The latest rankings release for the 2025 class has wrapped up and there were plenty of controversial decisions that coaches, players and fans are discussing.

The national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr., Adam Gorney, Greg Smith and Sam Spiegelman – sit down at the Rankings Roundtable and discuss.

Friedman: Chase Linton is an impressive prospect with a bright future. The recent Georgia commit has a great frame and he’ll really have to go to work with strength and conditioning staff to get physically ready to play. Linton can fly off the edge of the defense and makes a lot of plays in the backfield. He’s a sure tackler and can line up in multiple positions on the defensive front but it might be a couple years before he sees meaningful playing time.

Garcia: Jaime Ffrench picked up his fifth star heading into his senior season and it was plenty warranted then — and still is on principle. But in looking at some of the highest-ranked four star prospects in the ranking, Ffrench’s skill set may belong in the middle of the pack instead of at the very top of it. Names like Caleb Cunningham, Jerome Myles, Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson and others are all ranked behind him at this stage. And while this is a loaded wide receiver class with top-end talent and depth simultaneously, it’s tough to be comfortable about Ffrench hearing his name called before each of those names, particularly the ones operating with a similar skill set as a bigger-bodied talent. Ffrench may be the most polished right now, but will it remain the case in a few years?

Gorney: I do think DJ Pickett is a five-star prospect but No. 11 in the country seems too high especially with offensive tackles Michael Fasusi and Michael Carroll behind him. Pickett is a freak athlete with incredible length but does he dominate like a five-star should at all times? I don’t think so. LSU is getting a special defensive back whether he lives at cornerback or safety and there are many reasons why Florida and Miami are trying to flip him but I see Pickett more at the back end of the five-star prospects.

Smith: This one comes with an asterisk. Bodpegn Miller is a freaky athlete with traits that make it easy to see why the Ohio State coaching staff is excited to have him. But he’s so raw that it makes me wonder if we’ve gone too high on his rating. Miller will either make us look bad because he becomes a first-round pick or he could not live up to his current rating. He’s got big-time potential but there are concerns too.

Spiegelman: It’s on our radar that Jahkeem Stewart has played in 11 varsity games and our last image of him on the football field was during his jamboree. Few prospects have ever possessed the athletic profile of Stewart, who at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, has been labeled as a generational talent by SEC coaches for months. Without a compelling body of work on the field, especially no senior season, however, keeping him inside the top-10 is too risky for me.

Friedman: Malik Washington has been a Rivals250 prospect for nearly the entire rankings cycle and now sits at No. 183 overall. The Maryland commit is an outstanding athlete but looks to pass before taking off down the field. Washington has a huge arm and can make some eye-popping throws. There are some technical inconsistencies in his skill set but Washington really shines in a game setting. Washington’s rankings should be much closer to No. 100 than where it is now. Perhaps we’ll see more from him during the all-star game season.

Garcia: Because of circumstance, Jaedon Harmon has had to evolve into a do-it-all player as a senior, and his offensive exploits may still warrant a deeper dive ahead of the final ranking. Not only was he able to make waves as both a quarterback and running back, but the Peach State star was able to pull away from back-seven defenders as a senior on a stout 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame. On defense, the Tennessee commitment continues to flash as a sideline to sideline player with legitimate skills in space, the type of traits necessary to occupy a three-down projection like all elite linebackers must in this pass-first era of college football. Harmon, who checked in at No. 200 overall this time around, has both the floor and ceiling to push higher in the final update or make us not look so great down the line.

Gorney: This is one of the best tight end classes in recent memory and considering historical trends there is almost always one tight end in the first round of the NFL Draft yet we have no five-stars at that position yet. If we’re riding with Georgia commit Elyiss Williams as the best tight end in the class then he should be moved to five-star status. Tennessee commit DaSaahn Brame and Kansas State pledge Linkon Cure might also be in that discussion but at least Williams should get that bump.

Smith: It’s difficult to place Michael Terry because he could be an offensive weapon without a true position. Is Terry a jumbo wide receiver? A tight end? How about an H-Back? Whatever position he plays in college, he’ll make plays and have an impact. Terry is inside of the top 100 players in the country so we aren’t disrespecting him at all. But he could be higher for me.

Spiegelman: Aidan Anding returned to football as a junior at Ruston (La.) High to lead his team back to a state championship for the first time in a quarter-century. As a senior, Anding has been superb. He’s a ball-hawking cornerback that’s equally dynamic in the return game and even on offense in spot duty. Those around Ruston’s football program in North Louisiana rave about Anding’s work ethic and skill-set, which has been on full display the past four months as a senior. We love the bump into the Rivals250, and with more postseason play still on tap he has more opportunity to ascend here.

Friedman: Bryce Baker was evaluated early as a four-star prospect and entered the Rivals250 in June of 2023. The North Carolina commit has risen now to No. 77 overall. We’ve been ahead of the curve with Baker’s evaluation and it should be exciting to see what he can do at North Carolina, especially now that Mack Brown is signaling that he plans to return next season. Ranked as the ninth best quarterback in the Rivals250, Baker has the tools to see the field in his first season at the next level.

Garcia: In the inexact science that are recruiting rankings, college coaches will often remind others to ‘miss on the measurables.’ It means if all things are even or even close, go with the guys with great length, athleticism, test scores, etc. Ziyaire Addison has a combination of all of those things as a swing offensive line recruit, and he is still just a couple of years into his profile as a blocker at this stage. Still, the Oregon commitment has flashed dominance at both tackle and guard as an upperclassman, in both Friday and offseason settings. He simply gets better every time he is seen and that trajectory could have him reaching an apex by the time his career in Eugene comes to an end.

Gorney: Bumping Dijon Lee to a five-star and moving him to the No. 1 prospect in the state of California was the right move. The Alabama commit has incredible length, athleticism and playmaking ability as he was excellent at cornerback and receiver all season at Mission Viejo, Calif., and deserved to be bumped up. California cornerbacks Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown start at Alabama now and Lee has more length than both of them so this was a move that needed to happen.

Smith: Missouri commit Jack Lange shot up 75 spots in the latest ranking but the arrow is still pointing up for the offensive lineman. He’s got a terrific frame and he’s quicker than expected for a prospect his size. For a leaner tackle, Lange is very strong at the point of attack too. He’s got a bright future.

Spiegelman: Jared Smith has enjoyed one of the strongest senior campaigns among edge rushers in the country. The Auburn commit has taken a massive leap forward over the past year and can bully opposing tackles off the line. Smith’s length and burst put him in a different tier, and his motor and repertoire of pass-rush moves makes it even more difficult to keep him contained for long. Smith has taken his game to new heights at a premium position, and we loved what we saw from him as a senior.