analyst’s take: “Vongor currently holds 13 Power Five offers. Vongor showed this season that he can be more than just a physically imposing presence in the secondary. He covers a lot of ground in pass coverage and hits to separate the receiver from the ball.” - Krueger
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Since September, Brown has picked up offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Ole Miss. Brown is a mammoth defensive end that could slide inside as an ultra-disruptive defensive tackle. His agility for at his size is truly impressive.” - Krueger
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Oden had a huge junior season, tapping into some of the athleticism that makes him one of the best pure athletes in the Southeast. As a former basketball player, he has great height and impressive leaping ability that helps him dominate smaller defensive backs. LSU, Tennessee and others are in the mix.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst's take: “Moore is announcing his commitment on Christmas Eve. Moore is a ball-hawk on both sides of the ball and does just about everything for his team at the high school level. He’s an assertive player that has to be accounted for whether on offense or defense.” - Krueger
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “The St. Louis area is getting a lot of attention in the 2018 recruiting cycle, and deservedly so, but Goodrich leads an underrated group of talent on the opposite side of the state in Kansas City. A two-way player, Goodrich looks to have the highest upside as a defensive back at the next level, but it is too early to say that he will not end up better as a wide receiver. Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri are his early offers.” – Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Anoma began the season with zero offers and no notoriety, but now he is one of the hottest recruits in the 2018 class. He has exceptional speed off the edge and a motor that doesn't quit. Anoma's hand techniques are still very raw, but he plays with good leverage and is stronger than he looks. His first offer was from Pittsburgh but Maryland, Syracuse, West Virginia, UCLA, and Wake Forest followed quickly.” - Friedman
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Originally known as a basketball player, Smith has realized his future is on the gridiron and 2016 was his year to prove it. College coaches were already willing to bet on Smith's size and skill set before he played his junior year, though, with many of his nearly 20 scholarship offers coming in the off-season. Position was the one question coming into the season, but Smith has settled in at defensive end where he shows plus-athleticism and surprising strength at the point of attack.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Iyama has the look of a future starting left tackle at a major Power Five program. He has a tall lean frame and will only continue to get better as he bulks up. Tennessee, Louisville and several other programs have recently offered.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Wilson is one of the best receivers in the West and reminds me of a young Michael Pittman, who ended up at USC and was highly-rated. Wilson has excellent speed after the catch, he can break a big gainer almost at any time and he’s excellent at putting his foot in the ground and making defenders miss. Arizona State, UCLA, Utah and Washington are involved early on.” - Gorney
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Reese bills himself as a safety, but he's best at making an impact while playing in the box as a linebacker. As he keeps developing, we see him as a linebacker long term and think he can be one of the nation's best. Reese is currently committed to Michigan.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Bates is now the third tight end in as many classes to come out of Cincinnati Moeller rated four-stars. Predecessors Jake Hausmann and Matt Dotson went to Ohio State and Michigan State, respectively, but Bates' recruitment is just getting started with only Cincinnati and Kentucky on his offer list so far. That list will populate soon because Bates has the size, the suddenness and the playmaking skills today's coaches look for at the tight end position.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Last month, Waddle picked up offers from Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and TCU. Waddle is an explosive receiver and return man. He’s slippery in traffic but deadly in space and is a home run waiting to happen.” - Krueger
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Lowe put up tremendous numbers at running back this season but could also be used as a dynamic receiver in any offense. He’s fantastic at squirming through tiny holes, slipping tackles and then darting for major yards up the field. At any time, Lowe can get in the end zone and he’s really fun to watch. Oregon, Oregon State and Boise State are in the mix so far.” - Gorney
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Hill has garnered the nickname Clark Kent for his quiet demeanor off the field and his spectacular play on it once he puts on his football uniform. The versatile athlete plays both wide receiver and defensive back and looks like he could easily play on either side of the ball at the next level. Alabama, Georgia and others are already battling for Hill.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Edwards named Louisville his leader before the season but hopes to land offers from Florida and Tennessee. Edwards gets lost in the shuffle of top-level cornerbacks from Florida at times because of the talent in the class. That said, make no mistake about his talent. He belongs in the conversation.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Williams recently visited Wisconsin and seemed to enjoy the trip. He has a number of offers on the table in front of him. Williams does a number of nice things in the defensive backfield but shines when it comes to recovery. He gives up a step from time to time but uses his burst and ball skills to make up for it before the pass is completed.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Brents is now the top player in Kentucky and with good reason. He's a technician as a defensive back and his quick hips and surprising ball skills make him one of the country's best prospects. Alabama, Louisville and others are already after Brents.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “We certainly knew about Hawkins heading into the fall because he had been adding big-time offers since last spring despite playing junior varsity as a sophomore. We wanted to get a season-long look at him on varsity before rating Hawkins and he was outstanding this year. Although a little undersized and a bit of a 'tweener, Hawkins has a great motor and his very effective. He visited Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State this season and holds offers from each.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Martinez is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback since he can throw the ball all over the field, prolongs plays by escaping the pocket and finding receivers down the field and also using his feet to gain yards as well. The Cal commit threw for more than 2,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,500. With the ball in his hands, Martinez is a dangerous player.” - Gorney
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “McGrone was a player we identified last winter before he started landing college offers, and he has showed continued progression. We knew before the season he was a really athletic linebacker prospect, and junior film shows he is learning how to transfer that skill set to the football field. Iowa, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin, UCF, Northwestern and Cincinnati all added their names to his offer list since the start of the season.” - Helmholdt
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Dingle moved from Tennessee to Kentucky during the offseason and he immediately became one of the Commonwealth's top overall players. He has a nose for the ball and isn't afraid to deliver a big hit when needed. Kentucky, Tennessee and others are some of the schools in the mix.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “The Georgia commit is still very raw, but he's one of the most athletic defensive linemen in his class. He still has some work to do in order to tap into his potential, but he's shown enough flashes that we were comfortable bumping him up in the rankings.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “I'm still not sure whether Taylor will be a wide receiver of a defensive back in college, but it's hard to argue with the production he's had at the high school level. Once he locks in and focuses on a position full-time, he could see his ranking go even higher. Taylor is committed to Tennessee.” - Wommack
Movement: N/A
Analyst’s take: “Jones committed to Texas Tech in September. Jones is a powerfully-built safety that is a devastating hitter with precise timing in pass coverage. He’s also a sure tackler that’s quick to assist in run-support.” - Krueger