The junior campaign is over for college football's Class of 2021, and the camp circuit is fully underway. The class is taking shape with positions of strength emerging at quarterback, offensive tackle and all along the defensive line.
Ohio State defensive end commit Jack Sawyer holds onto the top spot in the rankings, closely followed by offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer and defensive end Korey Foreman. There are 12 five-star prospects all told, including the rare occurrence when a player goes from outside the ESPN Jr. 300 to five-star status.
Washington verbal Sam Huard is the top-ranked pocket passer and Caleb Williams is the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback. There are 17 quarterbacks in the top 75 of the latest release of the ESPN Jr. 300 in what is a stacked class at the position.
Here is a look at five prospects who moved up big and five players who entered the rankings.
Five big movers
DE Keeshawn Silver
Rocky Mount Senior High School (North Carolina)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 10
It's rare to go from outside the ESPN Jr. 300 to a five-star ranking, but that is exactly what Silver did. At 6-foot-5 with ultra-quick feet and excellent change of direction, the Tar Heel State budding star has gone from 236 pounds to 255 in the past year while maintaining his quickness and athleticism. Silver also plays basketball and competes in track and field, which will only help the future 2021 Under Armour All-America Game selection make gains athletically while his frame continues to rapidly develop. On the recruiting front, the move of ace recruiter Tim Brewster from North Carolina to Florida could shake up a recruitment that looked very good for the Tar Heels in December. Alabama and Auburn are also heavily in the mix.
OT Tristan Leigh
Robinson Secondary School (Virginia)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 28
Leigh, a 6-5 ultra-athletic tackle with long arms who is nearing 280 pounds, moved up 178 spots to No. 28 after an offseason of weight and strength gains while becoming even quicker and maintaining impressive flexibility. On the field, Leigh is a quick-twitch athlete who plays offensive tackle with a physical mentality. What makes him an elite prospect? His ability to get off the snap quickly and move defenders in the run game; his body quickness to react in pass protection; his athletic prowess to consistently contact smaller and quicker defenders in space. Virginia Tech has the tough chore of keeping the elite tackle prospect home with Clemson, Alabama, LSU and Penn State among the many rolling out the red carpet for Leigh.
QB Caleb Williams
Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 15
The nation's top dual-threat prospect moved up 45 spots to No. 15 overall thanks to an impressive junior campaign and a stellar performance at Under Armour Future 50 on Jan. 2. Williams effortlessly makes every throw required, showing the ability to change ball speeds and make back-shoulder throws look simple. The 6-2, 210-pound playmaker in and out of the pocket has the arm strength to step into 65-yard vertical throws over the top of coverage in the pocket, keep plays alive and make difficult throws changing arm slots on the move out of the pocket. He can make plays with his feet to move the chains as a runner when protection and time break down. Not only did Williams throw for more than 35 touchdowns with only four interceptions as a junior, but he also posted more than 800 rushing yards in a very difficult and talented conference in the D.C. area. Maryland, LSU, Oklahoma, Florida, Penn State and Oregon are among the teams recruiting him who give him the fastest path to the field.
QB Garrett Nussmeier
Marcus High School (Texas)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 57
Nussmeier ascended 122 spots to No. 57 overall after an impressive season on the field following a head-turning performance at Deion Sanders' Prime 21 Camp in Dallas in July. Not only did the 6-2, 180-pound son of Dallas Cowboys QB coach Doug Nussmeier go from 1,557 yards passing as sophomore to 3,788 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior, but he did so with a natural leadership quality that showed at Prime 21 Camp with a number of highly recruited quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs on hand. Nussmeier is scheduled to announce his college decision April 18 with LSU, North Carolina and Texas among the favorites of more than 25 offers.
Center James Brockermeyer
All Saints Episcopal School (Texas)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 102
The versatile offensive lineman who projects at center long term jumps 131 spots after a standout junior season, dominant performance at Under Armour Future 50 and a weight gain of 26 pounds since last spring. The son of former University of Texas and NFL standout Blake Brockermeyer and brother of five-star offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer not only made as much of physical gains as any player in the class in the past year, but also retained his foot quickness and showed versatility on the field as a junior, working at various spots on the All Saints line. Alabama and Texas are the front-runners in a recruitment that also includes LSU and Auburn in the final four with a decision expected in late June.
Five new entrees
OLB Raneiria Dillworth
Robert B. Glenn High School (North Carolina)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 93
How did Dillworth go from unranked to No. 93 overall in the ESPN Jr. 300? This 6-2 and nearing 200-pound safety/outside linebacker recorded a jaw-dropping 198 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, five sacks and an interception as a junior, doing so in a fast, instinctive and physical manner. The 2021 Under Armour All-America Game selection is closing in on 30 offers since the end of the 2019 season with a list that includes Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, NC State, South Carolina, Auburn and Florida.
OLB Jamon Dumas-Johnson
St. Frances Academy (Maryland)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 101
It's easy to fly under the radar playing for national power St. Frances Academy, and Dumas-Johnson did just that early in the 2019 season. Since then, the 6-2, 220-pound hard-hitting linebacker went from outside the ESPN Jr. 300 to No. 101 overall after a productive season playing on an ultra-talented defense that included seven Power 5 signees in the 2020 class. Since the end of the season, the Baltimore area standout has picked up offers from Florida State, Florida, Tennessee, Baylor, Kentucky and Arizona State, among others.
WR Kyron Ware-Hudson
Mater Dei High School (California)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 110
The Oregon commitment rises from outside the ESPN Jr. 300 to No. 110 after a strong season on the field and standout performance at the Under Armour Camp series stop in Los Angeles on Feb. 9. The 6-1, nearing 200-pound wide receiver used his strong hands, physical presence, ability to play through contact (and in trafficked areas) and crisp route-running to haul in 59 passes for more than 850 yards as a junior on one of the most talented teams in the country. He committed to Oregon on Dec. 15 over offers from LSU, Arizona State and Nebraska, among others.
CB Jordan Hancock
North Gwinnett High School (Georgia)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 112
Hancock, the No. 112-ranked prospect overall, has emerged as one of the top cover corners in the class after a standout season on the field as a junior. The 6-foot, 170-pound Peach State prospect flashed elite ball skills, ability to break on the ball, change of direction, quick reaction time and the willingness to be a tackling presence in the run game. Hancock's elite quickness and ball skills have resulted in more than 40 offers with Ohio State holding the early lead over Clemson, Georgia and Alabama.
DT Mike Hall
Streetsboro High School (Ohio)
ESPN Jr. 300 rank: 120
The Ohio State verbal went from outside the top 300 to No. 120 after a dominant season on the field to the tune of more than 70 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and five sacks. The 6-3, 290-pound prospect wins with his special quickness off the ball at his size, strong hands and the ability to play with low pads and excellent leverage against shorter high school offensive linemen, something larger players can struggle with at the high school level. Hall's hip and ankle flexibility set him apart, as does his ability to dispose of double-team blocks with his special quickness. Hall committed to Ohio State on Feb. 1 over offers from Florida State, Cincinnati, Penn State and Michigan State, among others.