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Published Feb 20, 2018
Updated 2019 Rivals100: Crouch new No. 1, four new five-stars
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Mike Farrell  •  Rivals.com
Rivals National Columnist

RELATED: Class of 2019 Rivals100 | Big Movers

The third numerical Rivals100 is out for the class of 2019 and with that comes the addition of a few new five-stars with the conclusion of their junior football season and the start of camp season. Here is a look at the changes near the top as well as the four new 5-star prospects.

There is a new No. 1 in the 2019 Rivals100, and that’s because California quarterback J.T. Daniels re-classified to 2018 (where he landed at No. 4) and left a hole at the top. The debate for No. 1 was a heated one. With a few names in discussion, North Carolina athlete Quavaris Crouch emerged as the No. 1 for this rankings release. Crouch reminds me of a bigger Ernie Sims for those who have been following recruiting for a long time or perhaps a Dylan Moses for those newer to recruiting. He can play running back at the next level and dominate, but he’s also very intriguing as a linebacker or even defensive end if he ended up on that side of the ball.

West Virginia offensive tackle Darnell Wright pushed up three spots to No. 2 while Texas wide receiver Theo Wease moved up four spots to No. 3. Rounding out the top five are California defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 4, a move up of four spots, and Georgia wide receiver Jadon Haselwood who fell one spot to No. 5.

The highest debut of a new five star was California athlete Bru McCoy, who debuted at No. 8 overall. Here’s a breakdown from our regional analysts of our new No. 1 and the four new five stars.

CROUCH LEADS THE FIELD

“Crouch takes over the top spot in the Rivals100 after an outstanding junior campaign in which he dominated both sides of the ball.

As a running back, Crouch is a wrecking ball with the speed to score from almost anywhere on the field. He runs low and breaks a lot of tackles using his power and quickness. Crouch also played linebacker as a sophomore and defensive end last year. He has a knack for finding the ball carrier and is a violent hitter that knows how to create turnovers. Crouch is getting more comfortable on the defensive side of the ball and it looks like that is where he will end up in college.

Alabama, Michigan, Clemson, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and a few others are major contenders to land Crouch's commitment.” – Adam Friedman, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst

FOUR PROSPECTS EARN FIFTH STAR

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“McCoy had an awesome junior season on both sides of the ball and has clearly emerged as one of the best players in the region. He is phenomenal as an outside receiver because of his size, strength and ability to dominate cornerbacks with his physical play and he was one of JT Daniels' top targets on offense. Then McCoy would switch to linebacker and be incredibly productive making plays in the backfield and tracking down players sideline to sideline.

"As for his recruitment, McCoy remains wide open and is undecided whether he wants to stay close to home or play in the SEC or Big Ten. Lots of top Mater Dei prospects do end up at USC though.” – Adam Gorney, Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst

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“The Houston-area offensive lineman has been highly-ranked since the start, but after a strong showing against national competition in the Future 50 camp in January, he cemented his five-star status. He is built powerfully enough to play on either side of the line and has worked hard to strengthen his ability as a run-blocker. As he's grown, he's become a more confident player overall and could be a fit anywhere along the offensive line.

"Green recently de-committed from LSU and is considering the Tigers as well as Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas and others.” – Nick Krueger, Rivals.com Texas Recruiting Analyst

“I had a chance to see PIckens play late in the year and I was surprised at his size and speed as well as his motor. He lives a little bit off the beaten path, so it doesn't surprise me that not all schools know about him, but after watching him play in person combined with his overall film, it was time for us to make the move.

"Clemson, South Carolina and Georgia are already involved and it will be a heated battle between several schools to land his commitment.” – Woody Wommack, Rivals.com Southeast Recruiting Analyst

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“Every time I've seen Steele play, he has locked up top receivers and never gives up an easy completion. He has excellent technique at cornerback, he can turn and run on the deep ball and he's physical at the line of scrimmage to knock receivers off their routes. Steele sticks with everybody and does an excellent job making it really tough on receivers to create any kind of space.

"USC has emerged as a serious contender but Steele just had an excellent visit to Texas A&M and it's still early for the former UCLA commit.” -- Gorney

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