My contention is that for the most part, Rivals.com does a pretty good job with their evaluations, but the will inevitably miss on a few guys. It's nearly impossible to not miss based on their being hundreds of thousands of high school football players out there.
Here's a portion of the explanation from Rivals.com's own site regarding how Rivals ranks players.
Players are also ranked on their quality with a star ranking. A five-star prospect is considered to be one of the nation's top 25-30 players, four star is a top 250-300 or so player, three-stars is a top 750 level player, two stars means the player is a mid-major prospect and one star means the player is not ranked.
The ranking system ranks prospects on a numerical scale from 6.1 - 4.9.
- 6.1 Franchise Player; considered one of the elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation's top 25 players overall; deemed to have excellent pro potential; high-major prospect
- 6.0-5.8 All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation's top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
- 5.7-5.5 All-Region Selection; considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 750 or so prospects in the country; high-to-mid-major prospect; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
- 5.4-5.0 Division I prospect; considered a mid-major prospect; deemed to have limited pro potential but definite Division I prospect; may be more of a role player
- 4.9 Sleeper; no Rivals.com expert knew much, if anything, about this player; a prospect that only a college coach really knew about
With those guidelines in mind, let's take a look at the 2008 All-American and All-Big 12 teams with kudos and thanks to HuskersIllustrated.com's Mike Matya who compiled the list and the stars. I added the Rivals rankings.
First-team All-Americans [AP, ESPN and Rivals]
| QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| RB Shonn Greene (Iowa) | 2 star | 5.0 rating |
| RB Javon Ringer (Michigan State) | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| RB Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State) | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| WR Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| OT Andre Smith (Alabama) | 5 star | 6.1 rating |
| OT Michael Oher (Ole Miss) | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| OG Duke Robinson (Oklahoma) | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| OG Herman Johnson (LSU) | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| OG Seth Olsen (Iowa) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| C Antoine Caldwell (Alabama) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| C Alex Mack (California) | 2 star | 5.3 rating |
| TE Chase Coffman (Missouri) | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma) | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| AP Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| AP Percy Harvin (Florida) | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 1 WR; No. 1 in Rivals100) |
| DE Aaron Maybin (Penn State) | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| DE Brian Orakpo (Texas) | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| DE Jerry Hughes (TCU) | 2 star | 5.3 rating |
| DT Terrence Cody (Alabama) | 3 star | not rated |
| DT Peria Jerry (Ole Miss) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| DT Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma) | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 1 DT; No. 4 in Rivals100) |
| LB James Laurinaitis (Ohio State) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| LB Rey Maualuga (USC) | 5 star | 6.1 rating |
| LB Brandon Spikes (Florida) | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 2 OLB; No. 13 in Rivals100) |
| LB Mark Herzlich (Boston College) | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| CB Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| CB Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio State) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| CB D.J. Moore (Vanderbilt) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| S Taylor Mays (USC) | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 2 ATH; No. 16 in Rivals100) |
| S Eric Berry (Tennessee) | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 1 CB; No. 3 in Rivals100) |
| S Rashad Johnson (Alabama) | unranked walkon not rated | |
| K Louie Sakoda (Utah) | 2 star | not rated |
| P Kevin Huber (Cincinnati) | unranked walkon not rated | |
| PR Brandon James (Florida) | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| KR Mardy Gilyard (Cincinnati) | 2 star | 4.9 rating |
| Totals: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Count | Percentage |
| 6.1 | 7 | 18.9% |
| 6.0-5.8 | 9 | 24.3% |
| 5.7-5.5 | 13 | 35.1% |
| 5.4-5.0 | 3 | 8.1% |
| 4.9 | 1 | 2.7% |
| unranked | 4 | 10.8% |
First-team All-Big 12 [AP, ESPN and Big 12 coaches]
| QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| QB Colt McCoy, Texas | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| FB Matt Clapp, Oklahoma | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| WR Michael Crabtree Texas Tech | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| AP Jeremy Maclin, Missouri | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| TE Chase Coffman, Missouri | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| OG Duke Robinson, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| OL Jason Smith, Baylor | 2 star | 5.0 rating |
| OL Rylan Reed, Texas Tech | unrated walkon | |
| OL Russell Okung, Oklahoma State | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| OL Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| OL Trent Williams, Oklahoma | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| OL Adam Ulatoski, Texas | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| C Jon Cooper, Oklahoma | 3 star | 5.7 rating |
| DL Brian Orakpo, Texas | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| DL Brandon Williams, Texas Tech | 2 star | 5.4 rating |
| DL Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska | 4 star | 5.6 rating |
| DL Jeremy Beal, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| DL Ziggy Hood, Missouri | unrated walkon | |
| DL Gerald McCoy | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 1 DT; No. 4 in Rivals100) |
| DL Roy Miller, Texas | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| LB Joe Pawelek, Baylor | 2 star | 5.2 rating |
| LB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri | 2 star | 5.2 rating |
| LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| LB James Holt, Kansas | 2 star | 5.2 rating |
| LB Sergio Kindle, Texas | 5 star | 6.1 rating (No 1 ILB; No. 5 in Rivals100) |
| DB Darcel McBath, Texas Tech | 3 star | 5.6 rating |
| DB Darrell Stuckey, Kansas | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| DB Lendy Holmes, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.8 rating |
| DB Daniel Charbonnet, Texas Tech | 3 star | 5.3 rating |
| DB Jordan Lake, Baylor | 2 star | 5.1 rating |
| DB William Moore, Missouri | 3 star | 5.5 rating |
| DB Nic Harris, Oklahoma | 4 star | 5.9 rating |
| K Jeff Wolfert, Missouri | unrated walkon | |
| P Justin Brantley, Texas A&M | 2 star | 5.3 rating |
| KR Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State | 4 star | 5.9 rating |
| PR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State | 4 star | 6.0 rating |
| Totals: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Count | Percentage |
| 6.1 | 2 | 4.9% |
| 6.0-5.8 | 15 | 36.6% |
| 5.7-5.5 | 13 | 31.7% |
| 5.4-5.0 | 8 | 19.5% |
| 4.9 | 0 | 0% |
| unranked | 3 | 7.3% |
What does all of this mean for Nebraska's 2009 recruiting class? Who knows, but it appears that there are many 3 and 4 stars in the 5.5
Here are the star
| QB Cody Green | 4 stars | 5.8 rating |
| LB Chris Williams | 4 stars | 5.8 rating |
| DB Dijon Washington | 4 stars | 5.8 rating |
| RB Rex Burkhead | 4 stars | 5.8 rating |
| OL Jeremiah Sirles | 3 stars | 5.7 rating |
| LB Earnest Norman | 3 stars | 5.7 rating |
| DB Andrew Green | 3 stars | 5.7 rating |
| DB DeAndre Byrd | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| TE J.T. Kerr | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| WR Brandon Kinnie | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| DT Thaddeus Randle | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| OL Nick Ash | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| OL Jesse Coffey | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| DE Kevin Young | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| LB Shawn Bodtmann | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| DB Lazarri Middleton | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| ATH Taylor Martinez | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| DB Dejon Gomes | 3 stars | 5.6 rating |
| OL Brent Qvale | 3 stars | 5.5 rating |
| DT Cole Pensick | 3 stars | 5.5 rating |
| RB Dontrayevous Robinson | 3 stars | 5.5 rating |
| RB C.J. Zimmerer | 2 stars | 5.4 rating |
| Totals: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | Count | Percentage |
| 6.1 | 0 | 0% |
| 6.0-5.8 | 4 | 18.2% |
| 5.7-5.5 | 17 | 77.3% |
| 5.4-5.0 | 1 | 4.5% |
| 4.9 | 0 | 0% |
| unranked | 0 | 0% |
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all
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1 comment:
My apologies for the formatting. I can't seem to get the extra spaces before the tables to go away.
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