July 22, 2009

Rivals.com recruiting staff
MORE: The Rivals250 | Calif. WRs highlight additions to the Rivals250 | Rivals100 Q&A

How does Rivals.com decide on the No. 1 prospect in each position group? How did Adrian Coxson fall out of the 250? How does the class of 2010 in the state of Florida rank with previous classes? Why was WR Keiwone Malone moved out of the Rivals 250?

These are just a few of the questions posed by users to Rivals.com's recruiting analysts about the newest ranking. Read on for the answers.

From Prince Buck Nasty in Columbus, Ohio : With the recent jump in OSU QB commit Taylor Graham's ranking it's obvious to see that you guys like him as a prospect. What happened this spring to warrant such a move up the rankings?

With Graham it was case of making sure he had 100-percent bounced back from his injury that he suffered as a junior. Once our analysts were able to see him perform in camp situations, passing leagues and other events, it was evident he was healthy and worthy of the ranking he ended up with. - Jeremy Crabtree

From Jimmy Chonga in Seoul, South Korea : How is it that Christian Lombard is rated at a three-star on Rivals, but a blue chip five-star recruit by other recruiting services? Why the significant gap?

Hey Jimmy, how are things is Seoul? Thanks for reading. Great question because there seems to be plenty of disagreement about Lombard throughout the recruiting publication industry. We have had a couple of opportunities to evaluate Lombard. First, at the U.S. Army Combine, Lombard has a so-so day. He is clearly a pretty good athlete, but lost at least half his reps that day in one on ones. He just got caught playing a bit high and didn't seem to have the strength to finish off rushers. To be fair, that is tough drill on offensive linemen. So I went through two of Lombard's game tapes since then. At times, he really impresses. But to often he blows blocks, and lacks effectiveness at times. He has the tendency to play a bit high in pads as well. We are looking for more consistency from him. Given the competition level he is playing, he should be absolutely crushing his competition if he is truly the best of the best. But, Lombard will have more chances to prove he is among the best. We will have an entire week to re-evaluate his skills at the U.S. Army game. There are always prospects that make big moves in the rankings following the all-star game season. Perhaps Lombard will be one of them. - Greg Ladky

From tigerpride99 in Opelika, Ala.: Once down to two or three prospects, what comes into play when deciding which player is to be named the No. 1 prospect at his position? Also, how are the players for the National Army and Under Armour games determined?

For each position, the 'why somebody is No. 1' is a little different. For skilled position, usually the things that are considered are size, speed, ball skills, the ability to make plays, what impact they may make at the next level and then any long-term potential beyond college. For linemen, size, overall athleticism, growth potential, the ability to make plays, what impact they may have at the next level and any long-term potential.

Another thing we look at: Does the player's film and in-person evaluation both validate his potential as a superstar? U.S. Army AA players are selected by a company named Sports Link. They receive recommendations from many sources, including Rivals.com, and then try to make a educated and informed decision. Under Armour is selected by ESPN personnel, and I am not sure of their exact process. - Barry Every

From supermatt24 in Conshohocken, Pa.: How close was Mike Hull to making the top 100? I really expected him to make now that he submitted his film and has been impressive at camp.

Hull came somewhat close as he moved up to the 140 range in the latest rankings. The biggest question for us now is whether he'll be a linebacker or a safety at Penn State, and that makes him hard to rank properly. He's not huge at 6-1 and 215, but he's an effort kid with a non-stop motor and great hips. But he didn't move into the 100 because he's still a bit of a 'tweener. - Mike Farrell

From glimer15 in Omaha, Neb.: What does Marvin Robinson have to do to get some love from you guys? The guy is a beast!

Love? Marvin Robinson is in the Rivals250, ranked No. 123 overall and No. 11 at outside linebacker in the country. That's some good love. Robinson, 6-1 and 190 pounds, is a nice-looking athlete from Eagle Lake Lake Region High School in Florida. While he plays safety, we as a group feel he has more upside at linebacker because he does struggle in coverage. In today's game with pass-happy offenses, safeties better play the pass well. In addition, Robinson's strength as a defensive player is against the run. He's physical and tough. Sure he could play strong safety but I think he grows into an outside linebacker. - Jamie Newberg

From CharlestonIrish25 in Charleston, W.V.: There was an article not too long ago about players poised for a jump in the new rankings. On the offensive side of the ball, offensive tackle Matt James was listed. Previously, he sat just outside the top 100, was his ranking re-discussed after this article was posted? It seemed that he would make the leap into the newly released 100.

I am totally on board with your Charleston. I wanted Matt James in the Rivals100, and I was the one that suggested him for the "poised for a jump" article. This is an example of how we often have disagreements within our rankings team. This is also an example of how sometimes we lay out the top 100 kids, then you look at the next ten or twenty outside the rankings as say "How did we not get that kid in the top 100?" I personally would have Matt James well ahead of James Stone, but we will have to wait for another day to make that call. Not everyone on the team was ready to move James up that far, and continue to drop Stone, who was previously at 36. Both of those prospects will get re-evaluated in person. Stone plays just minutes from Rivals.com headquarters. I will be seeing Matt James during the season as well. I am sure we will get a long look at both during the all-star game season as well. But let there be no doubt that Matt James is a heck of a prospect. - Greg Ladky

From Brad H. in Canton, Mich.: When we will see the state rankings for players?

The preseason state rankings will start to be released on Tuesday, July 28, with the states of Oklahoma, Mississippi, Hawaii, and others. The big three that most people want to know about are Texas, California and Florida. The Texas top 100 comes out on Thursday, July 30. California's top 100 comes out on Monday, Aug. 3, followed by the Florida top 100 on Thursday, Aug. 6. For a complete list of when the state rankings come out, check out this link - Rivals.com State Rankings Releases. - Jeremy Crabtree

From ElJunior in San Diego, Calif.: I'm from San Diego, CA and I was wondering why Alex Crosthwaite dropped out of the Rivals250 and is raked so low in the O-Line rankings. I have watched his highlight tape and seen him in person and he is one of the most dominant O-linemen I've seen. I also read and heard that he excelled at the USC and UCLA camps. Is there something I'm missing?

Make sure to take another look at the Rivals250 because Alex, who has made a commitment to Cal, actually climbed 49 spots in the 250 and is ranked at No. 200 overall. That's a really impressive climb, and it's well deserved. You were right about how well Alex did at camps this summer. I saw him at the USC Linemen Camp, and liked what I saw. All were in agreement that he was the best linemen that day. Bear fans should be very excited to have him on board. - Jeremy Crabtree

From wnm56 in Tallahassee, Fla.: Why hasn't Lynden Trail been added to the Rivals100 list? He has one of the most impressive highlight reels I have seen in some time. Yes, his weight is a concern, but he has a 3-minute reel against the run. I don't know what else he has to do to be rated higher.

I agree, Lynden Trail does have an impressive highlight film. But there are several factors keeping him out of the top 100. First, he's got a tall and very lean frame. So he has a long way to go in the weight room to add that size. Second, at the Miami NIKE camp setting earlier this spring, he wasn't that overly impressive to Barton Simmons and Barry Every, who were both there. While Trail is certainly a fine athlete and shows speed and quickness off the edge, he plays high and is very raw. If Trails doesn't beat a tackle to the edge then he's typically neutralized because of his lack of strength and technique. That doesn't mean Trail doesn't have upside or can get bigger and stronger in the future. If he does, he could turn into a terror on the edge. We are all anxious to see how he progresses this fall. - Jamie Newberg

From Micah in Frederick : What do you think of Ego Ferguson, Jr.?

I'm the biggest fan of Ego's potential as far as the analysts go because to me he's a can't -miss kid. He can be a big defensive end or a quick defensive tackle in college and can honestly play any of the four defensive line positions. Ego will only get better at Hargrave, playing against college-age talent and will be college ready for sure by the time he enrolls some place. - Mike Farrell

From saw120489 in Dawson, Pa.: How did Adrian Coxson fall out of the 250? His offer list is matched by only a small handful of receivers. Also, how close did Robert Bolden come to getting in the 250? Thanks guys.

Offers don't mean much when it comes to rankings. Coxson hasn't performed well at either of the two camps we've seen him at. He was given the benefit of the doubt after the Maryland Five Star and remained in the 250 but when he was equally unimpressive at the PSU Nike, he dropped. He is raw and has potential but his top end speed and hands are in question.

If Bolden keeps on impressing out at the Elite 11, he'll be in the 250 next time. He was close this time around, much closer than our last ranking and he could be emerging as the best of the three Michigan quarterbacks. - Mike Farrell

From Micheal in Atlanta : Can GT commits like Denzel McCoy, Barry Bostic and Ryan Ayers work there way up the list with stellar senior seasons?

Certainly. Every recruit has a chance to move or down based on their senior seasons. We don't just do one evaluation on a player and stop. For the trio you listed below I really think Barry Bostic has the best chance of moving up in the rankings with a good senior year. He has been impressive at events we have seen him at and I think he could be a guy that has a big season and moves up for sure. Like I said, we will just have to wait and see how they do this fall. - Jamie Newberg

From eobuck in Hannibal : Jamel Turner is headed to Valley Forge Military Academy and Carlos Hyde to Fork Union. Will they be included into the prep school rankings?

Hyde will because he's graduated high school and is in a prep year. Turner won't, he's no different than J.R. Ferguson, Kevin Newsome and others who are playing prep during their senior seasons of high school. - Mike Farrell

From psujosh21: When you review film on athletes, how do u rate their perfomance? Do u rate what you see from the position they play on the film or do you evaluate them for what position you think they will project to in college?

When evaluating a prospect the initial film evaluation is done based on what position they are playing and what kind of success they may be able to achieve at the next level. If a player is very stellar on video but seems a bit out of place - like a 5-11/175 QB running all over the place or a 6-5/260 TE that may seem slightly slow of foot - then a position change may be projected. But seeing a prospect in person is really the best way to tell whether they have the size, frame and skill set to play another position. - Barry Every

From -Black in Clearwater, Fla.: With 44 of the top 250 guys hailing from the state of Florida; it seems the sunshine state is loaded once again. How would you rate the 2010 state of Florida prospects with previous classes? Top 5 Florida classes since you have covered the state?

I think it's as good as I can remember and I have been covering the state of Florida for a very long time. The difference this season is what's going on in south Florida. Sure the 2008 class was unreal from down there but this group is even deeper. It's ridiculous the amount of talent in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. 24 prospects from those three counties reside in the Rivals250. In fact, there may be up to 200 DI kids as well from down there. That's why it's a big-time year in Fla. Overall, other areas like Tallahassee are down while I think its a little down in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. - Jamie Newberg

From cw_80 in Salisbury N.C.: Was WVU QB commit Jeremy Johnson given consideration for a 4th star and inclusion in the 250?

Yes, Jeremy was considered for a fourth star. I was able to see him in Austin for the Five-star Academy and with the expectation that a good performance could merit a fourth star because I love his athleticism on film. At the event, Johnson showed that he's got a very slender frame at quarterback and his throwing ability is good but a little bit inconsistent. His testing numbers were also good but not off the charts. At this point he looks to be about right as a very high three-star. - Barton Simmons

From VolMan91 in Knoxville, Tenn.: I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on Zach Fulton. He was dominant at the Tennessee camp as well as the Illinois Nike camp, and most thought he would jump into the 250. What else does he need to do to prove his worth, and do you see him making the jump later? Thanks.

Zach is one of the players we went back and forth on quite a bit. We decided to keep him at a 5.7 three-star because we think overall he is a solid player off of film evaluation and the camp performances, we aren't ready to put him into the four-star pool. A future move up? That is certainly possible.

Recruiting fans like to just say "This player 'dominated' in camp" when really we found the player to be good, but not great. I don't know why, but the term 'dominate' seems to be thrown in there by a lot of fans as time goes by. I have heard recruiting fans say a player dominated when the film I shot of the player clearly shows otherwise.

Anyways, back to Zach, he had a good performance at Illinois NIKE, definitely one of the best offensive linemen there. Unfortunately, I was not permitted to film that event. But his performance doesn't necessarily mean he is a four-star. He is an above average D-1A prospect with the potential to be great, but we aren't ready to make that four-star call at this time.

But yes, I think it is possible he moves up later. - Greg Ladky

From TalHawkins112 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.: Why was Keiwone Malone moved out of the Rivals 250? He led the nation last year in receiving yards and has reportedly done well in every camp he attended.

There were about three wide receivers that jumped above Keiwone and that is the reason for the slight drop. We still think he is generally in the right place rankings-wise but would just like to see him add a little bit of weight to his frame and show that he can be more than just a vertical threat. He did nothing to hurt himself in any of his appearances so he's about right as a four-star. We've just yet to see a reason for him to move up from his initial ranking. - Barton Simmons

From Bamawhn in Tuscaloosa, Ala.: What made you rate Sam Gibson higher than teammate Nick Perry? Both project at Safety in college and both Alabama and Auburn offered Nick while neither offered Sam.

Nick Perry is the safer pick at safety, he has more experience at the position and he knows how to play it. Gibson though is the more athletic prospect, tests better and is much longer. The only downside is that he is just more of an unknown because he's spent his high school career at quarterback. Perry may be more of the sure thing but we think that Gibson's upside is what really separates him and could give him the opportunity to be really special. - Barton Simmons

From CityRebel in Memphis, Tenn.: What is going on with the MS players in the new Rivals250? I'm not even looking with an Ole Miss slant - the new rankings do not make sense to me. For example: MSU commit Eulls - one of the 3-4 best players but not on the Rivals250. DT Martin - one of the 4-5 best players in MS and has been dominating at the summer camps he's attended. DE/TE Dickson - with offers from LSU, FSU, Aub, OM, MSU, etc. and given his pedigree and high school performance, he should be in the 250. OT Cox - while you correctly note that he's likely to play college basketball, does Rivals realize he has never played a season of Fall football? He has gone out in the Spring and not played in the Fall the past two years. So, someone who has never played a season and is likely to play college basketball is the 157th best prospect in the country! Really? I understand Wells, Johnson, Parker being at the end of the list and can understand Bennett and Rea dropping off (especially since Rea will play only baseball in college), but I think you missed big-time on the four above.

It is a very interesting year in Mississippi and that's a good question. We'll take them one-by-one. Kaleb Eulls is someone we rated really high because of his size and upside. However, after more film study, we've got questions about his physicality at defensive end. He's a quarterback in high school and he certainly has the chance to move up much more as we see more on him as a senior that shows us that he has the mindset to be a force on the defensive side of the ball. Right now there are just too many questions.

Travis Dickson is someone that hasn't been re-evaluated. We think he is a very good prospect and a four-star but need to see more to move him up. I saw Demarco Cox play this spring in a jamboree and it was his first time hitting the football field in a full year. I understand your reservations and that is why we initially had him as a four-star. However, even if he claims to be basketball only right now, his upside is just too high. He will get on a college campus find his way to the football field and if he does he will be a first round draft pick. If he were football all the way, Cox would be sitting much higher than he is in the rankings. As I said it's a very interesting year in Mississippi. A lot of guys tend to emerge late in that state and we're going to work hard to figure out who those guys are. Expect several new Mississippi editions before it's all said and done. - Barton Simmons

From Illiniallstars in Champaign, Ill.: Why were Safety Corey Cooper and Defensive Tackle Bruce Gaston Jr. left out of the Rivals250? Also, what does Chandler Whitmer have to do to get into the Rivals250?

Hey Illiniallstars,

Here is your three-for-one response. Love the enthusiasm.

Corey will still be a four-star player. He was outside the Rivals250 for the last rankings release. There is not really any movement there. I would have liked to seen him separate himself from the pack of defensive backs at the Illinois NIKE camp. I don't think he did that. It was a talented group however.

Gaston is someone that we really are just beginning to learn about. He performed well at the Illinois NIKE camp. His film is pretty good. I think he is one of the better defensive tackles out there, and I think the best in the Midwest. But at this time, we will put him at a 5.7 three star. Not sure if he is an elite guy.

With Chandler, let me be frank. He needs to get stronger and grow two inches to be a four-star prospect. And Chandler would be the first one to tell you that. He is fun to watch in drills because is so fluid in his drops and his mechanics. He is very accurate, and has a good, but not great arm. He oozes leadership skills. Great kid, someone that people just want to be around. He could be that shorter quarterback that ends up being a Heisman candidate, like we saw from multiple players last college football season. I would never rule that out. But, when we have quarterbacks who are taller, have similar ability and as good or better arm strength, we have to go with them as the higher ranked prospects.

My bet is that Chandler will fare very well at the Elite 11. He deserves to be there. - Greg Ladky

From Joe in Detroit: What's the deal with Jamel Turner dropping? He's still supposed to be in the 2010 class at OSU. Don't these type of things happen all the time with players? For example, SEC teams in the past signed like 40 players knowing most wouldn't qualify yet all 40 would contribute to the team ranking like they were all going to show up.

Joe, good question- and one we need to be very clear on for you guys.

From what we understand, and we have tried to dig up as much information as we can here, it is not certain whether Turner will be playing football next year or ever again. We dropped him because of that uncertainty.

If we learn that he is playing football next year at Ursuline or another school, he will return him to where he should be in the rankings.

So, we haven't changed our thoughts on Turner's abilities. We just don't know if football is in his future at this time. - Greg Ladky