re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition

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Alabama is bringing the battle to Oregon.

Not in the now-defunct BCS standings or in a college football playoff scenario, but instead it's over class of 2016 Central Catholic safety Brady Breeze, a Rivals four-star recruit and U.S. Army All-American nominee committed to the Ducks.

To be fair, Oregon has the commitment, and Breeze is quick to point out that the Ducks will definitely wind up on top, but despite that pledge, Alabama is lurking.

"I'm hearing from them a lot. They wanted me to come to their camp, which is (June) 16-18, but I was like, 'Eh, probably can't do to that,' because I'm going to the Oregon camp," Breeze explained. "But I might take an unofficial visit to Alabama. It's always in the back of my mind, because people always say I should check it out."

Known as a significant peer recruiter for the Oregon football program, Breeze is aware that his visits will be watched closely by the Ducks' fan base, and he admits that can be difficult when his intentions are about simply experiencing something new.

"I feel like I'm a traitor if I even go on an unofficial visit," he said, half joking. "I try to stay away from talking to other programs, messing with their heads. There's a lot of pressure. It's a little bit stressful."

If offered, Breeze said he would likely take an official visit to Tuscaloosa this fall, as the Crimson Tide view the Central Catholic star as both a wide receiver and safety, an intriguing option for the Oregon commit.

"I'm talking to the wide receiver coach. They've been looking at me at (defensive back), but receiver, too," he explained. "Oregon has me listed as an athlete, but they also just want me to play safety."

The SEC route, and a chance to play receiver, are gnawing at Breeze, but that could change in the coming month, as the defensive back will be in Eugene for the Nike Opening regionals on June 14 and the University of Oregon skills camp June 16-18.

Regardless of future visit plans and scheduled camps, Breeze wanted one message to come through to Oregon fans.

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The new Rivals100 Presented by Under Armour has been released, and with it many big-time changes, including a new No. 1 player and four new five stars, have been made. With Wake Forest, N.C. defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence taking the top spot, this is one of the more historic rankings releases in Rivals.com history. National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell explains why.

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"Dexter Lawrence is a special football prospect and when we went back and reviewed film on all of the top candidates at No. 1, he kept jumping out to us," said Farrell of the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder. "We considered both of the quarterbacks, Jacob Eason and Shea Patterson, and of course Marlon Davidson was in the discussion as well. But when you combine how Lawrence continues to improve each time we see him with his amazing size, athletic ability, balance and his body of work on film, it was just the move to make. And his move up 12 spots to No. 1 is the biggest I can recall. Keep in mind that there have been so many bell-to-bell No. 1 guys from Adrian Peterson to Jadeveon Clowney that moves up to No. 1 are rare to start with and this one seems to be historic."

Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman added his thoughts on Lawrence.

"Say what you want about shifting rankings based on camp performances; Lawrence looks like the complete package," said Friedman, who has seen Lawrence live in camp and game action. "His athleticism is exceptional for a player his size and he has the power to compete with any interior offensive linemen in the country. Combine that with his advanced hand technique and nose for the ball and you've got a future game changer."

Farrell likes Lawrence's balance most of all.

"When you see a big 6-foot-5 defensive tackle prospect, the first thing you look for is how they play with leverage because most of them rear up like a bear out of their stance and give the offensive linemen a huge target," he explained. "But even when Lawrence gets too high, when hands are put on him he adjusts so well. He has such great body lean and balance that he's always moving toward the target while reading the play. It's uncanny and reminds me of some of the better defensive ends I've covered. I'm not saying he's the best defensive tackle I've ever seen, but I will say he's right up there with some of them and he's only getting better and better. And without a dominant No. 1 this year, it was his spot for the taking based on how much he's improved even in the last few months."

Eason, the Georgia quarterback commitment, drops from the No. 1 spot he took from Nate Craig-Myers a couple of releases back and slides behind Patterson, an Ole Miss commitment, at the top of the overall quarterback rankings.

"Quarterbacks are the toughest call of all, as you can imagine," Farrell said. "Jameis Winston was a five-star drafted who won a Heisman and went on to be the No. 1 pick in the draft while Marcus Mariota came out of nowhere in high school and also won a Heisman and was picked No. 2. It's so hard to tell with so much of it being mental and so much development left. Then you throw in injuries, coaches, offensive styles and surrounding talent, and you can see why quarterbacks have so many variables. The bottom line for this switch was that the last many times we saw Eason and Patterson, sometimes head-to-head and sometimes at different events, Patterson came out the much more polished passer. He has better mechanics, better footwork and seems to find his rhythm much more quickly. Then you go back to film and remind yourself they are different types of quarterbacks. But the bottom line here, and I know fans don't want to hear this when it comes to one of their own, but I'll say it anyhow - is that while Lawrence, Patterson and Davidson jumped over Eason, it doesn't change the thought we have that Eason has five-star ability and college and NFL star potential."

Aside from the big shuffle among the top four prospects, the new five stars are the next big story in this release. Here's a breakdown of all four.

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WR
Darnell Salomon
Miami (Fla.) Miami Central

"Salomon has it all - size, speed, acceleration, hands and the ability to do work in the middle of the field as well as in the corners as a red zone threat. He's a long strider who simply outpaces defensive backs with ease and he presents a big, attractive target to quarterbacks who don't have to be perfect with the ball because he adjusts to everything in the air so well. He's bigger and faster than he was during his junior season and that showed during this evaluation period." -- Mike Farrell, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director

"To say Salomon has been good at every stop on this offseason circuit is understating the point. The Miami-area receiver has been nothing short of dominant at every camp and 7-on-7 event he's decided to attend. Salomon is a rare blend of size and speed and his acceleration is devastating. He's capable of making even the most elite defensive backs in the class appear overwhelmed." -- Rob Cassidy, Rivals.com Southeast Analyst

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Darnell Salomon

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all of these guys we have landed are mean motherfrickers who play with a mindset we have been lacking a little the last 2 years

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