Tag: Rivals rankings

New Rivals 250 Released

Terry Richardson is Rivals’ #217 overall players

Yesterday Rivals released the top 100 prospects for 2012, which I detailed yesterday afternoon.

Today Rivals released the rest of the Rivals 250.

Notable movement for Michigan commits since the August re-rank:

– Joe Bolden jumped from #184 to #152

– James Ross dropped from #158 to #163

– Royce Jenkins-Stone dropped from #97 to #182

– Terry Richardson dropped from #214 to #217

Here’s a look at Michigan targets from #101 to #250:

105. Dillon Lee – LB – Georgia (Alabama)
106. Cyrus Jones – ATH – Maryland
109. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio
120. Jordan Payton – WR – California
123. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
125. LaDarrell McNeill – S – Texas (Tennessee)
127. Drae Bowles – WR – Tennessee (Tennessee)
128. Elijah Shumate – S – New Jersey
133. Ty Darlington – C – Florida (Oklahoma)
136. Bri’onte Dunn – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
141. Javonte Magee – DE – Texas
143. Dalvin Tomlinson – DT – Texas
144. Evan Boehm – OG – Missouri
145. Zeke Pike – QB – Kentucky (Auburn)
147. Paul Thurston – OT – Colorado (Nebraska)
152. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
153. Dan Voltz – OT – Illinois (Wisconsin)
156. Sean Price – TE – Florida (South Florida)
157. Danny O’Brien – DT – Michigan (Tennessee)
159. Jarron Jones – DT – New York (Notre Dame)
160. Jaleel Johnson – DT – Illinois (Iowa)
161. Jake Rodrigues – QB – California (Oregon)
162. Camren Williams – LB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
163. James Ross – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
165. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas (TCU)
166. Michael Starts – DE – Texas (Texas Tech)
167. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
169. Dwayne Stanford – WR – Ohio (Oregon)
172. Deontay McManus – WR – Maryland (West Virginia)
174. Kyle Dodson – OT – Ohio (Wisconsin)
176. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
182. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
183. Brock Stadnik – OT – North Carolina (South Carolina)
186. Michael Moore – DE – Maryland (Virginia)
188. Greg McMullen – DE – Ohio (Nebraska)
197. Derek Edinburgh – OT – Louisiana (LSU)
198. Adam Bisnowaty – OT – Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh)
202. Ken Ekanem – DE – Virginia
204. Shane Callahan – OT – Colorado (Auburn)
208. Amara Darboh – WR – Iowa
209. Martin Aiken – DE – South Carolina (Clemson)
211. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey (Rutgers)
212. Latroy Pittman – WR – Florida (Florida)
213. Armani Reeves – CB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
215. Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
217. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
227. Jody Fuller – WR – North Carolina (South Carolina)
228. Warren Ball – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
232. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah (BYU)
235. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
237. I’Tavius Mathers – RB – Tennessee (Mississippi)
239. Alex Kozan – OT – Colorado
242. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana (Notre Dame)
248. Darius Powe – WR – California
249. Wes Brown – RB – Maryland

New Rivals 100 Released

Kyle Kalis (#67 above) got his fifth star from Rivals

The new Rivals 100 has been released.  A few Michigan commits have seen their rankings change from the last re-ranking:

– Kyle Kalis got his fifth star and moves from #22 to #21 overall

– Erik Magnuson drops from #44 to #49 overall

– Ondre Pipkins drops from #53 to #59 overall

– Royce Jenkins-Stone drops from #97 to out of the top 100

Below is a list of Michigan offerees who appear on the list:

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
2. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, DC
3. D.J. Humphries – OT – North Carolina (Florida)
4. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
5. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
7. Shaq Thompson – S – California
8. Stefon Diggs – WR – Maryland
9. Noah Spence – DE – Pennsylvania
11. John Theus – OT – Florida (Georgia)
12. Nelson Agholor – WR – Florida
14. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
17. Ellis McCarthy – DT – California
18. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana
21. Kyle Kalis – OT – Ohio (Michigan)
22. Kyle Murphy – OT – California
25. Jordan Simmons – OG – California (USC)
27. Aziz Shittu – DT – California

4-stars:
28. Joshua Garnett – OG – Washington
29. Arik Armstead – DE – California
31. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina
34. Devin Fuller – ATH – New Jersey
36. Adolphus Washington – DE – Ohio (Ohio State)
40. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
44. Eli Harold – DE – Virginia (Virginia)
47. Durron Neal – WR – Missouri (Oklahoma)
49. Erik Magnuson – OT – California (Michigan)
51. Marcus Maye – S – Florida (Florida)
52. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois (Penn State)
53. D.J. Foster – ATH – Arizona
55. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia (Georgia)
56. Kent Taylor – TE – Florida (Florida)
57. Yuri Wright – CB – New Jersey
58. Jabari Ruffin – LB – California (USC)
59. Ondre Pipkins – DT – Missouri (Michigan)
60. Avery Young – OT – Florida
61. Geno Smith – CB – Georgia (Alabama)
63. Zach Kline – QB – California (Cal)
64. Kendall Sanders – ATH – Texas (Oklahoma State)
65. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia
68. Deon Bush – CB – Florida
72. Ronald Darby – CB – Maryland (Notre Dame)
73. Bryce Treggs – WR – California (California)
74. Tyriq McCord – DE – Florida
75. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
77. Dominique Wheeler – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
78. JaQuay Williams – WR – Georgia (Auburn)
79. Chris Muller – OT – Pennsylvania (Rutgers)
81. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio (Michigan State)
82. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
85. Brian Poole – CB – Florida (Florida)
87. Joey O’Connor – OT – Colorado
89. Raphael Kirby – LB – Georgia (Miami)
92. Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
97. Taylor McNamara – TE – California
98. Derrick Woods – WR – California
100. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Michigan (Michigan State)

New Rivals 250 Released for 2012

James Ross is the #158 prospect in the nation

The new Rivals 250 was released on Tuesday.

Here’s what the rankings looked like back in mid-May.

Since then, here’s what happened for Michigan recruits:

– James Ross dropped from #143 to #158

– Joe Bolden dropped from #167 to #184

– Terry Richardson dropped from #195 to #214

– Tom Strobel dropped from #231 to outside the top 250

The following players have been offered by Michigan:

101. Keith Brown – LB – Florida (Miami)
103. Dillon Lee – LB – Georgia (Alabama)
104. Zeke Pike – QB – Kentucky (Auburn)
106. Greg McMullen – DE – Ohio (Nebraska)
111. JaQuay Williams – WR – Georgia (Auburn)
113. Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
118. Jordan Payton – WR – California
120. Faith Ekakitie – DE – Illinois
121. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
122. Max Tuerk – OT – California (USC)
125. LaDarrell McNeil – S – Texas (Tennessee)
127. Drae Bowles – WR – Tennessee (Tennessee)
129. Elijah Shumate – S – New Jersey
132. Ty Darlington – C – Florida (Oklahoma)
141. Bri’onte Dunn – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
143. Raphael Kirby – LB – Georgia (Miami)
145. Dalvin Tomlinson – DT – Georgia
146. Evan Boehm – OG – Missouri (Missouri)
148. Jake Rodrigues – QB – California (Oregon)
149. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Michigan (Michigan State)
151. Paul Thurston – OT – Colorado (Nebraska)
154. Danny O’Brien – DT – Michigan
155. Jaleel Johnson – DT – Illinois (Iowa)
158. James Ross – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
161. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas (TCU)
162. Michael Starts – DE – Texas (Texas Tech)
163. Dwayne Stanford – WR – Ohio
165. Deontay McManus – WR – Maryland (West Virginia)
168. Kyle Dodson – OG – Ohio (Wisconsin)
169. Dan Voltz – OT – Illinois (Wisconsin)
170. Kwon Alexander – LB – Alabama
172. Brent Wilkerson – DE – Maryland (Penn State)
173. Cyrus Jones – CB – Maryland
174. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
175. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
180. Sean Price – TE – Florida (South Florida)
183. Brock Stadnik – OT – North Carolina (South Carolina)
184. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
188. Jonathan Williams – RB – Texas (Missouri)
196. Michael Moore – DE – Maryland (Virginia)
197. Derek Edinburgh – OT – Louisiana (LSU)
198. Adam Bisnowaty – OT – Pennsylvania
203. Ken Ekanem – DE – Virginia
204. Armani Reeves – CB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
205. Martin Aiken – DE – South Carolina (Clemson)
206. Shane Callahan – OT – Colorado
207. Ryan Watson – DE – Maryland
209. Jarontay Jones – DE – Georgia (Virginia Tech)
211. Amara Darboh – WR – Iowa
212. Latroy Pittman – WR – Florida (Florida)
214. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
226. Jordan Diamond – OT – Illinois
227. Jody Fuller – WR – North Carolina (South Carolina)
229. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey (Rutgers)
230. Warren Ball – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
233. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
234. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah (BYU)
240. I’Tavius Mathers – RB – Tennessee (Mississippi)
246. Darius Powe – WR – California

New Rivals 100 Released

Kyle Kalis is Michigan’s top rated recruit at #22 overall

The new Rivals 100 has been released for the class of 2012, and there have been some minor shakeups and one big leap.

Here’s what it looked like back in May . . .

. . . and some of the changes for Michigan commits:

– Kyle Kalis dropped from #18 to #22

– Erik Magnuson dropped from #34 to #44

– Ondre Pipkins jumped from #246 to #53

– Royce Jenkins-Stone dropped from #87 to #97

And if you’re interested in how it looks for Michigan offerees altogether, take a look at the list below:

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
2. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
3. D.J. Humphries – OT – North Carolina (Florida)
4. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, D.C.
5. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
8. Stefon Diggs – WR – Maryland
9. John Theus – OT – Florida (Georgia)
10. Ellis McCarthy – DT – California
11. Nelson Agholor – S – Florida
15. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana (Indiana)
16. Noah Spence – DE – Pennsylvania
18. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
21. Aziz Shittu – DT – California

4-stars:
22. Kyle Kalis – OG – Ohio (Michigan)
24. Joshua Garnett – OG – Washington
26. Arik Armstead – DE – California (USC)
29. Kyle Murphy – OT – California
36. Jordan Simmons – OG – California
38. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
40. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois (Penn State)
43. Durron Neal – WR – Missouri (Oklahoma)
44. Erik Magnuson – OT – California (Michigan)
47. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia (Georgia)
48. Deon Bush – CB – Florida
49. Devin Fuller – QB – New Jersey
50. Avery Young – OT – Florida
51. Yuri Wright – CB – New Jersey
52. Jabari Ruffin – LB – California (USC)
53. Ondre Pipkins – DT – Missouri (Michigan)
55. Kent Taylor – TE – Florida
57. Geno Smith – CB – Georgia (Alabama)
59. Zach Kline – QB – California (Cal)
60. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
61. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio
62. Marcus Maye – S – Florida (Florida)
63. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
64. Kendall Sanders – CB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
65. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina
66. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia (Georgia)
68. Eli Harold – DE – Virginia (Virginia)
71. Tyriq McCord – DE – Florida
74. Adolphus Washington – DE – Ohio
77. Ronald Darby – CB – Maryland (Notre Dame)
78. Jarron Jones – DT – New York
79. Chris Muller – OT – Pennsylvania (Rutgers)
80. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio (Michigan State)
84. D.J. Foster – CB – Arizona
85. Brian Poole – CB – Florida (Florida)
89. John Michael McGee – OG – Texas (Oklahoma)
90. Taylor McNamara – TE – California (Arizona)
95. Derrick Woods – WR – California
97. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
98. Dominique Wheeler – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
100. Bryce Treggs – WR – California (California)

Mailbag: Why so little love for Funchess?

I was kind of surprised Rivals didn’t give Devin Funchess a fourth star. Which isn’t to say I think they SHOULD have, since I know very little about recruiting and try not to be an “OMG They Didn’t Give Ricardo Miller Nine Stars” guy. But he looked to demonstrate some acrobatic receiving ability in his video, while also being a good prototypical size. What do you think held him back?                – Ben 

Tight end/wide receiver/H-back Devin Funchess committed to Michigan a little over a month ago.  So far Rivals hasn’t given Funchess a star rating.  For comparison’s sake, Scout gave him 4 stars and ranked him as the #6 tight end in the country.  247 Sports gives him 4 stars and rates him a 90 overall.

I’ve been a member of Rivals for a few years, and they often downgrade players without clearly defined positions.  At 6’4″ and 215 lbs. (or lighter), Funchess’ future position is a little murky.  Some think he’ll develop into a full-fledged tight end, some think he might have the speed to play wideout, and some think he’ll be an Aaron Shea-like fullback/tight end.  Without knowing what position a certain player might occupy at the next level, it’s difficult to say that he’ll be a high-impact guy.

Also, keep in mind that the recruiting services figure in NFL potential with their ratings.  Especially at Rivals, 5-star players are considered to be potential first rounders, 4-stars are thought to have good potential to be drafted, etc.  Tight end isn’t a premium position for the NFL, and H-back is even less so.  Since 2004 the only two tight ends to receive 5 stars from Rivals were Martellus Bennett (2005) and Kyle Rudolph (2008).  Consider that there were five 5-star running backs and nineteen 4-star running backs in the class of 2011.  Meanwhile, there were zero 5-star tight ends and only sixteen 4-star tight ends in the same class.  If the NFL doesn’t value tight ends as highly as other positions, high school recruits are going to be slightly downgraded as a result.

So this is probably what Rivals is thinking:

a) What’s his position at the next level?
b) Does he have a lot of potential to get to the NFL?

Personally, I think Scout and 247 Sports have it right.  Putting on weight should never be a problem for a player who desires to do it, and I have heard no questions about Funchess’ work ethic or coachability.  I would rather take a good athlete and bulk him up than a take a big guy and try to make him more athletic.  In my experience, the latter tactic will rarely pan out.  Funchess can run, jump, catch, and adjust to the ball in the air.  Michigan just saw a 2007 recruit who had similar size coming out of high school leave as a 6’4″, 268 lb. tight end who excelled at blocking.  But Martell Webb was a 4-star and the #29 wide receiver in his class, so you can see that the ratings aren’t consistent.  (I will admit, though, that Webb was probably a slightly better athlete coming out of high school than Funchess is today.)

Don’t be too surprised if Funchess works his way up to 4-star status with a solid senior season.  He has plenty of athleticism to move up to that next step, and if he remains on the 3-star level at Rivals, I think he’ll outplay that rating by the time all is said and done.