When it comes to college football recruiting, Rivals is one of the most respected and well-known sources of information. The site provides player rankings, team rankings, and other information related to the recruiting process. But how does Rivals come up with their player rankings? In this video, we will take a closer look at the process that Rivals uses to evaluate and rank high school football players.
The first step in the process is to identify players who have the potential to play at the college level. Rivals has a team of scouts who attend high school games and evaluate players based on their physical attributes, skills, and potential. They also evaluate players further at their annual nationwide camp events along with 7on7 tournaments. These scouts are experienced football analysts who have a solid understanding of the game and what it takes to succeed at the college level.
Once a player has been identified as a potential college recruit, they are added to the Rivals database. This database includes information on the player’s physical attributes (height, weight, etc.), as well as their stats and highlights from high school games. Rivals also takes into account the level of competition that a player faces in high school, as players who perform well against tougher opponents are more likely to succeed at the college level. This is why you see players receive offers they weren’t receiving at their former schools when they transfer to higher profile schools.
The next step in the process is to assign a star rating to each player. Rivals uses a five-star rating system, with five stars being the highest rating a player can receive. A five-star rating indicates that a player is considered to be one of the top prospects in the country. For reference, the highest rated player that Rivals has ever ranked was Jadeveon Clowney. A four-star rating indicates that a player is a very good prospect who has the potential to play at a high level.
To determine a player’s star rating, Rivals takes into account a variety of factors. These include the player’s physical attributes, their performance on the field, their potential to improve, and the level of competition that they face. Rivals also considers the opinions of their team of scouts, as well as input from college coaches and other experts in the recruiting world. Quite frankly, the amount of offers a prospect has does play into the ratings and rankings of the athlete.
Once a player has been assigned a star rating, they are then ranked within their position group. For example, quarterbacks are ranked against other quarterbacks, while running backs are ranked against other running backs. These rankings are based on a variety of factors, including a player’s star rating, their physical attributes, their skills and abilities. Their potential to succeed at the college level is highly regarded in the process.
Finally, Rivals compiles their overall player rankings. These rankings are based on a player’s position ranking, as well as their star rating. The overall rankings are designed to provide a comprehensive view of the top prospects in the country, regardless of their position.
It’s important to note that Rivals’ player rankings are subjective and are based on the opinions of their team of scouts and experts. While the rankings are based on a variety of factors and are designed to be as objective as possible, there is always some level of subjectivity involved.
Throughout the years, Rivals has faced a good deal of amount of criticism for their rankings and ratings. Typically, these criticisms come from players and parents of prospects as well as fans of particular college football teams who want their favorite school’s committed prospects to be ranked higher. In fairness, Rivals will rank and rate in excess of 2,000 prospects per year. Anyone attempting to do this will make some mistakes and it should be noted that college football coaches make mistakes on evaluations of prospects every cycle.
Rivals’ player rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that takes into account a variety of factors. While the rankings are subjective to some degree, they are designed to be as objective as possible and are widely respected within the college football community. For high school football players looking to play at the college level, Rivals is an invaluable resource for information on the recruiting process and for exposure to college coaches and programs.
Chad Wilson is a college football recruiting expert and creator of the GridironStudsApp which allows high school football players to gain exposure to college football coaches and fans. Wilson is a former college football player for the University of Miami (92-94) and Long Beach St. (’90-’91) and played briefly for the Seattle Seahawks (’95). He is also a former youth and high school football coach for over 15 years most recently for 5-A State of Florida Champs American Heritage. He runs All Eyes DB Camp a defensive back training company located in South Florida IG: @alleyesdbcamp. Wilson’s oldest son Quincy plays in the NFL for the New York Giants and his younger son plays cornerback for the Arizona Cardinals.
