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Updated 2018 Rivals250: Ten players who slipped

Dorian Hardy
Dorian Hardy

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 is a look at players who dropped in the Rivals250.

MORE: Updated Rivals250 | Dozens of risers in Rivals250 | Seven new 2018 five-stars

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Movement: -40

Analyst’s take: “Hardy is a physical specimen and is tough at the point of attack, but his explosiveness around the edge wasn't what we saw during the camp season. As he continues to develop, expect him to incorporate more of his pass rushing techniques into his repertoire. North Carolina, Penn State, Ohio State, and many others are near the top of his list.” - Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman

Movement: -52

Analyst’s take: “White had a phenomenal offseason and I still believe he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the class, but he didn’t have a great junior season, partly because Chaminade rotated two quarterbacks and it just didn’t seem to work at times. If White rebounds this spring and summer and has a big senior year, his ranking could quickly move back up. ASU, Oregon State, Utah, Washington and Washington State are involved.” - Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney

Movement: -45

Analyst’s take: “Williams had an excellent season with 42 catches for 1,007 yards and 19 touchdowns, so a drop in the rankings was not necessarily warranted, but this change is all because some other West receivers had even better seasons and there were a couple switches among players at that position. There is no question in my mind Williams is still one of the nation’s top receivers and he backed it up this season. Cal, USC, UCLA, Washington, Washington State and others are involved.” - Gorney

Movement: -57

Analyst’s take: “There are few linebackers around the country that are as rangy as Tisdale. He makes a ton of tackles and plays sideline to sideline, but he lacked some physicality this year. Some added strength and aggressiveness would be a welcomed addition to Tisdale's game. North Carolina and Virginia Tech are in great position with him right now.” - Friedman

Movement: -44

Analyst’s take: “Hackett is committed to Texas Tech. A hard-nosed player that is more of an overall offensive weapon than a pure running back, Hackett could outgrow his position. He’s physically dominant, but is most successful running downhill.” - Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst Nick Krueger

Movement: -78

Analyst’s take: “Epps has been committed to Alabama since February. Epps is a long, lean tight end that excels in winning jump-ball battles, but hasn’t taken the opportunity to show more than that just yet. He’s very much still primarily a pure pass-catcher.” - Krueger

Movement: -102

Analyst’s take: “I still really like Johnson as a prospect, but he didn't quite make the big leap we hoped he would during his junior year. He still has great hands, but needs to keep developing an edge that will help him take over games and take advantage of lesser competition. Tennessee, Auburn and others are in the mix for his commitment.” - Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wommack

Movement: -65

Analyst’s take: “Simmons has a great build and can consistently catch the ball, but his overall speed is a bit of a question mark. The main way he gains separation is from running good routes and exploding out of his breaks. Simmons needs to show better quickness and be more sudden. Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and many others are in the mix for Simmons.” - Friedman

Movement: -51

Analyst’s take: “This drop is primarily due to not seeing the progression we were expecting out of Vann as a junior. The Cincinnati-area defender has an outstanding set of physical tools, but is still learning to use them and disappeared for stretches at times this season. He has an extensive list of offers and has named both Michigan State and Notre Dame as leaders in the past.” - Rivals.com Midwest Recruiting Analyst Josh Helmholdt

Movement: -43

Analyst’s take: “Rice is still a prospect we really like, but with so many new evaluations, he made a slight slip in the rankings. Notre Dame, Louisville and others are already recruiting Rice.” - Wommack

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