10 college football recruits who improved their ESPN 300 rankings

We updated the 2022 ESPN 300 for the final time with February's national signing day approaching.

This update focused on postseason all-star game performances in which college football recruits competed on a national platform against elite competition.

Ten players rose to the occasion and saw significant bumps in their ESPN 300 rankings, which also bodes well for the colleges they signed with. Here are 10 recruits whose stock rose:

OT Zach Rice
North Carolina
New ESPN 300 ranking: 7
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 13

The talent among the top offensive linemen is outstanding in 2022, and we shuffled the order a few times. Ultimately, Rice is deserving of that top positional spot, given he has the best chance to make an impact as a true freshman. An Under Armour eighth-grade All-American who continued to improve and develop, he ended his high school career as a senior All-American, and there's no indication he won't continue to progress and excel in Chapel Hill. Aside from his physical gifts (a lean 6-foot-6, 285 pounds), he takes coaching well, is a great technician and has shown a serious workman-like approach to his craft. Those characteristics should help Rice take the field early and be an impact player for UNC on and off the field.

OT Will Campbell
LSU
New ESPN 300 ranking: 13
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 17

Among an excellent group of offensive linemen, Campbell has established himself as one of the elite offensive tackles in this class. Game film that continues to show dominance coupled with a strong performance during the Under Armour All-America week, Campbell made it clear he's deserving of a fifth star. He has a lean, powerful frame as a run-blocker (6-6, 275), which blends well with sound body control and agile feet in pass protection. Further bulk and strength should only improve with time in the Tigers' weight program. Campbell is also a confident player who has demonstrated a strong understanding for the position. As an early enrollee, he's a great candidate to play this fall in Baton Rouge.

OLB C.J. Hicks
Ohio State
New ESPN 300 ranking: 16
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 25

Hicks checks all the boxes and has made an undeniable case that he is deserving of a fifth star. The Buckeyes signee blends great size (6-3, 210), strength and range with a competitive nature and has consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills. During Under Armour All-America week, he displayed skills of a top-rated linebacker and gave an impressive glimpse on game day, breaking up a pass in coverage and making several tackles near the line of scrimmage. We had the opportunity to evaluate Hicks multiple times during the process, and he never shied away from competition. We expect him to not only be a key presence for Ohio State on the field but in the locker room and community as well.

WR Chris Marshall
Texas A&M
New ESPN 300 ranking: 21
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 109

Marshall moves into the top 25 from his previous ranking outside the top 100. He shows off his speed better when he competes than when he tests. With his 6-foot-3, 195-pound size and physical makeup, he is more than a jump-ball receiver; he can separate and consistently beat defensive backs in one-on-one coverage as a route runner. He is versatile in skill and showed those sharpened tools all week long in Orlando, Florida, versus elite corners in the Under Armour All-America Game. His ability to adjust to the football while elevated is still his top trait and should lead to an early rotation for the Aggies. We see Mike Evans-type production in College Station.

QB Cade Klubnik
Clemson
New ESPN 300 ranking: 28
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 66

Above all else, Klubnik just wins. Whether at the NBC All-America Bowl or during his high school career, our new No. 1 dual-threat QB knows how to lead and earn W's. We aren't convinced he has an elite physical skill set, but he's good in all areas with minimal flaws. Accuracy might be his best feature, as he threw only six interceptions in two years with over 600 attempts. He is crafty, will make plays outside the pocket and simply knows where to put the ball. It would not be shocking if the Clemson commit beats out D.J. Uiagalelei before the end of next season.

CB Jeadyn Lukus
Clemson
New ESPN 300 ranking: 34
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 48

Lukus turned in one of the most impressive weeks in Orlando and moves into the top 35 nationally. He knows how to use his length and long arms (78-inch wingspan) to win contested matchups. During Under Armour All-America practice, he was like Velcro on some of the top wide receivers in the country. His feel for keying the quarterback and baiting them into throws was really impressive. Plus, as evidenced in the game, he possesses exceptional ball skills. Lukas landed on SportsCenter's Top 10 for an amazing interception. Similar to fellow ACC cornerback Tony Grimes at UNC, we project Lukus to have a smaller learning curve as a true freshman and be in the rotation in sub packages.

THIS PICK IN THE UNDER ARMOUR ALL-AMERICA GAME 😱 pic.twitter.com/v8aO5u7lWg

— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2022

OT Kiyaunta Goodwin
Kentucky
New ESPN 300 ranking: 43
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 70

A physically impressive offensive line prospect, Goodwin continues to impress our scouts and moves up the rankings and into a top-five OT. A premier performer among the big men at the NBC All-American Bowl, Goodwin is more than just a big body at 6-7, 300 pounds. He's a powerful blocker at the point of attack but also brings explosive hips and flexibility. A coveted prospect who had multiple Power 5 programs pursuing him until the very end, Kentucky held on for a major signing. Two previous Wildcat four-star OL signees have delivered early in Landon Young (2016) and Darian Kinnard (2018). Goodwin is the highest ranked among this group and has the tools to play in Year 1 in Lexington.

WR Adam Randall
Clemson
New ESPN 300 ranking: 78
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 114

Randall is a physical presence at receiver (6-3, 215-lbs) and is turning only 17 during his first semester at Clemson. Like Marshall above, he is much more dynamic with the ball in his hands. Yes, he's physically impressive, but he's also very agile, nimble on his feet and fluid on jump balls given his stature. His hand-eye coordination on contested passes was spectacular all week during the Under Armour All-America practices. His productive week moves him into the top 100 on this final ranking. He reminds us of a bigger version of Clemson receiver Justyn Ross. The departure of Ross, who just declared for the NFL draft, should open up snaps for Randall next fall.

DE Popeye Williams
Louisville
New ESPN 300 ranking: 146
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: 267

Louisville is getting one of the steals of the 2022 class. If Williams possessed better height (6-3) and length, we believe he would be a more widely touted prospect. In this final update, we needed to follow our own conviction and bump him up over 100 spots in the rankings -- and deservedly so. He is an explosive edge defender with good power and active hands. Twice as an underclassman, he attended camps with our scouts and walked away with MVP honors. In a group of elite defensive ends at the Under Armour game, Williams again made the case that he is among the best defenders in the country with disruptive play, including a sack.

LB Lander Barton
Utah
New ESPN 300 ranking: 212
Previous ESPN 300 ranking: unranked

Barton's senior film, supported by an excellent week at the NBC All-American Bowl, thrusted him into the final ESPN 300 rankings. We project he will develop into a versatile front-seven weapon for Utah. He's a physical linebacker with very good length and range, and he looks just as comfortable dropping into coverage as he does pursuing quarterbacks off the edge. The early enrollee can be an immediate contributor and develop into one of the premier defenders in the Pac-12.