Top Takeaways from ESPN's Final Recruiting Rankings for Class of 2016
All-star games have come and gone, which means final evaluations are occurring—and finishing—for most of the available recruiting sites online. ESPN published its final ESPN 300 rankings Tuesday morning, and there were several things noticeable from the previous rankings.
Here are four takeaways from ESPN's final player rankings:
Clayton's major rise ends with top-10 finish
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Watching Florida commit Antonneous Clayton's rise in the rankings has been fun. Back in June, the 4-star defensive end rose 106 spots, from 217 to 111, in ESPN's rankings. On Monday, Clayton's ascension continued, as he ended the year ranked No. 10 overall.
Clayton's rise is well-earned, as he's been dominant at the defensive end position since the summer. Clayton showed his skill set at the Under Armour All-America Game, emerging as a disruptive force for Team Armour.
Clayton has a reported 39 offers and chose Florida on Oct. 28. At 6'3" and 218 pounds, he's a thin defensive end with long arms and quick feet. Look for Florida to add muscle to his frame, while also keeping his speed in tact.
Eason vs. Patterson? ESPN picks UGA QB
One of the big debates of the 2016 recruiting cycle involves who the country's No. 1 quarterback is. ESPN gave the slight nod to Georgia commit Jacob Eason over Ole Miss commit Shea Patterson.
Eason finished ranked No. 13 overall and as the top-ranked pro-style quarterback. Patterson is ranked No. 15 and is listed by ESPN as the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback.
The quarterback battle was a lot closer than some may have expected. Also in the final top 20 was Florida State pledge Malik Henry (No. 17) and Stanford pledge K.J. Costello (No. 19).
LSU recruits have most out of top 100
Of the top 100 players in the ESPN 300, six came from LSU.
The half-dozen includes only one—cornerback Saivion Smith—in the top 50. Linebacker Michael Divinity checked in at No. 51. The other Tigers commits in the top 100 were defensive end Rahssan Thornton (No. 61), defensive tackle Edwin Alexander (No. 74), wide receiver Drake Davis (No. 81) and safety Eric Monroe (No. 86).
Three teams—Ohio State, Florida State and Miami—had five players in the top 100. Clemson, Auburn, Michigan, Florida and Penn State each had four.
There's Gary, Little and ... who's No. 3?
The nation's consensus top-two players seem to be the same around recruiting boards coast to coast. Defensive tackle Rashan Gary has established himself as the top dog in the 2016 class, and Ole Miss offensive tackle pledge Greg Little has secured the No. 2 spot.
With several sites, however, the No. 3 spot seems to be different. ESPN awarded the No. 3 spot to Ohio State defensive end pledge Nick Bosa, despite the fact that Bosa has been sidelined since November with a knee injury.
Bosa, who committed to the Buckeyes July 23, is expected to compete for the defensive end position vacated by his older brother Joey, who declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 31.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports.com's composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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