The Rivals.com recruiting experts have broken down countless hours of film and racked up plenty of frequent flyer miles to see the top prospects compete in games and at events across the country to come up with the most extensive and accurate prospect rankings and evaluations you will find. In the process of evaluating overall talent, several prospects gained notice for their mastery of specific skills.
Here are our postseason rankings for each category.
1. DaQuan Bowers, Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Ehrhardt
He was pushing around offensive tackles like paper dolls at Under Armour practice.
2. Ethan Johnson, Portland (Ore.) Lincoln
He was injured his senior year but showed great strength as a junior.
3. Nick Perry, Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King
Perry flashed power despite playing out of position at U.S. Army All American Bowl.
4. Chase Clement, Thibodaux (La.) E. D. White
He is very strong when he engages linemen.
5. Kavario Middleton, Lakewood (Wash.) Lakes
He uses his massive size to have his way with offensive lineman.
BEST AGAINST THE RUN
1. Tony Jerod, DeSoto, Texas
Very active with excellent instincts against the run.
2. DaQuan Bowers, Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Ehrhardt
He is nearly impossible to move and has excellent pursuit speed.
3. Nathan Williams, Washington Court House (Ohio) Miami Trace
His linebacker skills coupled with his athleticism make him ideal for playing the run.
4. Michael Williams, Reform (Ala.) Pickens County
Sheds blocks well and keeps his feet.
5. Chase Clement, Thibodaux (La.) E. D. White
Keeps blockers off by using his hands well and gets good push upfield.
BEST PASS RUSHER
1. R.J. Washington, Keller (Texas) Fossil Ridge
He was the quickest off the edge at the U.S. Army All-American practices.
2. DaQuan Bowers, Bamberg (S.C.) Bamberg-Ehrhardt
He can either run around the offensive lineman or push them out of his way.
3. Nick Perry, Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King
He uses his strength to get offensive linemen off balance.
4. Tyler Westphal, Menasha (Wisc.)
At Under Armour practices he used his long arms to get around the offensive lineman.
5. Toby Jackson, Griffin, Ga.
Many in Georgia thought he was the most dominant player in the state.
QUICKEST FIRST STEP
1. R.J. Washington, Keller (Texas) Fossil Ridge
He comes off the edge like a track star.
2. Cornelius Washington, Waynesboro (Ga.) Burke County
This regional 100-meter champ can fly coming from his defensive end position.
3. Chaz Sutton, Savannah (Ga.) Jenkins
Not only did this speed rusher have three sacks in the GACA North South All-Star Game, he was also a running back in high school.
4. Datone Jones, Compton, Calif.
He had 43 tackles for a loss as a senior because he gets into backfield so fast.
5. Quinton Coples, Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy
Long and rangy he gets off the ball with a long first stride.
1. Etienne Sabino, Miami (Fla.) Dr. Krop
This student of the game made more than 150 tackles this season.
2. Sean Spence, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
He proved all week at Under Armour that he could play the pass or run and was seldom, if ever, out of position.
3. Nigel Bradham, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
His ability to read the run or pass led to 147 tackles and 12 sacks this season.
4. Michael Mauti, Mandeville, La.
Seems to always know where the ball is going.
5. Mike Zordich, Youngstown (Ohio) Cardinal Mooney
Heady player has natural instincts at linebacker.
BEST RUN STOPPER
1. Jerrell Harris, Gadsden (Ala.) Gadsden City
He punished his own running backs all week at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.
2. Shayne Hale, Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway
Best moving forward and is strong at first contact. He could even play defensive end.
3. Darius Fleming, Chicago (Ill.) St. Rita
Good size and long frame allows him to make more plays.
4. Uona Kavienga, Los Angeles (Calif.) Leuzinger
At Under Armour he was smacking his own running backs around even when they were not in pads.
5. Brendan Beal, Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty
Loves contact and was a battering ram during U.S. Army All-American Bowl week.
BEST CLOSING SPEED
1. Arthur Brown, Wichita (Kan.) Wichita East
He showed off his speed chasing Sam McGuffie down from behind in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
2. William Green, Hoover (Ala.) Spain Park
He was catching plays from the backside all week at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic.
3. Ryan Baker, Blountstown, Fla.
He was one of the fastest linebackers I have seen live all season. He reminded me of Derrick Brooks.
4. Lerentee McCray, Dunnellon, Fla.
He was also very impressive live chasing the ball sideline to sideline.
5. Marcus Robinson, Homestead, Fla.
Took direct angles and closed well during U.S. Army All-American Bowl week.
BEST ATHLETE
1. Nigel Bradham, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
He was the winner of the EAS Speed and Strength award over some of the other great players in the nation.
2. Marcus Dowtin, Fork Union (Va.) Fork Union Military Academy
Didn't have an impressive week at the Offense-Defense bowl, but he was the leading tackler and rusher for his high school two years in a row.
3. Arthur Brown, Wichita (Kan.) Wichita East
Was a two-way standout on his high school team for four years.
4. Lerentee McCray, Dunnellon, Fla.
The leading tackler for his high school team also returned kicks and played tailback.
5. Brandon Beachum, Youngstown (Ohio) Cardinal Mooney
He was the leading rusher and one of the top tacklers on his state finalist team.
1. D.J. Monroe, Angleton, Texas
Won the Texas 4A 100-meters as a sophomore.
2. Patrick Johnson, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely
Ran a sub-4.4 at USC Camp.
3. Boubacar Cissoko, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech
Has great backpedal and impressive closing speed.
4. Brandon Harris, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
He helped his team to a 4A state football title and was also part of the 2007 state track title.
5. T.J. Bryant, Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln
He has run 38.02 for 300 meters.
BEST BALL SKILLS
1. Patrick Johnson, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely
He had stellar showings against great competition at USC's camp and Florida's Friday Night Lights.
2. Brandon Harris, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
He not only had nine interceptions the last two seasons but made 57 catches at receiver.
3. Janoris Jenkins, Pahokee, Fla.
Showed off great hands at Under Armour All-American Bowl practices.
4. Brandon Taylor, Franklinton, La.
Was a threat on offensive and defensive in high school.
5. Brandon Boykin, Fayetteville (Ga.) Fayette County
Not only had five picks but also took every snap at quarterback and stars at point guard in basketball.
BEST COVERAGE SPEED
1. Alonzo Lawrence, Lucedale (Miss.) George County
Shut down DeAndre Brown in Alabama-Mississippi All-Star practices and Julio Jones in the game.
2. Patrick Johnson, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely
Showed off his skills camp after camp.
3. Brandon Harris, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
Did an excellent job covering A.J. Green, Aldarius Johnson and D.J. Grant during Under Armour practices.
4. Boubacar Cissoko, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech
Had a great week covering DeAndre Brown, Brice Butler and DeVier Posey at U.S. Army All-American practices.
5. Janoris Jenkins, Pahokee, Fla.
Did a great job all week at Under Armour covering Joshua Jarboe, Daryl Stonum, and Julio Jones.
MOST PHYSICAL
1. Patrick Johnson, Pompano Beach (Fla.) Ely
At 6-foot-1, 193 he makes it very hard for receivers to get off the line of scrimmage.
2. Janoris Jenkins, Pahokee, Fla.
I saw him up close knock Joshua Jarboe to the ground off at the line of scrimmage.
3. Alonzo Lawrence, Lucedale (Miss.) George County
Great size at 6-foot-1, 195 allows him to match up with large receivers.
4. Travis Howard, Miami (FL) Dr. Krop
Another tall corner at 6-feet, he made 72 tackles and was named all-state.
5. Aaron Hester, Compton (Calif.) Dominguez
Big corner had a whopping 89 tackles.
BEST ATHLETE
1. Alonzo Lawrence, Lucedale (Miss.) George County
He was one of the best corners I have seen all year and he caught 30 passes and returned five kickoffs for TD's.
2. Brandon Harris, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
Starred on both sides of the ball for state champions and excels in track and field.
3. D.J. Monroe, Angleton, Texas
Running back was also a demon as a punt and kickoff returner. He showed great cover skills on special teams at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
4. Charles Whitlock, Chester, S.C.
He was the star quarterback on a state title team and excelled at defensive back at the Under Armour game.
5. Brandon Boykin, Fayetteville (Ga.) Fayette County
Led his school to its first undefeated season and can dunk a basketball with ease at 5-foot-9.
1. Spencer Adams, Matthews (N.C.) Butler
He showed great speed at Under Armour, even working out at corner against the taller receivers. He is ranked second nationally in the 110 Hurdles.
2. Aaron Williams, Round Rock (Texas) McNeil
He displayed incredible speed and coverage skills at the U.S. Army All-American practice.
3. Joseph Ibiloye, Garland (Texas) South Garland
He is a speed demon on special teams and can make a big hit from out of nowhere.
4. C.J. Holton, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
Has the size of a linebacker and really accelerates when making tackles at the line of scrimmage.
5. Rahim Moore, Los Angeles (Calif.) Dorsey
Had a great week of practice at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, especially making big hits on passes thrown over the middle.
BEST BALL SKILLS
1. Aaron Williams, Round Rock (Texas) McNeil
A safety with cornerback skills which were on displaye at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl practices.
2. Vaughn Telemaque, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly
He made three amazing interceptions in the Pac 5 championship game victory.
3. Jamoris Slaughter, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Tucker
He had eight interceptions and 16 pass breakups in his junior and senior year combined.
4. Okechuckwu Okoroha, Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt
He had four picks in limited action as a senior.
5. Dee Finley, Auburn, Ala.
He had an incredible 14 interceptions in his junior and senior season combined.
BEST COVERAGE SKILLS
1. Aaron Williams, Round Rock (Texas) McNeil
It has been debated whether he is a tall corner or a free safety with incredible coverage skills.
2. Vaughn Telemaque, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly
This safety is so athletic he may be used as a big corner at the next level.
3. Spencer Adams, Matthews (N.C.) Butler
At the Under Armour practices he was used as a corner against the taller receivers and looked very good.
4. Charles Mitchell, Clarksdale, Miss.
His performance at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic proved he could be a cover corner.
5. C.J. Holton, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
He really excelled at picking up backs out of the backfield his senior season.
HARDEST HITTER
1. Ramon Buchanan, Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay
He displayed the ability to roam sideline to sideline and make the big hit at the Under Armour practices.
2. Rahim Moore, Los Angeles (Calif.) Dorsey
He laid crushing blow after crushing blow on his teammates at the U.S. Army All-American practices and then did it in the game.
3. Joseph Ibiloye, Garland (Texas) South Garland
Game against Rockwell showed me he is a linebacker playing safety.
4. Dee Finley, Auburn, Ala.
This safety is the size of a linebacker and hits like one.
5. C.J. Holton, Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla
He is another safety that could be a hard-hitting linebacker at the next level.
1. Lamaar Thomas, Fort Washington (Md.) Friendly
He won the state 100-meter title.
2. Derrick Hall, Beaumont (Texas) Central
Ran the anchor leg for the 4x100 district champions.
3. Will Hill, Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep
He displayed blazing speed as a punt returner at the Under Armour practices.
4. A.J. Alexander, Altoona, Pa.
Was fourth in the state 100-meters as a sophomore.
5. Davon Johnson, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
This state title track team member ran an electronic-timed 4.48 at the Miami Nike Combine.
MOST ATHLETIC
1. Will Hill, Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep
Looked very good playing safety, wide receiver, running back, punt returner and kick returner at Under Armour practices.
2. E.J. Abrams-Ward, Thomasville, N.C.
This great football player is a high-flying dunking machine on the basketball court.
3. Mark Barron, Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's
He has the athleticism to play running back, linebacker or safety at Alabama.
4. Derrick Hall, Beaumont (Texas) Central
Hall can play running back, defensive back and return kicks. He is also one of the state's top track stars.
5. Dyrell Roberts, Smithfield, Va.
This three-sport star also excels at basketball and track and field.
BEST BALL SKILLS
1. Will Hill, Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's Prep
He looked natural catching passes and kicks at the Under Armour practices. Look for Florida to use him on offense.
2. Burton Scott, Prichard (Ala.) Vigor
Looked very natural with the ball in his hands while working at receiver and punt returner during Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and Under Armour practices .
3. Davon Johnson, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington
This potential two-way star has incredible hands he showed off during a state title run.
4. D.J. Shoemate, Anaheim (Calif.) Servite
Played mostly running back his senior year and excelled at catching the ball out of the backfield.
5. Deangelo Peterson, Baton Rouge (La.) Desire Street Academy
This two-way star led his team to the state semifinals catching 39 passes for 675 yards and 10 TD's. He also recorded 104 tackles, four sacks and four picks.
BEST JUMBO ATHLETE
1. Richard Samuel, Cartersville (Ga.) Cass
This two-way standout rushed for 1,429 yards and 24 TD's while accumulating 82 tackles.
2. Jarmon Fortson, Columbus (Ga.) Carver
This giant receiver caught 55 passes for 991 yards and 13 TD's, yet many schools recruited him as a linebacker.
3. Mark Barron, Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's
He excelled as a running back, wide receiver and linebacker.
4. E.J. Abrams-Ward, Thomasville, N.C.
This 6-foot-5 athlete is being recruited as a linebacker, wide receiver and quarterback at the next level.
5. Chris Harper, Wichita (Kan.) Northwest
This dual-threat quarterback ran for 600 yards and passed for 950 yards as a senior. Colleges were recruiting him as a running back, quarterback and linebacker.
1. Caleb Sturgis, Saint Augustine, Fla.
Hit a 51-yarder in the state championship game and hit booming kickoffs at the Under Armour practices.
2. Kevin Harper, Mentor, Ohio
Hit a state record 62-yarder and had 50 touchbacks.
3. Justin Sorensen, South Jordan (Utah) Bingham
This state champion power lifter had 81 touchbacks as a junior and looked great at the U.S. Army All-American practices.
4. Randy Bullock, Klein, Texas
He hit the second-longest field goal in Houston Area history and made All-Area First Team as a junior.
5. Drew Alleman, Scott (La.) Acadiana
His kickoffs were eight yards deep in the state championship game and his booming punts had more than four-second hang times.
MOST ACCURATE
1. Quinn Sharp, Mansfield (Texas) Mansfield Summit
He displayed a very accurate leg during the Offense-Defense practices in Ft. Lauderdale.
2. Chris Philpott, Atlanta (Ga.) St Pius X School
He was 12-of-15 as a senior with longs of 49, 50 and 51.
3. Carson Wiggs, Grand Prairie (Texas) South Grand Prairie
He had a great week of practice at Under Armour and looked natural kicking the ball off the ground.
4. Blair Walsh, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons
He finished his senior season making 14-of-22, including two 59-yarders.
5. Jeff Locke, Phoenix (Ariz.) Mountain Ridge
He was 100 percent on extra point attempts during his high school career.