During rankings meetings, not everyone agrees on everything. In this version of Rivals Views, National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney and Florida Recruiting Analyst Rob Cassidy debate which five-star cornerback prospect, Elias Ricks or Kelee Ringo, should be ranked highest in the 2020 class?
Rivals Rankings Week:
Monday: Updated Top 10 revealed
Tuesday: Updated 2020 Rivals100
Wednesday: Up[dated 2020 Rivals250
Thursday: Updated position rankings
GORNEY'S VIEW: ELIAS RICKS
"I watched both players in person this season and it’s really close. It’s almost a choice where you cannot go wrong because both are so incredibly special and they are two of the most unique, physically-gifted cornerbacks I’ve seen in many years.
"I would give Ricks the slight edge, though. He had six pick-sixes against some of the best high school competition nationally, he’s an incredible shutdown cornerback with long arms, he’s physical, tough, a huge competitor and he was spectacular this season. With one game left against Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, Ricks has nine total interceptions.
"Ringo is no slouch himself. When I saw Saguaro play, he had a light day because he shut down every receiver and the opposing quarterback stopped even looking in Ringo’s direction because he didn’t want the ball to get picked off. The Saguaro recruit is really talented and special as well.
"But after seeing Ricks do what he did this offseason and through his junior season with those outstanding numbers, I’m going to give him the edge but this is going to be a back-and-forth battle in the rankings for the next couple years."
CASSIDY'S VIEW: KELEE RINGO
“Rankings are long-term projections so, when it's close, I’ll always bet on the guy with the qualities that can’t be coached.
“Both Ringo and Ricks have impressive length, but what sets Ringo apart is his speed. There simply aren’t many defensive backs of Ringo’s stature that still boast truly elite speed. Ringo took home the Fastest Man Award at this year’s Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas and did so despite being one of the larger prospects in the event. This is not a knock on Ricks, who is a no-doubt five-star. It’s just that Ringo has the chance to be a truly special player the likes of which doesn’t come around that often. As he becomes more polished, he’s likely to become a first-round talent.”
