The postseason rankings update has wrapped up and there were plenty of big movers and controversial decisions that coaches, players, and fans are discussing. The national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr. and Adam Gorney – sit down at the Rankings Roundtable and discuss.
1. Which prospect do you think we ranked too high?
Friedman: Jordan Pride just made a big jump up the rankings but I’m not sure he should have moved up as much as he did. The Texas A&M commit has come back nicely from a torn ACL and he’s a smart, savvy safety prospect but his quickness and start/stop ability isn’t at an elite level. Pride plays with impressive physicality and uses his length well in coverage but gets caught trailing receivers too often. It hasn’t hurt him at the high school level very much but that can’t happen once he gets to college or he could become a big play liability.
Garcia: One of the top two-way talents in the country, Jalewis Solomon appears to be leaning towards offense at the next level, which is the only reason why he’s on this list. His overall athletic profile as a rangy and instinctive ball hawk makes for a potentially higher floor in the secondary compared to where he has been most productive at wide receiver. The class is loaded at wide receiver, but a top-100 mark is a tad high if Solomon isn’t going to explore defense at the next level. Ironically, this class lacks rangy safety types who can work as true center fielder types, which is where the total package Solomon brings to the table would create a strong ceiling in the SEC. We’re happy Rivals has him tabbed highest in the industry, but he could stand stronger within the top 100 should defense be more of a possibility.
Gorney: Myles Graham is really talented and has the potential to be special in college and beyond but has he done enough to prove he’s a five-star prospect ahead of many other worthy candidates? That will only get determined at the all-star games because the Florida commit has not done many – if any – national events during his time at College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy or Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz. Graham is a great linebacker and excellent running back, he has an NFL pedigree and a lot to like but the question remains whether he’s five-star worthy.
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2. Which prospect do you think we ranked too low?
Friedman: Speedy Tennessee wide receiver commit Braylon Staley is one player who probably could have used a bigger bump up the rankings. The four-star from South Carolina was a state champion in the triple jump and 200m in the spring and you can see that explosiveness on the field. This season Staley hauled in 14 touchdown catches and amassed more than 1,100 yards receiving with an average of nearly 17-yards per catch. Further illustrating the explosiveness he brings to an offense, Staley accounted for at least nine catches that went for 40 yards or more this season.
Garcia: Recent Colorado commitment Kamron Mikell is among the more special athletes in the class of 2024, and we did right by getting him into the Rivals250, but he could prove to be too low within that standing at this time at No. 243 overall. Mikell has some of the twitchiest game on tape as a true two-way prospect, with legitimate marks to back it up like a 10.5-second 100 meter dash time to illustrate his combination of quickness and true long speed. He’ll play offense in Boulder and potentially be this cycle’s Dylan Edwards for Deion Sanders, but the defensive prospects in the secondary were very legit for Mikell to the point that he was being pushed to stay in-state and play for Kirby Smart and Georgia. Either way, that kind of production and juice in the state of Georgia could have us behind the mark here.
Gorney: Florida landed a major commitment from LJ McCray in October and now hanging onto him might be the hardest part. The Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland standout is all of 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds and has the potential to be really special along any defensive line. That size, power and length just cannot be taught. But Florida State had him on campus for a short while on Friday as the Seminoles work to flip him and McCray was expected to spend the weekend at Auburn.
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3.
Who did you go out on a limb for that will make you look good?
Friedman: The outliers are the players who get discussed the most on social media and on the message boards every time the rankings are updated. Two prospects who I’m still not sold on are Georgia offensive line commit Nyier Daniels and Florida offensive line commit Fletcher Westphal. These are two of the biggest prospects in the entire 2024 class. Both of them are at least 6-foot-7 and tip the scales at 340-pounds or more. Their aggressiveness, ability to consistently play with the necessary technique to be effective throughout a game, and physical conditioning have not risen to the level of a four-star prospect. There is still one more rankings update for the 2024 class so they do have another opportunity to improve their stock.
Garcia: As a collective, Rivals will continue to look good in its ranking of Eddy Pierre-Louis compared to the industry. The No. 1-ranked guard prospect holds one of the more unique athletic profiles in the entire class and he comes in among the most experienced offensive line recruits as well, moving up and down the line since he was a freshman on varsity. Showcasing immense upper-body strength and maintaining a well-proportioned frame along the way, the uncommitted recruit has the look of a multi-year starter with all conference honors before his time at the next level is up. He may be ranked as a guard but Pierre-Louis also has experience at center, invaluable in this day and age of player movement, so we’ll take the high floor bet on him against some outlets tabbing him as a three-star talent.
Gorney: It’s not always easy to push for someone from Burley, Idaho to be top-50 nationally especially when he’s committed to Boise State. But Gatlin Bair is the fastest player in high school football, he beat Nyckoles Harbor and Rodrick Pleasant (the two fastest in 2023) on the track and he has great size and playmaking ability to be special down the road – whether in college, at the NFL Combine or in the pros. He’s also now likely to land at Michigan where he’ll be surrounded by other elite players that should only make him better.
