Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the top five JUCO prospects
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK: Storylines from updated state rankings
Rivals.com's 2019 Junior College 100 has been updated and is comprised of prospects getting another chance at football glory. Major programs all over the country will turn to members of this list in the hopes of getting a quick influx of talent. Below, we have a look at the top five junior college players in America and release the entire list of prospects that make up the top-100 JUCO players in America.
Graves boasts ideal size for a blue chip defensive lineman, as his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame doesn’t often go overlooked, but it’s his agility and quickness that make him project as special. Graves is versatile prospect that can rely on either speed or power to overwhelm opposing tackles. He showed both on film and finished the year with 67 tackles, six sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Originally from Kansas City, the uncommitted Graves recently visited Missouri and is also considering a number of other schools. Graves says very little about his recruitment and holds offers from nearly every major program in America. That said, Mizzou seems like the likely landing spot for the four-star prospect.
Johnson’s numbers weren’t as impressive as Graves' this season but his incredible size and notable speed make him a special prospect. The Georgia commit stands out on film as much as any junior college prospect in the country and has the length and quickness to be a nightmare off the edge in the SEC.
Johnson, who played his high school football in Minnesota, will have three years to play two seasons at UGA but has the size and ability to figure into the Bulldogs’ plans immediately. His length combined with quickness off the ball makes him a prospect with an almost certain NFL future.
An Oregon commit, Aumavea-Laulu does not lack for size. The 6-foot-7, 345-pound lineman moves incredibly well for a prospect of his incredible stature and that makes him an extremely rare commodity. Aumavea-Laulu chose the Ducks over offers Alabama, Oklahoma, USC and others. The massive guard will enroll early at Oregon and will join the Ducks in time for spring practice. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he doesn’t figure into Mario Cristobal’s 2019 plans.
Blades, who signed with Nebraska as a Rivals100 member out of high school, never played a down for the Huskers. He eventually landed at Arizona Western Community College, where he became one of this class’ top junior college prospects. A one-time Oregon commit, Blades recently flipped his pledge to Texas A&M, where he’ll play for Jimbo Fisher.
If you include his time as a high school prospect, Blades has, at one time or another, been committed to Nebraska, Texas A&M, Florida and Oregon. Originally from California, Blades has the length and athleticism to play early in College Station.
A Georgia native, Daniel shocked many when he originally committed to South Carolina over Georgia. That pledge, however, didn’t stand the test of time. The four-star cornerback flipped his commitment to the Bulldogs in early November and is expected to sign with Kirby Smart next week. The 6-foot defensive back carries a major list of national offers and visited Alabama, Auburn and Kentucky during his recruiting process. He will have three years to play two seasons in Athens.