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a day ago
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Rivals Five-Star: ACC storylines in the spotlight
The Rivals Five-Star, the marquee football event of the offseason, is less than a week away. We continue a conference-by-conference look at which programs should be paying the closest attention to the results from Indianapolis next week. Next up is the ACC. Advertisement RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | 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 | 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 DERREK COOPER Nick Lucero/ The top-ranked prospect in the state of Florida is considering multiple ACC programs near the top of his recruitment, with most of the attention centered on Miami. Derrek Cooper is fresh off of a visit to Florida State, too, following up his Georgia official visit last weekend. Advertisement Ohio State gets the next and final summer official visit out of the five-star running back, who has hinted at a potential verbal commitment sooner rather than later. Cooper is the most coveted recruit in South Florida, often its own storyline heading into any workout. He is also among the most tracked recruits in camp settings, having been a standout at the 2024 Rivals Five-Star after an MVP run at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami event last spring. CLEMSON'S COMMITMENT PARTY Excluding several top undecided targets such as Samari Matthews, Blake Stewart and others, the prospects already on board with Clemson command their own attention heading into the event. There are six Tiger verbal commitments expected to compete, matched only by the half-dozen Texas A&M pledges set to work out in Indianapolis. Advertisement The Clemson group is spread out, too, from quarterback Tait Reynolds to wide receiver Naeem Burroughs and a trio of big blockers up front in Floridians Grant Wise and Chancellor Barclay as well as recent commitment Carter Scruggs. Defensive prospects include many Tiger targets, but at least one pledge will look to make plays on the football in defensive back Shavar Young. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT MIAMI DEFENDERS ON DISPLAY Nick Lucero/ Miami is another program with various targets set to work out, but the commitment group is also strong coming into the event with the second most within the ACC at three pledges. Advertisement Linebacker Jordan Campbell is a veteran of the Rivals Camp Series and has flashed as much as any linebacker over the last two years. There is a chance we could see him line up as a pass rusher, traditional linebacker and even play some offense during 7-on-7. The secondary group is big and talented overall, and the Hurricanes will have influence within as top-100 cornerback commit Jaelen Waters works out potentially alongside fellow blue-chipper Jontavius Wyman, who checks into the event as the nation's No. 2 nickel projection. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT MICHIGAN COMMIT ON FLIP WATCH Nick Lucero/ Advertisement Four-star cornerback Brody Jennings, a longtime Michigan commitment, has been coveted by a bevy of other programs since he made his early decision, and two of the top flip contenders are Miami and Florida State. What makes each flip case compelling, beyond official visits to Coral Gables and Tallahassee in the books, is the family connections to each contender. Brody's late father, Bradley, was a star at Florida State while his older brother made plays for the Hurricanes. May the latest Jennings wind up in ACC country as legacy suggests? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN FANS AT SUNSHINE STATE YOUNGSTERS SHOWING OUT Jeff McCulloch/ Advertisement There are just three 2028 prospects expected to work out at the Rivals Five-Star, Jayden Wade, Eric McFarland and Wonderful Monds, each hailing from the state of Florida. West Coast natives Wade and McFarland prep at IMG Academy and already sport national offer lists, including 10 combined ACC offers from the likes of Miami, Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and others. Monds is an Orlando-area standout at the quarterback position with eight ACC offers of his own, with SMU, North Carolina, Pitt, Georgia Tech and all of the in-state programs already to his name.
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2 days ago
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Rivals Five-Star: Key OL 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 offensive line storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | SEC programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Key TE 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 FELIX OJO MAKES A CASE FOR NO. 1 No offensive tackle has made a more steady rise toward the top of the rankings this offseason than Felix Ojo – the third-ranked offensive tackle in the Rivals250 – who shined at the All-American Bowl and various camp settings this off-season. Advertisement Only Jackson Cantwell and Immanuel Iheanacho stand in front of Ojo at OT and Ojo will have an opportunity to compete against an array of blue-chip defensive linemen and edge defenders in Indianapolis. Texas, Ohio State and Michigan view Ojo as the best OT in the class and we're excited to see him in this setting. MATT LUKE'S RECORD CLASS Jeff McCulloch/ Matt Luke and the Clemson Tigers are reeling in blue-chip offensive linemen at a high clip in the 2026 cycle. Clemson went 5-for-5 up front with its offensive line targets and three of the five future Tigers in Indianapolis will be along the O-line. Advertisement Four-star offensive tackle Chancellor Barclay and four-star interior offensive linemen Carter Scruggs and Grant Wise will all be on hand. Barclay is one of the most athletic offensive tackles in the class. Scruggs was in contention for MVP honors at the Rivals Camp Series in Dallas. Wise boasts a unique athletic profile as a standout weightlifter as well. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT IRISH WELL-REPRESENTED IN INDIANAPOLIS Notre Dame is always stout in the trenches and Marcus Freeman's program will be represented with a pair of four-star offensive linemen in Indianapolis. Four-stars Tyler Merrill and Ben Nichols are among the offensive linemen set to compete and both rank among the Irish's highest-rated recruits in the 2026 class. Advertisement Merrill and Nichols rank as the Nos. 3 and 6 interior OL in the Rivals250 and make up half of the Irish's OL haul so far in this class. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NOTRE DAME FANS AT SEVERAL NOTABLE UNDERCLASSMEN The double-digit offensive line group competing at the Rivals Five-Star is upperclassmen-heavy. Three 2027 offensive linemen will compete in Indy, including Kennedy Brown, the No. 11 overall prospect in the Rivals250 in next year's recruiting class. Four-star Ismael Camara is also set to make the trip. A native of France, Camara preps at Gilmer (Texas) High School in East Texas and was the Offensive Line MVP at the Rivals Camp Series in Dallas. Similarly, four-star Lex Mailangi was a convincing Offensive Line MVP at the Rivals Camp Series in Los Angeles.
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2 days ago
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Rivals Five-Star: Key TE 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 tight end storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | SEC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR 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 IS KAIDEN PROTHRO A FIVE-STAR? Jeff McCulloch/ Advertisement Don't think of Kaiden Prothro as a prototypical tight end. He's a jumbo receiver with traits that make him a true mismatch in the passing game. The Georgia native checks in at 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds with 33-inch arms and a nearly 80-inch wingspan. Prothro also boasts strong pass rushing techniques and outstanding hands with the speed and quickness to consistently create separation. Whether he's considered a tight end or a receiver, the two-time Atlanta Rivals Camp MVP has proven he can be a dominant receiving threat. Will he develop enough physically and technically to show he is worthy of being a five-star and project as a first-round selection in the NFL Draft? WILL LINCOLN KEYES AND KAIDEN PROTHRO BE TEAMMATES? Despite going to high school about 15 minutes from The Big House, Lincoln Keyes committed to Georgia over Michigan and Ohio State. He's been 100-percent committed to the Bulldogs since his announcement in November and Georgia has made it known that he won't be the only tight end it signs in the 2026 recruiting class. Advertisement Prothro is Georgia's prime target to join Keyes, which would give UGA one of the best tight end recruiting classes in recent memory. Their styles complement each other very well with Keyes playing more of a traditional tight end role and Prothro being primarily a receiving option. A July decision for Prothro is likely and Georgia is the team to beat, but Auburn and Florida are firmly in the mix after getting on campus for official visits earlier this month. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT WILL MACK SUTTER STAY IN THE MIDWEST OR HEAD SOUTH? The Midwest has produced a number of outstanding tight end prospects in recent years and Mack Sutter is certainly on that list. The Rivals250 prospect out of Illinois, who steadily rose up the rankings this cycle, has taken official visits to Illinois, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Penn State so far and has one to Alabama coming up this weekend. Advertisement The Crimson Tide are positioned well heading into this pivotal trip but the Illini are working hard to keep Sutter from leaving the state. Bret Bielema and his staff are hoping they can do enough to sway Sutter before he announces his commitment on June 26. CAN FLORIDA FLIP CARSON SNEED? It has been almost a year since Sneed announced his commitment to Tennessee. His pledge appeared to be firm until he started taking some visits earlier this year. Ole Miss, North Carolina and Florida are the three teams that have gained the most traction with Sneed this spring but Tennessee isn't giving up on him. The Vols are working to quell any concerns that they don't use their tight ends enough and it's likely that remains a focal point when Sneed returns to Knoxville this weekend. Look for Sneed to take some time after his Tennessee visit before firming up his plans later this summer. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT
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3 days ago
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Rivals Five-Star: Key WR 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 wide receiver storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten programs in the 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 How much higher for Tristen Keys? Nick Lucero/ Advertisement Tristen Keys, the Mississippi five-star, is currently in rare air for a wide receiver. He's sitting at No. 5 in the entire country just behind a pair of potential franchise offensive tackles and quarterbacks. But could he rise even higher with an electric performance at Rivals Five-Star? The opportunity is certainly there. Keyes is the highest-rated player coming to the event which gives him an opportunity to show everyone that he can do it on the biggest stage against the best competition. It'll be fun to see him go to work. Young guns step on the stage This is the type of event where younger players can really burst onto the scene. We don't have a shortage of very talented young prospects ready to make an impact. Advertisement Ohio State commit Jamier Brown is already a five-star and can stamp himself as the next one up for the Buckeyes. Indiana native Monshun Sales (6-5, 195) has turned a lot of heads during his recruitment but we haven't seen him against top competition. Eric McFarland is an electric player out of IMG Academy. He's one of the youngest players attending as a 2028 prospect and will look to leave his mark. LSU well represented Jeff McCulloch/ The battle between LSU and Ohio State for the title of 'Wide Receiver U' isn't a debate to get into right now. However, the Tigers will be well represented at Rivals Five-Star. Advertisement Kenny Darby, Tristen Keyes and Jabari Mack are all scheduled to be in attendance. So we'll get a good look at the future of the Tigers' receiving corps. That's if the Tigers can hold on to Keyes. He was at Tennessee recently for an official visit and the Vols were one of the top contenders for his signature before his verbal pledge to LSU. Will Zion Robinson be on the board? Right now, it seems to be a three-team race for the Texas wideout. He's completed official visits to Michigan and Miami already. Both programs feel like they improved their chances with the big-bodied playmaker. A visit to Stanford looms just before the Rivals Five-Star event. Will the Cardinal be able to close the gap with the two powerhouse programs? That'll be one of the first questions asked to Robinson at media day on Monday. Advertisement It's also very interesting that Robinson has seemingly eliminated TCU, where he has family ties, and will leave the state. Will another five-star emerge? Nick Lucero/ As things currently stand, Tristen Keyes and Jamier Brown are the only five-star receivers that will be at the event. So this is a great opportunity for the other receivers to step up and make a name for themselves in front of analysts and evaluators. There are several candidates in the mix to make a move. But I'll have my attention on a select group of players that the NFL is loving right now. At the slot position alone Tyreek King, CJ Sadler and Vance Spafford will get to show who is the alpha at the position this cycle. Getting a closer look at that battle will be a lot of fun.
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3 days ago
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Rivals Five-Star: Five Big Ten programs in the spotlight
The Rivals Five-Star, the marquee football event of the offseason, is just one week away. We begin a conference-by-conference look at which programs should be paying the closest attention to the results from Indianapolis next week. First up is the Big Ten. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | 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 RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info MICHIGAN At last year's event, the Wolverines had one of the breakout stars with offensive lineman Avery Gach. This year they'll send another commit with defensive back Brody Jennings. He'll get to show what he can do against a talented group of receivers. Advertisement Speaking of receivers there are several wideouts that are serious Michigan targets. Texas big-bodied wideout Zion Robinson is high on the Wolverines. So is local product CJ Sadler even if an official visit hasn't been fully locked in yet. Class of 2027 receiver Monshun Sales has the Wolverines as one of his top schools right now too. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN FANS AT NEBRASKA This is an event that Nebraska would love to have more players at in the future, but the Huskers have an enormous win in the 2027 recruiting class that will be in Indy next week. Illinois quarterback Trae Taylor is one of the top signal-callers in the country for his class. The four-star has had an impressive summer throwing at Nebraska's 7-on-7 event and its camps. Now he'll get to show what he can do alongside and against the nation's best. Advertisement Another good showing for Taylor could get more prospects wondering what Matt Rhule has cooking in Lincoln. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT OHIO STATE Jeff McCulloch/ The Buckeyes are one of the programs that should have a ton of interest in the event. There are multiple Ohio State commits that will be in attendance. Running back Favour Akih, wide receiver commit Jamier Brown, quarterback Brady Edmunds and offensive lineman Sam Greer will all be in Indianapolis. There are star-studded targets to watch, too. Running back Derrek Cooper, defensive tackle Deuce Geralds and tight end Mack Sutter are all being pursued hard by coach Ryan Day's program. Advertisement The Buckeyes always have a spotlight on them but they might be the team to watch during the Rivals Five-Star. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT PENN STATE Nick Lucero/ If I had to make a prediction on the offensive lineman who will come out of this event challenging to get his rating bumped its Penn State commit Kevin Brown. The Pennsylvania native plays with a serious mean streak so he's great in the camp setting where he's sure to create a viral moment. But it's not just his physicality that makes him an intriguing prospect. He has good technique and at 6-foot-5, 270-pounds, he boasts a frame that's perfect for the Nittany Lions staff to mold. Advertisement They've got a great one committed and a lot of people are about to find out more soon. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT USC Nick Lucero/ Running back Deshonne Redeaux and defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui will be the commits representing USC. Each player will come to Indy with something to prove. But it's the two major targets that I'll have my eye on. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley was briefly committed to Oregon but opened things back up. USC will surely make a push there. Then there is five-star defensive back Duvay Williams. He's been very complimentary of other schools but the Trojans should be viewed as the heavy favorites. It'll be fun to see him against the elite receivers at the event. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT
