The first rankings of the Rivals250 for the class of 2020 were released today.
In the initial rankings of a cycle, we get the first chance to see where players are valued in the current time. How did Miami and Category20 do? Well, six of their eight commits landed in the Rivals250, headlined by WR Marc Britt at #43 overall.
There were also plenty of Hurricanes' targets that made an appearance on the Rivals250, reflecting yet another deep pool of talent in Florida this year.
Without further delay, here's a handy, dandy list of the Miami commits and targets in the initial Rivals250 for the 2020 class.
Miami Commits (Rank)
WR Marc Britt: 43
CB Henry Gray: 86
DE Samuel Anaele: 92
DT Tre'von Riggins: 115
TE Dominic Mammarelli: 182
DT Willie Moise: 209
Miami Targets (Rank)
OT Myles Hinton: 5
RB Zachary Evans: 6
ATH Arik Gilbert: 9
WR Leonard Manuel: 10
CB Fred Davis: 13
OT Paris Johnson Jr.: 14
RB Kendall Milton: 15
WR Demond Demas: 20
OT Tate Ratledge: 22
QB Harrison Bailey: 24
WR Marcus Rosemy: 29
WR Porter Rooks: 32
ATH Avantae Williams: 35
ATH Tank Bigsby: 36
QB Max Johnson: 47
RB Demarkcus Bowman: 48
LB Derek Wingo: 60
WR Jermaine Burton: 71
WR AJ Henning: 72
DE Zykeivous Walker: 74
OT Jalen Rivers: 100
S Lejond Cavazos: 101
RB Don Chaney Jr.: 102
LB Kevin Swint: 112
WR Bryan Robinson: 119
DT Timothy Smith: 129
DE Andy Boykin: 139
OT Marcus Dumervil: 140
OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis: 168
OT Chad Lindberg: 190
S Rashad Torrence: 199
ATH Jayion McCluster: 208
OG Jonathan Denis: 211
QB Luke Doty: 242
What I liked
**Putting UM CB target Fred Davis so high up. I’ve been a big fan of Davis since I first saw him, and he really impresses with both his NFL frame and his raw athleticism. What I think truly sets Davis apart from the rest, though, is his length. While some might question an early 5-star rank for a guy with so much developing still to do, it’s clear Davis has all the tools he needs to be a future first round draft pick and he is in the right place at Trinity Christian, a school with a reputation for producing elite defensive backs over the years. Miami is in a good spot right now for Davis, but will have to do battle with a bunch of elite programs to land his signature in the end.
**WR Marc Britt’s ascent was a long-time coming. He crushed Paradise Camp last July and put himself on the map, then followed that up by putting some electric plays on tape in his sophomore season at Champagnat-Catholic. Britt can fly, but he’s not just some slot speedster: the kid can go up and over any DB and is elite at high-pointing the ball in the air. He’s one of my favorite receivers in this class and was being slept-on by many. Britt’s spot in the top 50 is well-deserved and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was able to push that even higher in the next 2 years.
**I feel like QB Max Johnson is in the perfect range at this point of his development. He just has so many things that coaches salivate over and can’t teach, like the elite height and arm strength. But there are still a few things that are lacking in his game, mainly mobility and consistency, and he had just an okay showing at Mark Richt’s summer camp this weekend. However, as long as he keeps refining his game, Johnson has the potential to push for 5-star status before the rankings cycle comes to an end. Johnson was one of the few 2020 prospects that was invited to the “Miami Nights” event last weekend and is being treated as UM’s top QB target right now.
**I loved the inclusion of OG Jonathan Denis at #211. Put simply, the guy is a finisher that plays with aggression, which is exactly the type of lineman Stacy Searels is recruiting here at UM. Denis doesn’t stop mauling until his guy is on the ground and that is the attitude that is needed at such a tough position. And intangibles-wise, everything I’ve heard about him is extremely positive, from grades, to personality, to being a good teammate. Denis is just a guy you want on your team and I would call UM his leader as of now.
**Marcus Rosemy might just be the best receiver in this class, and I’m glad he’s being treated as a serious contender for that honor at #29 overall. He lit up the camp scene this off-season and made his impact felt in every event I saw him at. His ball skills are next level and he is very sound coming in and out of his breaks. UM taking so long to offer him was a crime, but I’m glad they corrected their mistake by extending him a scholarship at the 7-on-7 camps on campus. I heard he was considering committing the following Monday, but decided to hold off on an early decision for the time being.
What I Hated
**It’s not that I dislike Derek Wingo as a player; far from it actually. He has size and athleticism already as a rising junior at the linebacker position with a lot of potential. However, for where he is right now in his development, #60 overall is way too high. Wingo is a former QB that will play linebacker at the next level. He attended many of the camps this off-season and while LB is the hardest position to make an impact at camps, he didn’t really stand out and certainly not to the point of pushing for top 50 status in his class. I also worry that the depth at linebacker at STA will be a detriment to his development because he really needs as many live reps as he can get. Miami just offered Wingo, something he was really waiting on, and he will give plenty of consideration to his hometown team.
**Honestly, there isn’t too much I really disliked here and I think Rivals mostly got it right. A few other minor gripes I would have is ATH Avantae Williams slightly too high at #35 and RB Don Chaney Jr. slightly too low at #102, but I really think it’s just a matter of preference and I don’t really hate either ranking. Both are very good prospects with top 100 abilities. Other Miami commits like WR Marcus Fleming and DE Elijah Roberts are right on the borderline and have the talent to be included in future top 250 rankings, but I wouldn't say they are clearly in that tier as of today.
In the initial rankings of a cycle, we get the first chance to see where players are valued in the current time. How did Miami and Category20 do? Well, six of their eight commits landed in the Rivals250, headlined by WR Marc Britt at #43 overall.
There were also plenty of Hurricanes' targets that made an appearance on the Rivals250, reflecting yet another deep pool of talent in Florida this year.
Without further delay, here's a handy, dandy list of the Miami commits and targets in the initial Rivals250 for the 2020 class.
Miami Commits (Rank)
WR Marc Britt: 43
CB Henry Gray: 86
DE Samuel Anaele: 92
DT Tre'von Riggins: 115
TE Dominic Mammarelli: 182
DT Willie Moise: 209
Miami Targets (Rank)
OT Myles Hinton: 5
RB Zachary Evans: 6
ATH Arik Gilbert: 9
WR Leonard Manuel: 10
CB Fred Davis: 13
OT Paris Johnson Jr.: 14
RB Kendall Milton: 15
WR Demond Demas: 20
OT Tate Ratledge: 22
QB Harrison Bailey: 24
WR Marcus Rosemy: 29
WR Porter Rooks: 32
ATH Avantae Williams: 35
ATH Tank Bigsby: 36
QB Max Johnson: 47
RB Demarkcus Bowman: 48
LB Derek Wingo: 60
WR Jermaine Burton: 71
WR AJ Henning: 72
DE Zykeivous Walker: 74
OT Jalen Rivers: 100
S Lejond Cavazos: 101
RB Don Chaney Jr.: 102
LB Kevin Swint: 112
WR Bryan Robinson: 119
DT Timothy Smith: 129
DE Andy Boykin: 139
OT Marcus Dumervil: 140
OT Miller Merriweather-Lewis: 168
OT Chad Lindberg: 190
S Rashad Torrence: 199
ATH Jayion McCluster: 208
OG Jonathan Denis: 211
QB Luke Doty: 242
What I liked
**Putting UM CB target Fred Davis so high up. I’ve been a big fan of Davis since I first saw him, and he really impresses with both his NFL frame and his raw athleticism. What I think truly sets Davis apart from the rest, though, is his length. While some might question an early 5-star rank for a guy with so much developing still to do, it’s clear Davis has all the tools he needs to be a future first round draft pick and he is in the right place at Trinity Christian, a school with a reputation for producing elite defensive backs over the years. Miami is in a good spot right now for Davis, but will have to do battle with a bunch of elite programs to land his signature in the end.
**WR Marc Britt’s ascent was a long-time coming. He crushed Paradise Camp last July and put himself on the map, then followed that up by putting some electric plays on tape in his sophomore season at Champagnat-Catholic. Britt can fly, but he’s not just some slot speedster: the kid can go up and over any DB and is elite at high-pointing the ball in the air. He’s one of my favorite receivers in this class and was being slept-on by many. Britt’s spot in the top 50 is well-deserved and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was able to push that even higher in the next 2 years.
**I feel like QB Max Johnson is in the perfect range at this point of his development. He just has so many things that coaches salivate over and can’t teach, like the elite height and arm strength. But there are still a few things that are lacking in his game, mainly mobility and consistency, and he had just an okay showing at Mark Richt’s summer camp this weekend. However, as long as he keeps refining his game, Johnson has the potential to push for 5-star status before the rankings cycle comes to an end. Johnson was one of the few 2020 prospects that was invited to the “Miami Nights” event last weekend and is being treated as UM’s top QB target right now.
**I loved the inclusion of OG Jonathan Denis at #211. Put simply, the guy is a finisher that plays with aggression, which is exactly the type of lineman Stacy Searels is recruiting here at UM. Denis doesn’t stop mauling until his guy is on the ground and that is the attitude that is needed at such a tough position. And intangibles-wise, everything I’ve heard about him is extremely positive, from grades, to personality, to being a good teammate. Denis is just a guy you want on your team and I would call UM his leader as of now.
**Marcus Rosemy might just be the best receiver in this class, and I’m glad he’s being treated as a serious contender for that honor at #29 overall. He lit up the camp scene this off-season and made his impact felt in every event I saw him at. His ball skills are next level and he is very sound coming in and out of his breaks. UM taking so long to offer him was a crime, but I’m glad they corrected their mistake by extending him a scholarship at the 7-on-7 camps on campus. I heard he was considering committing the following Monday, but decided to hold off on an early decision for the time being.
What I Hated
**It’s not that I dislike Derek Wingo as a player; far from it actually. He has size and athleticism already as a rising junior at the linebacker position with a lot of potential. However, for where he is right now in his development, #60 overall is way too high. Wingo is a former QB that will play linebacker at the next level. He attended many of the camps this off-season and while LB is the hardest position to make an impact at camps, he didn’t really stand out and certainly not to the point of pushing for top 50 status in his class. I also worry that the depth at linebacker at STA will be a detriment to his development because he really needs as many live reps as he can get. Miami just offered Wingo, something he was really waiting on, and he will give plenty of consideration to his hometown team.
**Honestly, there isn’t too much I really disliked here and I think Rivals mostly got it right. A few other minor gripes I would have is ATH Avantae Williams slightly too high at #35 and RB Don Chaney Jr. slightly too low at #102, but I really think it’s just a matter of preference and I don’t really hate either ranking. Both are very good prospects with top 100 abilities. Other Miami commits like WR Marcus Fleming and DE Elijah Roberts are right on the borderline and have the talent to be included in future top 250 rankings, but I wouldn't say they are clearly in that tier as of today.
