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11 hours ago
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Rivals Five-Star: Key DL storylines to follow heading into Indianapolis
The Rivals Five-Star is being held June 23-24 at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility. Here are four defensive line storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | ACC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | SEC programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Key TE storylines | Key OL storylines | Key Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State ALL EYES ON RICHARD WESLEY Not only has Richard Wesley reclassified to the 2026 group, but he made a brief commitment to Oregon and enters the event as the sole uncommitted five-star along the defensive front set to participate. Advertisement Wesley is a dynamic pass rusher who thrives in all settings, but this will of course be his most stout test yet given both the top-end talent and depth set to line up against him next week. His recruitment will also play as its own storyline in Indianapolis, fresh off of an official visit to Texas as the Longhorns attempt to close the gap with Oregon for the top-10 national recruit. JAKE KREUL'S ENCORE Jeff McCulloch/ Jake Kreul flashed on the regional scene as an underclassman but he truly broke out at last year's Rivals Five-Star event in Jacksonville. He was one of the recruits who stole the show with his combination of flash, technique, effort and overall success against another loaded field of blockers – with most already in college at this point. Advertisement Kreul has arguably the deepest set of pass rushing traits of any competitor set to work out, but now he is as well-known a recruit as there is in the trenches simultaneously. Will the uncommitted star follow up the breakout with a five-star stamp? SEC IS WELL-REPRESENTED Nick Lucero/ The future trench stars of America's top conference are spread throughout the defensive line group, with Texas A&M sporting two commitments in Samu Moala and Jordan Carter. Recent Florida commitment JaReylan McCoy is back at the Rivals Five-Star for the second year in a row. South Carolina commit Aiden Harris is also scheduled to attend. Even the uncommitted recruits up front have an SEC feel in blue-chippers Jake Kreul, KJ Ford, Deuce Geralds, Landon Barnes and Nolan Wilson on the roster as well. PAIR OF 2027 PROSPECTS WILL BE HARD TO MISS The defensive line group for the Rivals Five-Star is primarily rising-senior laden, but the two 2027s set to work out bring a combination of star power and physical prowess to the showcase. Advertisement KJ Green is a top-10 national recruit in the class, incredibly tall, lean and twitchy coming off the edge to the point he'll touch 40 scholarship offers sooner rather than later. On the interior, 6-foot-5, 315-pound Kasi Carrie already looks like he is on a college roster and the offer list backs that up as Oregon leads the race for the California native early on. The Rivals Five-Star always lifts an underclassman to new heights, so don't count out either prospect already tabbed top-three at his position at this stage.
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3 days ago
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Previewing a stacked group of quarterbacks at the 2025 Elite 11
Nick Lucero/ The Elite 11 starts Tuesday night and goes through Thursday in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney gives the latest on each of the 20 quarterbacks and offers a thought on what he wants to see during the event. Advertisement RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten teams in spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker No quarterback has been busier or presented with more options in the last few weeks than Beaver. The three-star from Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta landed a new offer from Oregon, perceived to be the leader now, and he visited Alabama and Ole Miss over the weekend. Advertisement He looked very good at the Rivals Camp Series in Los Angeles so how will he look making plenty of tough throws through the gauntlet Wednesday night. The Texas commit missed time during his junior season with a lower leg injury and so we want to see how he's bounced back from that at an event where he'll have to throw on the run, throw the ball a lot, use his legs often and his endurance will get tested. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian knows quarterbacks and he prioritized Bell early. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT Bentley runs all kinds of sets – from under center to empty – at Celina, Texas, and his film is really impressive. Maybe he didn't have his best performance at the regional so we'll be looking for consistency and whether he can get in a rhythm in this setting. Advertisement Some guys are just gamers as Oklahoma and LSU are battling it out until the end. Some believe the Tigers might have the slightest edge, but he's also a top priority of Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle. In the best-case scenario, Brandon proves he's the No. 1 quarterback in the class without question although the other five-stars (except Keisean Henderson) no-showed at the regional so won't be at the finals. Worst case is that he's a Nico Iamaleava clone on the field with bright spots but also low points. There's no question Brandon has a gun and is super impressive by every measure so the pressure is on this week to back it up. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT The new North Carolina commit who chose to play for coach Bill Belichick over Auburn and others was bumped up to four-star status recently because he has all the physical tools but does need to work on his consistency, especially throwing deep. This week will test him in that way for sure and if he answers the call with those measurables then that will be really intriguing. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT There have been hits and misses at Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon as the offense operates to put up huge numbers but that's why rankings cannot be based only on statistics. Advertisement The Texas A&M commit missed time with a foot injury last year but when he's in rhythm he can deliver it all over the field. With volume throws at the Elite 11, we'll see if Casuga can be consistent over the three-day event. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT One 7-on-7 coach told me that Cherry was the best quarterback they faced all offseason – and this coach had seen them all. That was big praise for the four-star Louisville commit who has excellent size and a big arm and should be a perfect fit both stylistically and personality-wise for coach Jeff Brohm. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LOUISVILLE FANS AT Is Miami coach Mario Cristobal trying to find his next Cam Ward? Coleman has some of the same qualities and style of play and the ball really pops off his hand. Advertisement At times, Coleman steps too much into his throw during 7-on-7 and in-game settings that could be dangerous with a collapsing pocket. In terms of dynamic arm ability, the four-star Miami commit has it all. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT Duckworth is a multi-sport athlete and a multi-sport big-time winner – and that cannot be taught. The four-star from Jackson, Ala., is not a completely finished product but that might mean he has the most upside among the group (or he struggles putting it together as the game gets bigger and faster at the next level). Auburn and South Carolina (where he was once committed) are battling hard for him. I've argued for some time that Fette – ranked as the No. 12 quarterback in the 2026 class – might be one of the more underrated QBs in the class. The Elite 11 will be a major determining factor for the Arizona State commit, who turned down a bevy of SEC offers to stick with coach Kenny Dillingham. Advertisement He has a dynamic arm, he can throw on the run and his RPO game might be something he can't exploit in this setting but he's really great there, too. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ARIZONA STATE FANS AT We haven't seen the Florida quarterback commit in a minute but he's always been a physical presence. Now let's see on the biggest stage if he can throw timing routes, layer throws over linebackers and hit receivers in-stride on deep balls where only they can catch it. There's no question the Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit standout has all the physical tools possible. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA The other five-star quarterback at the event, Henderson is a phenomenal talent who has refined his game so much over the last two years. There was a time when we thought Henderson might have to move positions but he was excellent at the Navy All-American Bowl and might actually be underrated at No. 7 nationally. Advertisement A big week at the Elite 11 could push the Houston commit higher. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH HOUSTON FANS AT Huhn is a big-bodied pocket passer who works off play-action, can throw on the run and dissect defenses with time to find receivers. Let's see how he does layering the ball, throwing on time to speedy receivers and how he gets through the 20-throw gauntlet on Wednesday night. He was very impressive at the Under Armour Camp in Los Angeles and can build on that from here. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT The four-star from Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller is one of the most interesting QBs at the Elite 11. Mainly because he's a star baseball player as well so we really want to examine his throwing motion and how fast the ball comes out. Advertisement His recruitment is interesting, too, since Alabama and Oregon have emerged as contenders but both are going after other Elite 11 QBs as well – mainly Iowa State commit Jett Thomalla for the Crimson Tide and Beaver for the Ducks. Also a two-sport star who plans to play baseball at Clemson, Reynolds looked good at the Los Angeles regional and is also headed to the Rivals Five-Star along with doing the Elite 11 so he's not ducking competition. The word I've gotten is that his high school team isn't stacked on offense and that's why his stats haven't been off the charts. He'll have plenty of time to prove himself over three days at the Elite 11. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT Rios has been one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the West this recruiting cycle. He's long and lean so it's surprising how quickly and effortlessly he gets the ball out but he's just wiry strong. The Downey, Calif., four-star has seen UCLA surge in his recruitment but he likes Arizona, Kentucky and others as well. Rios has outplayed his earlier rankings and could move even higher if he shows that accuracy we've seen at many other events. Thomalla has a lot on his mind as the Iowa State commit is being worked hard to flip to Alabama and it wouldn't be a surprise if he picks the Crimson Tide soon. On the field, Thomalla is a phenomenal athlete and playmaker (just watch some of his basketball dunks) but he might not be a finished product yet. Advertisement He wouldn't have to be at Alabama, ahem, Keelon Russell is next in line, but Thomalla is competitive and savvy. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT I like Walker a little more than his high three-star ranking indicates and it will be interesting to see how he performs at the Elite 11. He's a little bit of a gunslinger and risk-taker on film which won't translate to the programmed throws at this event, but we'll still get to see how he performs and what chances he takes. Duke landed his commitment and he could shine there as he has the moxie and the talent to see the field early. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH DUKE FANS AT There is some five-star buzz around Williams as USC flipped him from Oregon and chose him as its top quarterback in the class even when Ryder Lyons was still very interested in the Trojans. There is some major intrigue here: Williams is young but he also has hands slightly on the smaller side. We'll see if that matters at the Elite 11 but it might be something to watch down the line during the NFL pre-draft process. Either way, the USC pledge might be better than any QB in this group when he throws his receivers open and puts it only where they can catch it. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT The Washington commit is a low three-star but we could be proven very wrong with a strong performance at the Elite 11. He plays with toughness and a competitive drive. He has confidence in his arm talent and he can escape pressure at the high school level. There's a chance Zammit shines in this setting. Washington coach Jedd Fisch and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer certainly saw something as they battled to the end for him. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WASHINGTON FANS AT
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6 days ago
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Rivals Camp Series: The five best LBs of the 2025 regionals
Jeff McCulloch/ The regional stops of the Rivals Camp Series are in the books with the Rivals Five-Star at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility coming up later this month. Today, we continue our look at the best players at each position through the regional events with the linebackers. Advertisement BEST OF RCS: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Jeff McCulloch/ A Louisiana native who wrapped up his junior season without much recruiting traction, Darensburg made the trek to Los Angeles to make a considerable splash at the linebacker spot. The combination of sheer size and power impressed in tight quarters while he also showed he can operate in space while working coverage as well. Advertisement Following the MVP effort, more than a dozen scholarship offers would eventually come in for the late-bloomer. Darensburg eventually made a verbal commitment to South Alabama on June 9. The IMG Academy star worked out at both pass rusher and linebacker during the Atlanta stop of the tour, showcasing grit and overall competitiveness against a loaded field of players. While Forkpa held his own off the edge, he was ultra comfortable at the second level, too powerful for blockers in one setting yet swift and effective while working in coverage. One of the top testers nationally at the position, Forkpa proved it was plenty functional en route to MVP honors near his hometown. Advertisement Those elite traits have Florida, Florida State, Miami, Colorado and others positioning for a potential commitment. Jeff McCulloch/ An elite pass rusher who led the Orlando-area in sacks as a junior, Lafayette has showed more second-level ability as the offseason has rolled on as well. He is plenty capable working off the edge as a third-down specialist, but has shown overall athleticism and lateral ability from an off-ball position as well. The edge talent is so immense a coordinator may not ask for many coverage reps, but the linear speed and physicality Lafayette brings to the table has created a benefit-of-the-doubt with plenty of programs courting his commitment. Advertisement Miami, Oklahoma, Florida and several others are angling for more time from the rising-senior recruit. Jeff McCulloch/ The camp setting isn't the most friendly to the linebacker position, especially in coverage with so much space to operate for running backs on the other side of the ball. Still, Pettijohn pushed against that narrative successfully when it came to that portion of the event. He showcased hip fluidity and comfort in transitioning from one direction to the other, allowing the Texan to make plays against routes both intermediate and deep. Also built to contend in the running game, the balance led to MVP honors at the Dallas RCS stop. Advertisement Pettijohn is hearing from Syracuse and SMU, among others, while adding his most recent offer from Sam Houston State. Jeff McCulloch/ Amid official visits to bluebloods this month, Thomas' name has picked up pace nationally and our staff got that preview at the RCS Dallas stop more than a month ago. The big 'backer stands 6-foot-3 and was once considered more of a pass-rusher, but the camp effort and his subsequent recruitment confirmed a three-down projection. Auburn, Michigan and others have hosted him and Texas is on deck at the end of June.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
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Rivals Camp Series: The five best DL of the 2025 regionals
Jeff McCulloch/ The regional stops of the Rivals Camp Series are in the books with the Rivals Five-Star at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility coming up later this month. Today, we continue our look at the best players at each position through the regional events with the defensive linemen. Advertisement BEST OF RCS: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info JALEN BREWSTER - Dallas Brewster was explosive playing multiple positions on the interior defensive line in Dallas. He was just as effective on the interior as out wide. The four-star prospect plays downhill with strong hands and a high motor. Brewster is bendy and versatile plus provides major pass rush juice from the interior defensive line. Advertisement He's one of the top prospects in the country in the 2027 class with more than 30 scholarship offers. ASHARRI CHARLES - Miami The Venice (Fla.) High School standout has built up his resume as a combo rusher over the years because he's savvy against the pass and stout against the run with a good motor. The ceiling has never looked better for the four-star, especially as he carries more bulk on his 6-foot-3 frame without any signs of slowing down. He won in Miami against fellow Power Four prospects with quickness, including a pretty inside spin move and a smooth dip on the outside, so as the power becomes permanent a full package could soon be at his disposal. JAKE KREUL - Miami Kreul can beat blockers in such a variety of ways. He gets easy early leverage off of the snap because of his elite first-step. That edge bending ability and elite first step has most offensive tackles bailing upon the snap of the ball. Advertisement But Kreul has really progressed with his counter game, overall strength and hand technique. He's the complete package as a pass rusher. JAREYLAN MCCOY - Atlanta McCoy gave opposing tackles in Atlanta fits all day rushing from a two-point stance and also with a hand in the dirt. The Mississippi blue-chipper has length and can win with either speed or power, and continues to build up an array of pass-rush moves to keep tackles off-balance. McCoy had some of the best reps of anyone in the Rivals Camp Series at the DL position. KHARY WILDER - Los Angeles Wilder not only was super impressive in Los Angeles during one-on-one reps using speed and power to his advantage but his measurables were incredible with an 81-inch wingspan. You'll certainly hear about his measurables again once it's his time for the NFL Draft. Advertisement The Gardena (Calif.) Serra product got a major rankings bump after his performance where he displayed speed, power and toughness along with great measurables. And at 6-foot-4 and 256 pounds, Wilder also has a frame where he could easily add 20 more pounds and keep his dominant speed. Ohio State nabbed one of the country's best with him. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Camp Series: The five best OL of the 2025 regionals
Jeff McCulloch/ The regional stops of the Rivals Camp Series are in the books with the Rivals Five-Star at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility coming up later this month. Today, we continue our look at the best players at each position through the regional events with the offensive linemen. Advertisement BEST OF RCS: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CHANCELLOR BARCLAY - Miami Known as a versatile technician with a sky-high floor in leading to a Clemson Tiger verbal commitment this offseason, Barclay backed up the momentum en route to camp MVP honors in Miami. He worked active hands and fluid feet to initiate the contact with defenders while remaining on balance, sometimes easily driving opponents around the horn in the process. Advertisement Barclay has an elite punch and can dictate the pace despite a more narrow frame on the offensive interior, and again proved he is more than capable when defenders defer to secondary moves thereafter. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT ISMAEL CAMARA - Dallas The France native snaps out of his stance with a wide base, limiting the angles defenders can use against him right off the ball. With a powerful punch to boot, he can set the pace on a given rep inside or out on the edge. Camara also flashes dominance with the type of frame – 6-foot-6, 330 pounds – that can envelop smaller pass rushers once in close. Currently tabbed as the No. 2 interior offensive line projection in 2027, Camara took home MVP honors in Dallas just last month. Advertisement It looks like the SEC could be where he takes his talents on Saturdays, with Texas, Alabama and Tennessee among those in good position early on. KHALIEF CANTY - Atlanta Not necessarily a new name to know nationally, the Detroit native came down to Atlanta as a late addition and the four-star made a memorable first impression for onlookers that Sunday morning. The narrative quickly shifted from, "Who is that?" to "Detroit!" -- which is what coaches began to call him as he won rep after rep. Canty not only worked with a bravado that the WWE would consider, but he backed it up with as aggressive and punishing a punch as we saw throughout the circuit. Even as defenders anticipated the move, his length and snap quickness would continue to win out as competition continued. Advertisement Canty will announce his commitment on June 23 between Michigan State and Missouri, also the programs getting his next two official visits. LEX MAILANGI - Los Angeles The patience and overall technique jumps off the page with Mailangi and he executes at a high clip, part of the reason he took home MVP honors at the Los Angeles stop. The rising-junior is built like a classic interior type, but showcases better footwork and movement skills for a prospect carrying well over 300 pounds. From maintaining leverage to redirection, Mailangi was prepared for initial moves and counter moves alike. Throw in a rock solid punch and interior defenders had a rough go at it against the blue-chip blocker on that March morning. Advertisement Oregon, UCLA, Tennessee and Alabama are some of the programs in the mix for one of the top 2027 blockers nationally, with the Ducks perhaps in the best spot early on. GABRIEL OSENDA - Atlanta The massive Tennessee commitment always turns heads when he enters an event, checking in at a legitimate 6-foot-8, but it was also how he carried his 300-plus pounds at the Atlanta camp. He looked trim and more swift in drills and it carried over onto the competition portion of the event, where Osenda was near dominant on every single rep he took. The Canadian was impossible to move on contact but also gave ground better than we had seen previously in his development – and the package came with a vocal confidence that became its own storyline. Despite a loaded group, there was not much consideration elsewhere when it came to positional MVP honors that day. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT
