re: Class of 2015 Recruiting MEGATHREAD - Twilight Edition

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Fans these days seem to consider a three-star prospect less than exciting, and the three-star has suddenly become the two-star of the past with ridiculous expectations among fans and recruiters alike. However, as we all know, three-star prospects often play like four-stars after some maturity and development, and every once in a while they play like five-stars. I'd like to take a look at each position in the Rivals rankings and pick a three-star who could play above that ranking.
PQB: Ross Bowers, California commitment. Bowers isn't the biggest quarterback and needs to fill out a bit, but he's very accurate, is a leader and a winner and a kid I could see stepping in down the line and excelling in the Cal offense.

DQB: Alex Delton, Kansas State commitment. Not the tallest guy, but he can scoot and will be good in a wide-open offense, where running the ball as a quarterback is encouraged. The first commitment in this class could be the most important for the Wildcats down the line.

APB: Charles West, BYU commitment. West is solid and thick for an all-purpose back, but it's his speed that will allow him to potentially have a stellar career at BYU if the Cougars use him correctly.

RB: Rocky Reid, uncommitted. Reid is a big back with surprising speed. The former Tennessee commitment would be best-served in a spread attack despite his size because he's good in space and can catch the ball fairly well. I wouldn't be shocked at all if he ended up being a better in-state prospect than fellow running back Johnny Frasier (N.C. State commitment), who is over-hyped to me.

FB: Aaron Cochran, Louisville commitment. Most fullbacks are three-stars, so this isn't really a sleeper pick, but Cochran is a monster who could end up playing on defense if fullback/H-back doesn't work out. He's built like an NFL prospect already.

WR: Shadell Bell, Clemson commitment. Clemson does as well as any other program of late in developing wide receivers, and Bell has the physical skills to be a good one. He just needs to add some explosion and downfield speed, but he could catch a lot of balls in the ACC.

TE: Thomas Hudson, Arizona State commitment. This kid is huge, he can catch the ball, and ASU would love to add a pass-catching tight end in its wide-open offense. Hudson could grow into an offensive tackle -- there's always that issue because he's so big -- but if he doesn't he could be a load down the seam.

OT: Sterling Jenkins, Penn State commitment. There are a ton of candidates here, but I still believe in Jenkins even though he has gone from a high four-star to a high three-star because he hasn't developed the strength or technique to be a tackle yet. His ceiling is still as high as anyone's, and if he can be coached up, he has first-round NFL potential with his size.

OG: Jon Dietzen, Wisconsin commitment. It's a safe pick to choose a massive Badgers commitment, and Dietzen has the size and attitude to be an important cog for Wisconsin down the line. Much improvement is needed of course, especially in footwork and athleticism, but Wisconsin has a way of making their big guys maulers.

C: Tyler Jordan, Florida commitment. I like what I see in Jordan. He's smart, he's physical and he's very aggressive. He's a scrappy, angry interior guy who will be in the face of his opponent all game long, and I think he becomes one of the better centers in the SEC.

WDE: Christian Rector, USC commitment. An athletic kid with a good motor, Rector joins a team that desperately needs help and depth at defensive end, so he could play early. He has speed to the outside and just needs to add strength and bulk to handle bigger linemen when he engages.

SDE: Joe Gaziano, Northwestern commitment. "Mean Joe Gaz" will be a fan favorite at Northwestern because he's nasty, he's strong and physical, and his motor never stops. Xaverian Brothers prospects usually have solid careers in college and are always amongst the hardest workers, and Gaziano should be no different.

DT: Brandon Tiassum, Notre Dame commitment. Tiassum is a big kid who can also move, and I think he will be a nice fit in what Notre Dame wants to do on defense with 3-technique tackles who can not only stuff the run but push the pocket and shoot the gap at times. Tiassum is used to being in the offensive backfield in high school, and that could be the case in college as well.

ILB: Jordan Griffin, Wisconsin commitment. Another Wisconsin commitment makes the list, and I think Griffin's best playing days are ahead of him. He's a powerful inside 'backer who is a tackling machine, reads the play well and has some quicks. As he fills out and adds more explosion, he could be a Big Ten powerhouse.

OLB: Tyriq Thompson, Michigan State commitment. Thompson could play inside as well for the Spartans, it all depends on how he develops, but he's a very sure tackler, moves extremely well laterally and covers a lot of ground. He is very good in space and squares up perfectly.

CB: Nate Dalton, Arkansas commitment. I like what Arkansas is doing down the stretch with some of the three-star kids they are getting, and Dalton could be the biggest get. He's a 6-foot-3 kid who can play corner and has loose hips, so if he can stay at corner and not grow into a safety (he's a big kid), he could be special.

S: Micah Abernathy, Tennessee commitment. Abernathy struggled trying to play cornerback at the Under Armour Game, so we think he's a better safety prospect even though he's not a huge kid. But he is fast, he has good ball skills and he could also be a factor in the return game. Give him a couple of years to learn to play defense and he could end up as a standout.

ATH: Jaquan Johnson, Miami commitment. Johnson was way over his head as a defensive back at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but it might have been the best thing for him. He's a very well-established standout in South Florida, he's a terrific athlete, and he could come around and be a much-needed shot in the arm for the Miami defense now that he knows what the speed will be like at the next level.

K: Alex Kinney, Colorado commitment. Kickers are never ranked higher than three stars simply because they aren't every-down players; but they can certainly impact a game. And punters? Sometimes even more so. Kinney will be a weapon for the Buffs as a kickoff specialist and as a punter who will help with field position. He averaged 41.6 yards-per-punt in high school; that's impressive.

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18. 4-star DeSherrius Flowers

Height/Weight: 6'0.5"/204 lbs.

High School: Vigor High School (Mobile, Alabama)


247Sports Ranking: No. 15 running back; No. 147 overall


Bleacher Report Score: 87/100

Enrolled at Alabama

Desherrius Flowers follows in the footsteps of fellow standout Mobile-area rusher T.J. Yeldon to Tuscaloosa. He committed to Alabama before many other teams became involved, ending his recruitment as a sophomore.



Bleacher Report Analysis

Flowers is a power-based rusher who maintains low pad level and makes the most of his physical frame. He attacks defenders with tenacity and refuses to sacrifice yards along the sideline, where he'd rather crash into an opponent than step out of bounds.

That fearlessness is great, but there's some concern about his downfield approach. Flowers doesn't always seem to identify ideal rushing lanes, simply plowing ahead at times instead of displaying patience by decelerating and letting things develop in front of him (16/20 vision).

He doesn't possess the quick-trigger hips to bounce things outside in a hurry, so it's imperative for Flowers to develop an enhanced sense of anticipation amid the trenches and beyond. Flowers projects as a short-yardage back and potential goal-line back at the very least.

"There's a great history of running backs at Alabama under Coach (Nick) Saban," Flowers told Bleacher Report in December. "I'm just happy to have an opportunity to potentially add my name to the list."

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The latest chapter of Bleacher Report’s CFB 200 series will focus on a position that has transformed markedly in recent years: outside linebacker.

Players at that position now have to be physical enough to be stout against the run and athletic enough to bring heat off the edge as pass-rushers or even drop into coverage against receivers and tight ends.

Admittedly, that package of skills is difficult to find.

However, the 2015 class of linebackers—headlined by 5-star Texas commitment Malik Jefferson—is filled with deep and athletic talent who can be effective against the run and the pass.

Bleacher Report broke down the 2015 outside-linebacker class, grading them on their abilities in key metrics such as tackling (25 points), strength (20 points), run defense (15 points), pass coverage (15 points) and football IQ (25 points). The cumulative figures from those traits resulted in our overall grade of each prospect.

How does the 2015 group of outside linebackers stack up to one another?

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College quarterback coaches around the country were spoiled in the 2015 class. Not only did the class boast elite, five-star caliber talent but it had depth as well. Were you a school in desperate need of a quarterback? With this class you may have gotten two or three.

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Highest ceiling – Blake Barnett

Barnett’s arm talent is elite, he is one of the biggest quarterbacks in this class, he is one of the fastest quarterbacks in this class and he’s an early enrollee in Tuscaloosa. He may not be the first in this class to start but he may have a higher ceiling than anyone based on raw ability.

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