West Spotlight: Five prospects whose stock is rising
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Rivals.com has been on the road in California watching prospects in action and have seen a number of players improve their stock as a result. Below are five players that impressed during the season’s opening few weeks.
At the adidas National Championships or the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas this summer, I saw all the top receivers in the 2019 class in person other than Auburn commit George Pickens and Oklahoma pledge Arjei Henderson. Ngata is as good or better than many of those receivers and I’ve said before he reminds me of a Tee Higgins clone. That’s convenient since the 6-foot-4, 210-pound prospect is already committed to Clemson. Ngata has excellent size, great speed and outstanding hands. He had three touchdowns in the game I saw him and he could have easily had three more if Folsom kept using him in the second half.
I was especially impressed with Charbonnet when I saw him against a talented Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic team in the Honor Bowl earlier this season because of his physical presence and toughness on the field. The Michigan commit does not shy away from contact ever, he looks for it as he’s dragging defenders for more yardage or on the sideline he’ll lower his shoulder and take on the tackler. Charbonnet’s no-nonsense personality should be perfect in coach Jim Harbaugh’s offense in Ann Arbor.
I first watched London two summers ago at the UCLA Elite Camp and I was immediately impressed by his size, way he moved and how he caught the ball against some really talented defensive backs. At the time he had one or two offers and since then colleges from across the country have taken notice. A two-sport star (he’s ranked as a four-star shooting guard by Rivals.com's basketball analysts), London has excellent athleticism and he’s a tremendous playmaker on the outside who should immediately complement USC’s offense.
Wolfe has always been an impressive tight end because he’s huge at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds but in his junior season, the four-star did not put up huge numbers. He had a strong offseason and looked good at numerous events and has really taken a huge step forward early in his senior season with five touchdown catches in five games. The USC commit is a phenomenal red-zone threat because of his size and he’s surprisingly athletic for someone so big.
The first game I saw this season was Corona (Calif.) Centennial against a talented Chandler, Ariz., team and Bryant had a magnificent night. The 2020 four-star receiver finished with 264 receiving yards and three touchdowns all going for more than 50 yards. Bryant needs to add thickness to his frame, but that should come with time and his explosiveness and athleticism down the field are really impressive to watch. Washington is considered a front-runner but it’s still early in his recruitment.