How Rivals ranks players
The following link led me to this from Rivals:
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1032271
The ranking system ranks prospects on a numerical scale from 6.1-4.9.
6.1 Franchise Player; considered one of the elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation's top 25 players overall; deemed to have excellent pro potential; high-major prospect
6.0-5.8 All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation's top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.7-5.5 All-Region Selection; considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 750 or so prospects in the country; high-to-mid-major prospect; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.4-5.0 Division I prospect; considered a mid-major prospect; deemed to have limited pro potential but definite Division I prospect; may be more of a role player
4.9 Sleeper; no Rivals.com expert knew much, if anything, about this player; a prospect that only a college coach really knew about
This question arose in the thread about Demetrius Hart and his potential to be a 5-star. As someone else mentioned, Michigan fans thought Marvin Robinson and Ricardo Miller were going to be 5-stars about a year ago, so don't let your expectations get too high.
A 6.1 rating is given to all 5-stars. As it says, 5-star players have "excellent pro potential." This is a problem for diminutive backs and slot receiver types, whose potential is limited by the types of offenses run and the other athletes in the NFL. That's why you'll see very few 5'8" players being given 5-star rankings by Rivals - because there aren't many 5'8" players in the NFL.
January 24th, 2010 at 1:40 PM ^
Good find Magnus, thanks for the correction.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:13 PM ^
Magnus, since you've got a far more informed judgement on this stuff than I will ever have, I'm curious: can you name three guys who are in your opinion the key to this recruiting class, guys who it would gigantically suck to not get on signing day? Or does this class have guys who really are head and shoulders above everybody else?
I'm not trying to build an argument to criticize the class, I'm just trying to get a sense of how it stands in the eyes of those who coach the game.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:28 PM ^
I don't think anyone is "head and shoulders" above everybody else. Even Devin Gardner, our prize recruit, has some shortcomings and isn't necessarily a surefire star at the next level.
Besides the early enrollees, here are the guys whose departures would really suck:
1. Marvin Robinson, our best FS prospect and someone who's physically close to ready to play at the next level.
2. Josh Furman, our best SAM prospect and perhaps the only guy on the 2010 roster who can best approximate the solid season that Steve Brown gave us in 2009. He might not play as a freshman, but eventually he's going to be good at that spot or at the WILL linebacker if they move him there.
3. Jibreel Black. We finally got a real defensive end in this class, not a DE/DT or a DE/LB tweener. I used to think he could grow into a DT, but I think he'll probably lean out and be a beast of a DE.
Honorable mention: Drew Dileo will actually be able to catch a punt, I think.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:40 PM ^
I think Wilkins we be a DE and not a DTH, he will be a stud IMO by the time he leaves and combined with Black, Roh, and Lalota, M will be great at rushing the QB for awhile.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:43 PM ^
Our run defense should be pretty solid with all of these big DLinemen we keep picking up. Now if only we could get some decent linebacker play things will start to look much better for the D.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:39 PM ^
i agree that wilkins will be a DE. he seems to me like a run stuffing DE, something we haven't had in a while.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:58 PM ^
I think he will, too, but he was recruited as a Quick. That's why I still consider him a tweener.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:02 PM ^
Thanks for the epinion insight. I remember there was the usual amount of teeth-gnashing in some quarters about how Dileo was only a 3-star etc etc etc. I've stopped trusting my reactions to highlight videos as a result of the McGuffie epic. I convinced myself purely on the basis of watching it that Sam had a chance to be a legit Heisman candidate at some point in his Michigan career, and that's been proven to be a hilariously stupid—and embarrassing— conclusion.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
People who watch football don't give it a lot of respect, but coaches understand how important the return game is to their team. Field position came mean everything to some teams, and if you have players that can't field punts or fumble half of the time, then in many ways it can affect your team, not only with field-position but mentally as well.
Dileo may never catch 50 passes a year but I think he could end up being a great asset here.
January 24th, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^
A great kick returner (Josh Cribbs, Devin Hester before the Bears hilariously ruined his career by turning him into a WR) has arguably the biggest impact on a game on a per play basis. Thet might touch the play 4 times in a game but score a TD and give the offense great field position 3 other times. Just having that momentum a good return gives the offense when they take the field is huge. Good special teams performers are invaluable to a football team.
January 24th, 2010 at 4:53 PM ^
I don't understand the conclusion that many made after his freshman year that Mcguffie can't play, or was way over-rated. The guy had, 2 100 yard games as a freshman, showed toughness, and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and over the middle. Yes he went down easily, but I don't see any reason why he can't be a 1,200 yard rusher at least. He was a 4* guy, not 5, and IMO showed already that he deserved that ranking. I wish he was on the team right now.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:57 PM ^
I was down on McGuffie when he was here only because I thought Minor should have been the starter. He did fine, and I think he could have had a good career here at Michigan. I don't know that he should have been thought of as a potential Heisman contender, but he could have grown into starting in the Big Ten and perhaps being all-conference.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:36 PM ^
I like your picks. Mine are Gardner (providing competition at QB); Ash (filling a major need) and Dileo (primarily recruited for his return abilities). Note that our prospects are all rated between 5.9 and 5.4, so we have plenty of solid recruits. No dogs at all.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^
I understand and don't want to belabor the point. I know that you're not saying its impossible for a short RB to get 5-stars, but Michael Dyer is one of the 3 5-star RB (11 overall) on Rivals this year, and he's listed as 5'8".
I really don't expect Hart to be a 5-star, probably a top 150 guy. I do hope he commits to Michigan, and I think he will be a high impact player.
January 24th, 2010 at 2:57 PM ^
that will be an excellent addition to RR's offense here. While it's great to have players who go on to be starters in the NFL, there are plenty of players who have been great at Michigan who didn't have careers that amounted to anything in the NFL.
January 24th, 2010 at 5:54 PM ^
Dyer is also 200+ pounds.