Published Jun 4, 2024
Rivals Rankings Week: Ten biggest risers in the Rivals250
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Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
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@RivalsFriedman

The latest update of the 2026 Rivals250 is out and there are a lot of changes. Here is a look at the 10 biggest movers in the newest ranking.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-star

Tuesday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney goes position-by-position | Biggest risers

Wednesday: New offensive position rankings | QB rankings breakdown | RB rankings breakdown | WR/TE rankings breakdown | OL rankings breakdown

Thursday: New defensive position rankings | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown | ATH rankings breakdown

Friday: New state rankings | Who is No. 1 in each state

Saturday: Rivals Rankings Roundtable

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1. OL IMMANUEL IHEANACHO

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Prospects like Iheanacho don’t come around very often. He doesn’t play much high level competition during the season so verifying his measurables and skillset this spring were the only things holding him back from rocketing up the rankings. Landing among the five-stars is the latest accolade in his very short football career.

The 6-foot-7, 340-pound offensive lineman has the frame and build of an NFL rookie. He carries that 340 pounds so well that it’s hard to see how much more he’ll need to physically mature between now and when he steps on campus. What’s even more impressive about Iheanacho is his flexibility at that size. He is able to play with proper leverage and use every bit of power his massive frame can muster.

Iheanacho’s basketball background is easy to see when watching him pass block. He’s quick out of his stance, able to slide with ease and uses his long arms to keep defensive linemen from getting by him.

From a traits perspective, Iheanacho is on par with massive offensive linemen such as Evan Neal, Amarius Mims, Daniel Faalele and Isaiah Wilson but his movement skills at this stage of his career might be better than all of them.

MORE ON IHEANACHO: His unlikely path to football stardom

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2. OL JOHN TURNTINE III

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Turntine is a versatile offensive line prospect with measurables that should intrigue any offensive line coach. At 6-foot-4 and 317 pounds with a wingspan of 83 inches, Turntine has the makings of a standout pass blocker. He has a strong punch, outstanding lateral agility and does a good job of resetting his hands as he slides to stay in front of the oncoming defender.

Turntine plays with great balance so it’s hard to believe he really is 317 pounds when watching him on film. As a run blocker, he does a great job of generating a push at the point of attack. Turntine runs his feet on contact and has proven to be an effective puller. He does a good job finding blocks at the second level and down the field too.

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3. WR JORDON GIDRON

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Gidron has the size and speed combination to give any defensive back problems at the next level. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Gidron clocked times of 4.6 in the 40-yard dash, 4.05 in the short shuttle, 10.68 in the 100m, 21.56 in the 200m and 41.81 in the 400m while posting a 120.5-inch broad jump and a 30.1-inch vertical jump. These are outstanding results for a player his size.

The four-star prospect gets off the line of scrimmage quickly and has no problem getting rid of defenders who try to jam him at the snap. His long arms help him reel in passes that might be slightly off target. From a technical perspective, Gidron has room to grow, but his physical tools help him overcome much of what he lacks in that area.

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4. DL AIDEN HARRIS

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Credit the big rankings jump for Harris to his physical growth over the last year. The now 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive lineman no longer has the look of a “tweener” and clearly projects as a defensive end.

Harris brings an impressive combination of agility, hand quickness and power to the field. His aggressive style and relentless motor allow him to make plays in the backfield and chase down ball carriers who run to the opposite side of the field.

Harris has room left in his frame to continue to add mass so he could end up playing a variety of positions along the defensive front at the next level.

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5. ATH JOEY O'BRIEN

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Colleges are looking at O’Brien on both sides of the ball, which makes sense given his athletic profile. At nearly 6-foot-4, O’Brien has the size and length to impact the game in a variety of ways. He’s a long strider who covers ground quickly regardless of where he lines up.

As a receiver, that length gives quarterbacks huge windows to throw the ball into. He has the ability to pull away from defensive backs without them even noticing. Quarterbacks won’t hesitate to throw him jump balls either.

When O’Brien lines up in the secondary, that length and ability to cover ground quickly allows him to reach passes quarterbacks wouldn’t expect.

This past season O’Brien was a jack of all trades, accounting for 38 tackles, three interceptions, 18 pass breakups, one sack, 24 catches, 339 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

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6. DL TRISTIAN GIVENS

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Givens has incredible potential as a pass rusher. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Givens is on the lighter side but appears to have the playing strength of a much larger prospect.

He plays a variety of positions on both sides of the ball and that athleticism jumps off the screen when he is pursuing the ball carrier. Givens is quick off the line of scrimmage and uses that speed and overall strength to run through blockers. He does use some hand techniques but, for the most part, he doesn’t need much to beat the blocker in front of him.

Givens routinely hands out big hits on the quarterback or ball carrier. This past season he racked up 10 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries.

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7. LB ANTHONY DAVIS

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Davis has had a tremendous offseason, showing off impressive speed and athleticism in the camp setting. He doesn’t have an overly developed frame but does a good job playing with physicality while in coverage.

The four-star prospect shows off that quickness and reaction speed on film, too. He does a great job playing downhill, shooting running lanes and stopping running backs in their tracks.

Davis is an effective blitzer, too. He can be counted on to disrupt a play in the backfield, make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage or get a sack on pass plays.

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8. QB TROY HUHN

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Huhn brings excellent traits to the field. He has a very solid build and his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame looks to be college ready right now.

The four-star signal caller has a strong enough arm at this stage of his career but what’s even more impressive is his ball placement and accuracy. Even though he only completed 59-percent of his passes last year, Huhn is able to put the ball right on his receivers, hitting them in-stride so they can pick up yards after the catch. He does a good job of quickly identifying the coverage and finding the right receivers based on what the defense is doing.

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9. LB CAM THOMAS

Moved up: New to the Rivals250

Versatility is a hallmark of Thomas’ game. The Ohio native has bulked up over the last year and looks to be on track to take on the bigger and stronger prospects he’ll find at the next level.

At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Thomas can play sideline-to-sideline as he tracks down the ball carrier. He has the strength to handle offensive linemen when he is blitzing off the edge and does a good job shedding blocks.

Thomas can be an asset in coverage from his linebacker position but he is better suited to be a blitzer in passing situations.

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10. QB JONAS WILLIAMS

Moved up: 137 spots

Williams has always been held in high regard but earned a bump in the rankings after playing with more consistency and showing a higher ceiling during the spring camp and 7-on-7 season.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback has a big enough arm, a quick delivery, impressive pocket presence and knows how to put touch on his passes. His downfield accuracy is very good and he is able to layer his passes when necessary.

If he continues to improve at this rate, Williams may find himself even higher in the rankings before all is said and done.

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