Five-star prospects who began the 2025 cycle as three-stars
The 2025 rankings cycle is now over and the final Rivals 250 has been released. Among the 32 five-stars, there are some who began the cycle nowhere near the top of the rankings.
Take a look at these five five-stars who began the ranking cycle as three-star prospects.
Black is a perfect example of a prospect showing impressive development year after year and how that consistent improvement translates to moves up the rankings with each update. Black does not play against many high-end Power Four pass rushers during the regular season but the traits he brought to the field warranted an initial high three-star rating in June 2023.
His tape during the following season revealed how those traits allowed him to dominate on the field and he was elevated to a four-star in February 2024. Black did not attend offseason camps but an in-person evaluation helped boost his ranking even more to the point where he was one of the highest-ranked offensive tackles in the nation at No. 62 in the May 2024 edition of the Rivals250.
During the summer and through the fall season, a complete picture formed of just how special a prospect Black could be. His continued positive development along with his unique physical traits earned him a fifth star at the end of the 2024 season.
Brown was the definition of consistency during his high school career. His traits and measurables aren’t overly impressive, which is why he started out as a high three-star prospect in March 2023.
In the following August when the Rivals250 was updated, Brown found himself ranked at No. 171 overall thanks to impressive performances during the offseason camp and 7-on-7 circuit. A highly productive junior season against high-end competition in Florida led to Brown being the biggest riser of the Rivals250 update in February 2024.
Brown continued his rise up the rankings throughout the rest of 2024 and now he ends the ranking cycle as a five-star and No. 24 in the final Rivals250.
Carroll began his rankings journey as a three-star in March 2023 and steadily rose up to a four-star and Rivals250 prospect over the next two rankings updates. He entered the Rivals250 in August 2023, just prior to his junior season.
Carroll took immense developmental strides during his junior season and saw a big jump up the Rivals250 after camp season in the May 2024 Rivals250 update. He was one of the top performers at the Rivals Five-Star in June 2024 and received one of the biggest bumps up the rankings in the subsequent Rivals250 update, landing at No. 31.
Carroll was awarded his fifth star after a dominant senior season while playing for IMG Academy and finished the rankings cycle at No. 14 overall.
Marshall wasn’t a regular on the offseason camp circuit due to his basketball schedule but it was obvious he would be a Power Four prospect early on in his career. He was designated as a high three-star prospect in March 2023 but that did not last long. In the following rankings update in June, Marshall entered the Rivals250 at No. 157.
He steadily rose up the rankings with each update in 2023 thanks to impressive displays of athleticism for a defensive end. As a basketball standout, defensive end and tight end/receiver for his high school, Marshall was undoubtedly one of the most impressive prospects in the 2025 class, which helped him earn his fifth star after this past season.
He finished the rankings cycle at No. 27 in the Rivals250.
St. Clair was tabbed as a three-star in the spring of 2023 but that changed very quickly after camp season. The following June he entered the Rivals250 at No. 134 and he continued to move up in each of the next few rankings updates.
St. Clair was outstanding at the Nike Next Ones camp during Super Bowl week and that helped vault him up to a five-star during the spring Rivals250 update in May 2024. St. Clair doesn’t play against much Power Four talent during the fall season so offseason events were an important part of his evaluation process.
He took advantage of the opportunity to line up with the nation’s best players at the Rivals Five-Star in June 2024 and his performance pushed him up to No. 1 in the August update to the Rivals250.
St. Clair ultimately finished the rankings cycle at No. 2 overall in the final Rivals250 and is the third-highest rated quarterback to ever sign with Ohio State.
