Rivals Camp Series Miami: How Sunday Will Impact The Rankings

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — While the Rivals Camp Series provides an opportunity to get new recruiting information and connect with prospects for stories, it also offers the type of good-on-good competition that is weighed heavily when it comes time to update the rankings.

From the class of 2025 to 2026 and later this year even the class of 2027, Sunday’s camp stop both answered some questions and created more as each evaluation cycle rolls on. Here are the key areas in which the rankings could be impacted by what the prospects put on the field.

The camp started off with a bang thanks to the offensive linemen and, within that group, Max Buchanan stole the show. Currently rated as three-star, Buchanan will see his ranking rise after his outstanding performance. His strong technique, footwork, aggression and patience as a pass blocker all translate to the next level. Buchanan’s frame has plenty of room to fill out so, as long as he continues to develop, he should be ready to see the field relatively early in his college career.

Ziyare Addison was the betting favorite to be the MVP for the offensive lineman but he came in second by a narrow margin. Still, the Rivals250 prospect put on an impressive performance showcasing his athleticism, technical proficiency and aggressive playing style. He has the frame to play tackle or guard at the next level, but beyond that he’ll likely line up as a guard. Addison’s long arms are a major asset as a pass blocker and he does a good job using leverage to win reps against bigger or stronger defensive linemen.

Chancellor Barclay, Gabriel Osenda, Gavin Blanchard and Jakobe Green also shined along the offensive line. Barclay lived up to the hype as a Rivals250 prospect. Green did as well, though he’ll likely be ranked as a guard in the next rankings update. Osenda and Blanchard exceeded expectations and will likely find themselves moving up the rankings after the spring camp season.

There were a lot of defensive linemen who impressed on Sunday. At the top of the list was Javon Hilson, the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the 2025 class. Hilson‘s ability to set up offensive linemen using speed or power moves was very impressive. He also has a lot of room to pack on more muscle at the next level, something that should help him continue to be more effective as he gets older.

Also at defensive end, Mondrell Desir and Jake Kreul were as solid as they come. Desir has an excellent build and has some versatility to his game, which should allow him to line up at multiple positions on the defensive front. He has the strength to take on bigger offensive linemen and win with power, but he also brings elements of speed and quickness to rush off the outside edge. Kreul is explosive and aggressive off the line of scrimmage, even though he isn’t the biggest defensive end. It isn’t surprising to see how heavily he’s been recruited thus far given his performance on Sunday. There’s plenty of room for him to grow, and he has lots of time to do so before he reaches the next level.

We were really looking forward to getting a closer look at the big-name interior defense of lineman on Sunday and they lived up to the hype. The spotlight was on Randy Adirika, Floyd Boucard and Jarquez Carter during Sunday’s camp. Adirika and Carter have the tools to play inside or outside on the defensive line but they’ll likely find their home on the inside as they get older. Adirika was more of a bully on Sunday, relying more on his strength and hand techniques to win reps rather than his speed. Carter’s well-rounded skill set helped him to keep offensive linemen guessing if he’d use a speed or power move. He doesn’t look like a “first off the bus” kind of defensive lineman, but he more than makes up for it once the ball is snapped. Boucard is still a bit raw at this stage. His strength and quickness helped him win most of his reps but if an offensive lineman forced him to go to his counter move he didn’t find much success.

The group that came in with the most intrigue Sunday was likely the rising-junior class of passers, a star-studded bundle that traveled from all over the state and made an impression. In the most recent update for the class, participants Brady Hart, Dereon Coleman and Michael Clayton all reached four-star status and the trio lived up to that billing in South Florida.

Hart is the highest-ranked right now, checking in as a top-50 prospect after a dominant 2023 season in leading Cocoa (Fla.) High to a state championship. Those strong downfield traits showed up throughout the workout with easy arm strength. Hart turned it over some during one-on-ones, letting some deep balls fly off of his back foot, but when he was on-time mechanically and stepped into third-level balls, few looked better.

Coleman always turns heads because of his build, shorter than the other blue-chip passers yet seemingly longer and with as much pop on the football as any. The Orlando (Fla.) Jones QB worked through drills with relative ease and even showcased some more off-platform execution than most, all while pushing the football vertically without much struggle. The intrigue around Coleman is his all-around game and athleticism paired with the advanced passing skill, but even in this setting the talent was near miss.

When it came not literally not missing, Clayton seemed to be the best of the bunch on this day. Tall and technical in the pocket, the Sanford (Fla.) Seminole arm was as smooth and steady as it gets in this type of environment. The wind picked up, the temperature rose and the intensity of the competition increased – yet Clayton was cool and consistent every step of the way. The velocity may not be as evident as it is with Hart or Coleman, but Clayton was on time and accurate regardless of ask.

What made the QB show even more compelling with the 2026 group were additional strong efforts beyond the highest-rated, including stock-up workouts for Carter Emanuel, Logan Rogers and the versatile Jyron Hughley.

The athlete position projection is more commonly used with younger prospects so we have time to filter down to specific positions as they get closer to the end of the cycle. Some prospects make it tougher than others, and there were several examples of that on display during Sunday’s Rivals Camp.

The most talked about prospect projected as an athlete among campers is surely Derrek Cooper. The 2026 Rivals250 recruit worked at running back and safety in 2023, and he is working at wide receiver in addition to each ahead of his junior campaign. On Sunday, all he did was shift back to running back and take home MVP honors against several projected Power Four backs.

Cooper is a legitimate 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and we can see his projection leaning towards multiple defensive spots – most likely safety – but at every chance he shines bright on offense. A bigger back? Wide receiver? Just a combination? Either way, Cooper’s physique could continue to make the projection a tougher one. It won’t soon slow his ranking ascent, however, as he is simply one of the top football players and football recruits nationally regardless of class.

Others in a similar boat we got a fresh look at on Sunday include fellow 2026 blue-chipper Jordan Campbell, who is normally an edge hybrid but worked at running back Sunday. Outside linebacker is the most likely move should we hover off of the athlete tag for the Miami commitment. Others are simpler, like Jakobe Green stamping his status as an interior blocker or big pass catchers like Tae’Shaun Gelsey and Dwayne Wimbley solidifying projections as tight ends instead of wide receivers.