Rivals Rankings Week: 2025 Rankings Roundtable

The final rankings for the Class of 2025 have been released, and there were a number of controversial decisions for coaches, players, and fans to debate.

National analyst team – adam friedman, john garcia jr., adam gorney, greg smith and Sam Spiegelman – Sit down and discuss at the ranking roundtable.

Friedman: Zahir Mathis. I’ve been a huge fan of Mathis throughout his career and was really encouraged by the physical growth he showed prior to his senior season. former ohio The commit wasn’t able to show how effective he could be this season due to some nagging injuries, but there were still signs of brilliance. Overall, the inconsistency and lack of consistent growth are concerning, calling into question whether Mathis can reach his incredibly high ceiling.

Garcia: Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng. The Michigan State signee reached five-star status last offseason after a banner junior season at IMG Academy and flashed true three-down flash potential on the camp and combine circuit. Throw in some truly elite athleticism and the ratings were near perfect. However, NFL tradition dictates that he will miss significant time as a senior due to multiple injuries, skewing the full range of senior tape, the most important evaluation tool in the game. When he saw the field, he certainly made an impact, but looked a step below what we saw in 2023. Owusu-Boateng’s second-round grade may still be guaranteed due to pure athleticism, but his frame is almost maxed out, and availability concerns could lead to more “boom and bust” in the coming years. It can happen.

Gorney: Naeem Offord. If Naeem Offord thinks he’s too developed to play cornerback full-time in the Big Ten, will he move to safety, and if so, three five-star safeties in the same class? Would you like it? This is not an indictment of Offord’s ability. Because while he’s extremely talented and still one of the best players in the 2025 class, the Oregon State signee is either a little raw or a little unproven at a position where there’s not as much need at the starting position. Might not be in the NFL draft round if he moves to safety.

Smith: Zahir Mathis. Mattis’ ceiling as a pass rusher is very good when he is involved. He drew attention for his disruptive play off the edge during Under Armor practice in Orlando, and flashed during the game as well. He still has some physical development left to do at the college level. We also don’t yet know where exactly he’ll be doing that development as his second contract period approaches.

SPIEGELMAN: Jakeem Stewart. Jakeem Stewart is a physical specimen who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 285 pounds. His twitchy movements, explosive kicks and unusual physical traits are so intriguing that SEC coordinators have dubbed him a “generational talent.” While Stewart’s makeup and performance in a camp environment is incredible, it’s hard to ignore his lack of actual football experience (12 varsity games) and lack of game action during his senior season. With such a long gap between football-related competition, there’s a sense there’s a bigger gap for him to climb than most five-star prospects. There are other recruits with similarly appealing skill sets and less baggage needed to roll the dice here.

Friedman: Bryce Baker. Signing day drama aside, Baker has been a consistent performer regardless of the game throughout his career, and the physical tools he brings to the field should help head coaches. bill belichick Get off to a good start in Chapel Hill. He has good athleticism and the ability to read defenses, which could give him early success. north carolina. Baker will benefit from the pro system and structure Belichick has in place, and could potentially become a first-round NFL draft pick by the end of his college career.

Garcia: Joshua Moore. Moore is ranked 145th in the US. miami A fifth-round signee might be a bit conservative with the NFL Draft coming up compared to the huge ceiling and physical presence that Moore brings. Admittedly, Moore didn’t make the leap many expected after his sophomore breakout, but he was still a promising player who showed elements of edge at every turn. there were. At 6-foot-3, over 210 pounds and with a Jeremiah Smith-like build, he lacks the consistency and polish to be the nation’s top college wideout coming out of high school, but he’s a great addition to the powerful Miami offense. If everything goes well, Shannon Dawson You may look back on the final ranking as a huge failure. Moore is as athletically gifted as any wideout in his class, and if he hits his ceiling over the next few years, many evaluators will prove wrong.

Gorney: Harkes Carter. Carter bench pressed 27 reps at 225 pounds. rival five stars He was supposed to be tied for sixth among defensive tackles at last year’s NFL Combine this summer. This is an incredible number, and if he continues to develop at Ohio State, it’s virtually guaranteed that Carter will be a standout at the combine, which will only increase his draft stack. Probably. Combine that with quick feet, great hands, etc., and Carter should definitely be at the top of the list. If he plays in the All-Star event, he could be in the five-star discussion.

Smith: Mark Zachary. of notre dame cathedral The defensive back commit is a great athlete who is smooth in coverage. He was also a standout on the basketball team in high school, despite being 5 feet 10 inches tall. He will need to bulk up in college to keep this up, but he has elite ball skills and could make an impact as a slot corner in the Irish defense.

SPIEGELMAN: Elijah Burns. Barnes was one of the best middle linebackers in the country as a senior at Dallas (Texas) Skyline. Listening to Barnes’ tape, he reminds me of current Longhorns Major League Baseball player Anthony Hill — his downhill style of play, characteristics, and ability to protect the run and patrol from sideline to sideline. Barnes is a key senior and we feel great about his fit. texasespecially since he enrolled as a mid-career graduate. Reflecting on such a strong senior season, he could have been ranked higher.

Friedman: Bryce Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald will make an early impact in Miami thanks to his impressive physical attributes and great playmaking ability in the secondary. The Florida native is good with the ball in his hands and routinely impacts quarterbacks’ throws just by his presence. Fitzgerald has 4.4 speed and is easy to see breaking up passes. He is able to hit his best balls at high points thanks to his above-average wingspan. There’s a good chance Fitzgerald will play a key role in the Miami defense early in his career.

Garcia: Vernell Brown III. When quantifying the type of wide receivers you hear their names early in the draft season, Brown feels like one of the safer players in the class with that full package. He is one of the fastest and quickest wide receivers in the nation, has perhaps the best run-after-catch game, and enters the college game as one of the smartest. However, Brown is not yet at the point where he can get the most out of his frame from a physical standpoint. That means he still has plenty of room to further develop his strengths in the coming years. florida. He’s polished and will be tested on and off the field, and there hasn’t been an environment where Brown has flashed or dominated yet. Will he become Zai Flowers 2.0?

Gorney: Jakeem Stewart. In the final rankings meeting, there was a surprising amount of discussion about elevating Jakeem Stewart to a four-star prospect. He did not play at all during his senior season due to transfer rules and did not appear in the All-Star event after that. But I still feel based on his performance rival five stars And elsewhere, Stewart still has a lot of potential and will realize it. University of Southern California And he has all the talent in the world to be a future first-round draft pick.

Smith: Elijah Dotson. After watching Dotson play last August, we moved up our rankings for Dotson significantly. The Michigan safety signee can do it all. He is a very good athlete and has good technique in coverage. However, he is an aggressive tackler and enjoys lowering the boom on opponents. While teammate Bryce Underwood received a lot of (deserved) attention, Dotson was also a very important signing for the Wolverines.

SPIEGELMAN: C.J. Wiley. Wylie is ranked No. 40 on the Rivals250 and is one of the few wide receivers being talked about head-to-head as a fifth-star prospect. The future Dawg was exceptional as a senior — a perimeter receiver at Milton (Ga.) High School — making big catches in key moments, his strong hands, his ability to carve downfield; He boasted speed at 6 feet 4 inches and 200 pounds. Few receivers in the country have Wiley’s speed to get downfield, his physical style of play to make an impact after the catch, his work in different parts of the field and the polish to win one-on-ones. Wiley’s father played as a DE in the SEC, and that trait carries over into CJ’s game in a noticeable way.