honestly, i think there's a special place reserved in hell for the shills that come up with this stuff....
a week's worth of practice with a hodge-podge of high school allstars is enough to merit an upgrade or downgrade in a player ranking in favor of two and sometimes three years worth of weekly scrutiny through conference play in their respective districts?
Five on the Rise
Robert Rose, DE, Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville
Rose has tremendous upside and was one of the top players at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He will continue to improve (he's only played football for two years) as he gets polish and will be a star at Ohio State.
Brandon Spikes, OLB, Shelby (N.C.) Crest Senior
At the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, Spikes proved that he could play middle linebacker at a high level. He plays great in space, hits hard and uses his long arms to disrupt plays.
Ricky Sapp, DE, Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Erhardt
Though he was injured at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Sapp displayed incredible speed and unheard of versatility at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas in December. He plays excellent in space and can be a weapon at a number of positions on defense.
Charles Deas, DT, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard
After sitting out his senior year of football, Deas proved he is one of the top defensive tackles in the country with a stellar showing at the CaliFlorida Bowl during practices and the game. Academics have improved tremendously.
Jared Norton, ILB, Rowlett (Texas)
Norton's senior year was full of big, nasty hits as he earned a reputation as one of the top headhunters in Texas. Some coaches openly lobbied for Norton to be included in the final top 100 based on this season's showing
All-star games and the practices leading up to those events are important evaluation periods with regards to the Rivals.com rankings because the events mark a chance to see prospects go against some of the best in the nation in full pads. After seeing the prospects in person, it was determined that we had a few ranked too high. Here's a look at five who dropped in our final ranking.
Five Who Fell
Clifton Geathers, OT, Carvers Bay (S.C.)
During practices for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Geathers showed that he is a project that may actually project better at defensive end than offensive tackle. He still has a chance and good upside, but is too risky to be part of the top 100.
Adam Patterson, DT, Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast
The South Carolina prospect never looked comfortable playing defensive tackle during Shrine Bowl workouts and perhaps isn't as ready to step on the field and contribute as what was once thought. Still, his upside is good and he's a top 100 player.
David Ausberry, WR, Lemoore (Calif.)
While Ausberry has all of the physical tools, most who scout Calfornia have been openly questioning his ability as a player. He was solid at U.S. Army All-American Bowl workouts, but fought the ball a lot. Unlike others that have gone to USC and played right away, Ausberry will need some time to develop.
Steve Brown , CB/ATH, Columbus (Ind.) East
Brown struggled during practice for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and during the game itself. He likely will have to adjust to playing at a higher level of competition at the next level and perhaps is better suited for safety than corner.
Matt Carufel, OT, St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall
Struggled at U.S. Army All-American Bowl workouts and was likely overrated from the start. A good prospect who will contribute at Notre Dame, but not one of the top 100 players in the country after seeing him in person in San Antonio.
a week's worth of practice with a hodge-podge of high school allstars is enough to merit an upgrade or downgrade in a player ranking in favor of two and sometimes three years worth of weekly scrutiny through conference play in their respective districts?
Five on the Rise
Robert Rose, DE, Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville
Rose has tremendous upside and was one of the top players at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He will continue to improve (he's only played football for two years) as he gets polish and will be a star at Ohio State.
Brandon Spikes, OLB, Shelby (N.C.) Crest Senior
At the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, Spikes proved that he could play middle linebacker at a high level. He plays great in space, hits hard and uses his long arms to disrupt plays.
Ricky Sapp, DE, Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Erhardt
Though he was injured at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Sapp displayed incredible speed and unheard of versatility at the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas in December. He plays excellent in space and can be a weapon at a number of positions on defense.
Charles Deas, DT, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard
After sitting out his senior year of football, Deas proved he is one of the top defensive tackles in the country with a stellar showing at the CaliFlorida Bowl during practices and the game. Academics have improved tremendously.
Jared Norton, ILB, Rowlett (Texas)
Norton's senior year was full of big, nasty hits as he earned a reputation as one of the top headhunters in Texas. Some coaches openly lobbied for Norton to be included in the final top 100 based on this season's showing
All-star games and the practices leading up to those events are important evaluation periods with regards to the Rivals.com rankings because the events mark a chance to see prospects go against some of the best in the nation in full pads. After seeing the prospects in person, it was determined that we had a few ranked too high. Here's a look at five who dropped in our final ranking.
Five Who Fell
Clifton Geathers, OT, Carvers Bay (S.C.)
During practices for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, Geathers showed that he is a project that may actually project better at defensive end than offensive tackle. He still has a chance and good upside, but is too risky to be part of the top 100.
Adam Patterson, DT, Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast
The South Carolina prospect never looked comfortable playing defensive tackle during Shrine Bowl workouts and perhaps isn't as ready to step on the field and contribute as what was once thought. Still, his upside is good and he's a top 100 player.
David Ausberry, WR, Lemoore (Calif.)
While Ausberry has all of the physical tools, most who scout Calfornia have been openly questioning his ability as a player. He was solid at U.S. Army All-American Bowl workouts, but fought the ball a lot. Unlike others that have gone to USC and played right away, Ausberry will need some time to develop.
Steve Brown , CB/ATH, Columbus (Ind.) East
Brown struggled during practice for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and during the game itself. He likely will have to adjust to playing at a higher level of competition at the next level and perhaps is better suited for safety than corner.
Matt Carufel, OT, St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall
Struggled at U.S. Army All-American Bowl workouts and was likely overrated from the start. A good prospect who will contribute at Notre Dame, but not one of the top 100 players in the country after seeing him in person in San Antonio.
