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Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with some 2018 prospects that will get five-star consideration next week in rankings meetings, Georgia leads the way for teams that has surprising 2017 seasons and look at how lame the coaching carousel could potentially be in 2018.
1. TEN PROSPECTS THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED AS FIVE-STARS
Next week marks the final rankings meetings for the class of 2018. While our decisions at Rivals.com are made as an analyst group, here are 10 guys that who will be at least discussed when it comes to joining the five-star ranks.
OT Brey Walker – Walker is massive. He impressed me at right tackle during the U.S. Army All-America Bowl. Is he mobile enough to be a left tackle and will we all agree that he’s five-star worthy? I'm not sure, but I know he’ll be discussed.
DE Brenton Cox – Cox is an interesting one. He was average at best during practices for the Under Armour All-American Game, but turned it on in the game and logged three sacks.
CB Olaijah Griffin – He’s tall, he’s smooth and he has great instincts, but is he consistent enough and does he want to play physically all the time?
WR Derion Kendrick – Playing out of position in high school makes him a tough projection to the next level, but he sure looked fast and showed good hands at the Army Bowl.
WR Justin Shorter – He’s a huge receiver and he shows good body control. He wasn’t targeted much in the Under Armour Game itself and was up and down at times in practice.
RB Ricky Slade – Slade isn’t very big and did have a fumble in the Under Armour Game, but he showed all week how fast and dynamic he can be with the ball in his hands.
DB Caden Sterns – Sterns had a great Army Bowl and has terrific instincts overall. He appears to be a very willing tackler.
OL Nick Petit-Frere – He has the frame you like, the feet you want and the aggressive demeanor needed to be an elite tackle, but he did struggle with speed rushers here and there.
WR Jaylen Waddle – He had a great week of practice at the Army Bowl, but was it enough for him to be considered one of the top 30-35 players in the nation?
DB Tyson Campbell – Some on our analyst staff like him and others think he allows too many big plays. He will be a good discussion point.
2. FIVE TEAMS THAT TOOK A MASSIVE STEP FORWARD IN 2017
Everyone expected Alabama to contend for the national championship this season and no one batted an eye at those who picked Clemson and Oklahoma to make the CFB Playoff. But Georgia? The Dawgs had an amazing season and lead my short list of teams that took a massive step forward in 2017.
1. Georgia – I picked Georgia to win the SEC East but did anyone expect them to win the SEC outright? Did anyone foresee the Bulldogs coming within minutes of a national title with a true freshman quarterback under center? I don’t think so. This could be just the start for the Dawgs under Kirby Smart as recruiting is off the hook and the talent influx is constant.
2. UCF – South Florida, not UCF, was expected to win the AAC and be the Group of Five team to make a run at the playoff, but Scott Frost did one of the best jobs you’ll ever see in leading his team to an undefeated season. Frost is now at Nebraska, but he has left the program well off and another run next year is certainly not out of the question.
3. TCU – The Horned Frogs were not good in 2016 and picked fifth in the Big 12 preseason poll behind Kansas State and Texas, but TCU made a push to win the Big 12. Gary Patterson is one of the best coaches around.
4. Notre Dame – The Irish were a disaster in 2016 and became a playoff contender in 2017 thanks to a great coaching job by Brian Kelly and some excellent leadership. They lose a lot from this team, but there is young talent and another run could be in the cards if the quarterback play improves.
5. Miami – Despite the poor finish, The U took it to the next level this season and have a team, especially on defense, that will be dangerous next season. Are the Hurricanes ready to surpass Clemson yet? Nope, but they are inching closer with excellent recruiting.
6. Michigan State – After the 2016 season, few expected Michigan State to bounce back as well as it did. This is a team that could make some noise in 2018. Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan will get all the attention for different reasons, but watch out for the Spartans.
3. FEW HIGH PROFILE COACHES ON HOT SEAT ENTERING 2018
This past season the coaching carousel was the craziest we’ve seen in a long time. From the Grumors to Chip Kelly to Jimbo Fisher and his drama, it was an insane ride.
But what about next year? One word: boring. David Beaty at Kansas? Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech? Lovie Smith at Illinois? Larry Fedora at North Carolina? None of these are very exciting. I guess you can focus on Ed Orgeron at LSU or perhaps see if Notre Dame falls apart and Brian Kelly gets back on the hot seat, but it will take true implosions at those programs and others for anything major to occur.
I guess you could consider me one of the bloodsuckers who is just waiting for coaches to get in trouble and come close to getting fired, but if that’s the case I’m certainly not alone. The Hot Seat is a staple of every college football season and after a crazy 2017, the 2018 season could be as dull as possible in this category.
