Midwest Spotlight: Four big rankings questions heading into the summer
Birm/Dotting the 'Eyes
The post-spring rankings update is getting large on the horizon. Plenty of new information has come to light during the spring camp season and soon the rankings will be updated to reflect the national analyst team’s latest projections for the 2025 and 2026 classes.
This week the national analyst team is examining its biggest questions heading into the upcoming rankings meetings. Next up is the Midwest region.
RELATED: Four big rankings questions in the Mid-South | East Region | Southeast Region
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Will Tavien St. Clair move to five-star status?
This might be the biggest question of all heading into our next rankings meetings. Tavien St. Clair has everything you look for in a quarterback, which is why Ohio State pushed for his commitment early. He’s got the size, arm strength, accuracy and athleticism to make plays throwing on the run.
I was able to see him up close at the Elite 11 regional camp in Ohio. He had a great day and the ball just jumped out of his hand. St. Clair punched his ticket to the Elite 11 Finals that day. He’s steadily improved during his high school career and hasn’t hit his ceiling yet as a prospect.
The discussion about bumping him to a five-star will surely happen. St. Clair has had a terrific offseason so far but will it be enough?
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Biggest Midwest riser that we saw in-person?
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
The timing of this update will hit at the conclusion of the Rivals Camp Series regional events. We will have seen many prospects from coast to coast at those stops. At the same time there have been many other camps and 7-on-7 events to get fresh evaluations on players.
Ohio outside linebacker Justin Hill is a terror off the edge and will be looked at for a bump. Wisconsin defensive back commit Jaimier Scott put on one of the best performances I’ve seen this offseason at defensive back. Ohio State linebacker commit Eli Lee will be in consideration for a huge bump, too.
On the offensive side of the ball Illinois tight end Logan Ferrell is one to watch. He was good in 7-on-7 but is putting up explosive throwing numbers on the track. West Virginia quarterback commit Scotty Fox is a nice dual threat quarterback to watch as well.
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Who is the top Midwest running back in 2025?
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
When the last rankings update hit Ohio four-star running back Bo Jackson took over as the top running back in the region. But this remains an ongoing discussion and battle. Belleville (Ill.) Althoff running back Dierre Hill is right there with Jackson. The Oregon commit is an impressive between-the-tackles runner. Kentucky commit Marquise Davis was impressive in the camp setting and has improved his route running to round out his game.
This will be an interesting question for a region that consistently produces productive college running backs.
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Will there be a new 2026 five-star in the Midwest?
The most obvious choice here is offensive tackle Maxwell Riley as he's right on the cusp of five-star status so it’s not out of the question.
There are some potential risers to watch though.
Corey Sadler is an elite two-way athlete out of Michigan. He will be intriguing to watch as we learn more about his game and what his best position is. Ohio defensive back Elbert Hill is a smooth corner who can run and cover. There’s a lot to like about his game.
Defensive end Titan Davis out of St. Louis has been turning heads all offseason. His offer sheet has exploded with USC, LSU, Auburn and many others pursuing him hard.
