UA Game Week: Rankings questions that were created

Following a week of practice and the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday, Rivals national recruiting analysts John Garcia Jr. and Greg Smith address the burning rankings questions among the nation’s best.

It wasn’t quite the Myles Garrett week at UA or the Will Anderson triumph at the former Army All-American Game from years back, but Elijan Griffin was as good on the interior as we have seen over the last few cycles. He is well-built at a listed 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, yet intriguing in that he is more developed in his upper body than lower – so more power and polish at the point of attack could yet be added to the arsenal. He’s in plenty good shape right now, though, living in the backfield regardless of which All-American was in front of him.

The Georgia signee has the full tool bag at the position in that he is able to win with raw power and leverage, but he also has some strong motor to his game. During the UA Game broadcast, Griffin split a double team en route to a devastating sack. During the work week he was even more flashy, working into the backfield with short-area quickness and quick play diagnoses in team settings. During one-on-ones it looked even easier for the top-10 recruit, to the point where he has an easy claim to be considered to challenge for the top line recruit on either side of the ball in the cycle.

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The Alabama signee impresses every time we see him. Keelon Russell did it again this week during practices and then had a strong performance in the game before leaving with an ankle injury. After the game he told Rivals that he’ll be good to go when he enrolls in Tuscaloosa next week.

That news has Alabama coaches and fans breathing a sigh of relief because Russell is a fantastic talent. He’s got great feel inside the pocket of when to get rid of the ball or tuck it and run. Russell also throws an accurate ball and possesses a live arm.

The leadership intangibles also make him a candidate to be a future captain. We don’t know if he stamped himself as the clear QB1 in the class but he’s certainly in the discussion with Tavien St. Clair, Bryce Underwood and Julian Lewis.

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This conversation began during the 2024 season, where Na’eem Offord led Birmingham (Ala.) Parker to a state championship as a three-phase player, and now we’re closing in on the final ranking update of the cycle. Offord is big, athletic, versatile and talented in many respects, from carrying the ball to tracking it and defending with elite instincts and a nose for the ball against both the pass and the run.

While it’s a great problem to have, it sure does make the cornerback tab we have long had on Offord come into question. He is an elite cover prospect regardless of alignment, but his prospects on the boundary may not be his best path toward making a five-star type impact once he makes it to Oregon for good.

Our sources aren’t sure the Ducks won’t be moving him around at the next level and Offord, himself, views his position as a projected athlete more than defensive back or even cornerback – so not overthinking the elite athleticism and versatility may be the final call in January.

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Call it the Jeremiah Smith effect but the wide receiver position continues to climb the ‘priority’ rankings relative to other positions at every level of football, and Smith’s class of 2024 featured some five recruits at the position tabbed as five-star recruits. While it doesn’t mean we will see duplicates every year, it should mean there are multiple prospects in that range by cycle’s end. The 2026 class only has one to date in NFL legacy Chris Henry Jr., so we know it’s a position where more traction is on the way.

At least two candidates during UA week made strong cases for a rise up the rankings at the position among juniors in Mississippi native Tristan Keys and Floridian Naeem Burroughs. Each offers differing elite traits, too, as Keys flashes a wide catch radius and true downfield ability on a long and wiry frame. Burroughs is the more compact speedster who defenders can’t seem to stay in front of, evidenced by averaging nearly 30 yards per catch against fellow All-Americans on Thursday. Each sits within the top 50 at the moment, but it may not be high enough as they continue to expand their body of work.

Ford is near the top of the list when it comes to players that impressed this week deserving of a big rankings bump. The defensive end sits outside the Rivals250 but it’ll be very hard for it to stay that way after his performance this week. He was a handful all week long for offensive linemen, especially in the inside run drills. He wins consistently with power and leverage to stop ball carriers.

During the game itself, Ford was very active but not just in run support. He showed a good ability to pressure the quarterback and was responsible for several quarterback hurries. Ford could be the next big thing at Duncanville High School in Texas – a school that routinely pumps out big-time Power Four prospects on a yearly basis.