Rivals Rankings Week: Comparing 2025 5-Star Players to NFL Standouts
As the final five-star list for the 2025 class is announced, Rivals’ national recruiting director adam gorney Select 10 5 stars and compare to NFL.
rival ranking week
Monday: Who will be the No. 1 QB in the 2025 Rivals250?
Tuesday: Five Star Final Countdown for the Class of 2025 | Introducing the New Five Stars
Wednesday: Final Rivals250 released | 2025 team champions announced | Gorney’s thoughts
Thursday: Final attack position ranking revealed
Friday:Final defensive position ranking revealed
Saturday: Final state ranking revealed
Sunday: Ranking roundtable discussion
QB Kieron Russell: Jayden Daniels
of Alabama Signy is a tall, lean quarterback with incredible accuracy and playmaking skills. He’s comfortable sitting in the pocket and dishing out strikes, but also has the athleticism and intelligence to know when he has to run away and make plays with his feet.
Jayden Daniels was the same way in high school, and on the same stage, Russell is slightly better in terms of accuracy and size. Daniels had a great rookie season, but if the Chicago Bears had a do-over, would they take him with the No. 1 overall pick? I didn’t want to make the same regret in the final Rivals rankings, so I moved Russell to No. 1 overall.
QB Tavian ST.Clair: Justin Fields
If Trevor Lawrence hadn’t been in the 2018 recruiting class, Fields would have been No. 1 overall in the Rivals250. If Russell hadn’t had such an incredible senior season and all-star performance, St. Clair would have been No. 1 in the Rivals250 in 2025.
St. Clair and Fields are very similar, not only from a ranking standpoint but also from a physical makeup standpoint, but we think St. Clair is a bit more of a dynamic passer. of ohio Signer was great rival five stars This summer, he surpassed Russell on that day. Fields was selected with the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. St. Clair can match it or beat it based on his skill.
QB Bryce Underwood: CJ Stroud
There’s no perfect player for Underwood, as we’ve seen with Vince Young and Cam Newton, but he plays a similar position to Young, even though he’s not as tall as those players. . We chose C.J. Stroud for a number of reasons, but both have great pocket feel, can run when needed (and Underwood might be a little more athletic), and Both throw beautifully deep balls and almost always hit the receiver in stride.
Underwood should start on the first day of the Michigan tournament, and he has a chance to be special.
QB Julian Lewis: Bryce Young
This is a comparison I’ve liked for years since Lewis was young, but Lewis actually grew taller than Bryce Young despite their similar playing styles. What has always been special about Young, from high school, college, and now with the Carolina Panthers, is that he was so predictive and seemed to know what was going to happen before it all happened. That is to say.
Lewis is very similar in that sense, as if he can see the pieces on a chessboard moving on the field and has the arm talent to get the ball where it needs to go. He could be the opening day replacement for Shedur Sanders.
DT Elijah Griffin: Derrick Brown
Griffin is 6-foot-5 and weighs more than 300 pounds. Derrick Brown is 6-foot-5 and weighs 320 pounds. And defensive linemen both like to play fast and hard, preferring an aggressive style that overwhelms offensive linemen when attacking the backfield.
After a dominant week in the Under Armor game, Griffin has slowly risen to No. 1 in the overall conversation, using a combination of speed and power to dominate one-on-one reps. Brown had a great career at Auburn and was selected seventh overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He had 12.5 sacks in four seasons with The Plains. Griffin thinks it’s possible to exceed that number. georgia.
DT Jakeem Stewart: Chris Jones
Chris Jones, a native of Houston, Michigan, was a 6-foot-5, 250-pound defensive end who was so dominant and took over games that he rose to the ranks of five-star players. He is currently a three-time Super Bowl champion and one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 310 pounds.
I see a similar path for Stewart. University of Southern California He has incredible frame and can keep gaining weight to get past the defensive line. It’s a little concerning that Stewart hasn’t played much high school football since transferring, but his talent is there and could be unleashed if he gets on the field more.
QB Deuce Night: Michael Penix Jr.
Knight is a slightly taller version of Michael Penix Jr., and the resemblance is almost uncanny. Both are left-handed quarterbacks, neither is definitely a finished product coming out of high school, and Penix had to restart his career in Washington; Indianabelieves Knight could be Auburn’s future coach Hugh Freeze.
It may not be immediate, so oklahoma The transferred Jackson-Arnold is the likely candidate to acquire him, but Knight has greatly improved his accuracy over the past two years. He has a very nice and smooth release, so Freeze’s offense could be great under his command.
WR Dacorien Moore: Amon-Ra St. Brown
No player in recent memory had more of a dog element to his game than Amon-Ra St. Brown, but his route running, his hands, his ability to run past cornerbacks and make impossible catches look easy. In terms of that, the two receivers are very similar. .
St. Brown, an absolute steal for the Detroit Lions in the fourth round, is the No. 1 receiver in the 2018 class, even though he’s locked up even more. Moore has won every event he has competed in over the past few years and is at the top this cycle.
CB Devin Sanchez: Source Gardner
The NFL doesn’t draft many tall cornerbacks high, so there’s always a concern about falling in love with a taller cornerback, and there’s always a concern about turning and running with pro receivers. However, I believe Sanchez is one of two cornerbacks in this class. He could be the next Sauce Gardner.
Alabama Signee Dijon Lee is also there – and a little thinner than Sanchez – but the Ohio State signee is very focused on being great, which is crazy for a player his size. It’s fluid.
RB Harlem Berry: Reggie Bush
USC’s coaching staff reportedly compared Berry to Reggie Bush, although that may sound like an exaggeration (or the acquisition of a five-star player to play for the Trojans). It may be a strategy), but it’s not that far-fetched. Both Berry and Bush were 6 feet tall and 180 pounds in high school. Both were incredibly fast, dynamic, used all over the field and difficult to tackle.
Bush played in the NFL at 203 pounds, so Berry will have a lot of weight to fill once he reaches 203 pounds. LSU But he absolutely has the framework to do it. If he can maintain his speed and versatility, he could match Bush in terms of playing style.
