Final 2019 ESPN 300 player update (2024)

The final release of the ESPN 300 reflects our scouts' analysis from postseason all-star games and complete senior-season video. Several players' stock went up, while that of others went down as we evaluated their total body of work. This final version of the ESPN 300 for the 2019 class will shape our class rankings and conference grades on Feb. 6, national signing day.

No. 4 Evan Neal (previous: 36)

Neal was this update's big mover in every sense of the word. The massive Alabama OT signee has been climbing up the rankings since the initial release of the 2019 ESPN 300 and will finish as a five-star prospect. Neal is truly a large human being (6-foot-8, 365 pounds), and scouts have wondered whether he can manage his size and avoid carrying too much weight, which would hinder his natural ability. But for as big as he is, Neal possesses not only excellent power, but also very good feet and body control. He is as talented as any big man in this outstanding O-line class. Through this past summer and season, Neal has worked hard to shed unneeded size, and his efforts have resulted in strong and consistent play, culminating in an excellent performance during Under Armour All-America week. Now he's preparing to enter Alabama's strength and conditioning program, which could help turn him into the next premier Crimson Tide OT. -- Craig Haubert

No. 6 Jadon Haselwood (12)
Prior to this edition of the ESPN 300, we did not have a skill-position player in the top 10. With this update, Oklahoma WR signee Haselwood moves up from No. 12 to No. 6 overall. He could be a Justyn Ross-type talent. Haselwood is big and fast and has natural playmaking instincts. He's also a gifted kick-return man. There are a lot of very similar WRs in this class in terms of skill and measurables, but there is just something different about Haselwood. He has a knack for making things look effortless, and he is really good in a crowd or working the middle of the field. How he makes the transition to Norman will depend on his maturity, but from a physical standpoint, he may be better coming out of high school than anyone Oklahoma has recruited in a while. -- Tom Luginbill

No. 19 Jerrion Ealy (49)

Ealy earned a 30-spot jump in the final ESPN 300, up to No. 19 after a fine senior year and spectacular performance at the Under Armour All-America Game. The second-best running back in the class is going to have a decision to make, because he is a highly rated baseball prospect as well. Quite honestly, if he were bigger, he may be the top-ranked back in this class. His diminutive stature helps him in the same way it helps Darren Sproles, though. Ealy is so low to the ground and slippery that it is difficult for defenders to get a clean shot on him between the tackles. Though he may be short, he is not necessarily small. He has deceptive power and runs with toughness. If he can continue to add bulk to his frame, he could become akin to Alabama's Josh Jacobs. He is scheme-versatile and extremely gifted in the passing game. He can be used in a variety of ways in and out of the backfield. We believe he'd make a nice return specialist, too. -- Luginbill

Recruiting Update: Ealy was committed to Ole Miss but didn't sign in the early period. He then decommitted last week, and the chatter was that the Palmetto State Star would sign with a different team on Feb. 6. During Under Armour All-America Game week, Clemson was the school that was mentioned the most, with Mississippi State still trying hard. Whichever school signs Ealy in February will have to sweat out the June MLB draft, because baseball is Ealy's No. 1 focus at this point. -- Gerry Hamilton

No. 28 Antonio Alfano (87)

The Alabama DT signee out of New Jersey jumped up not only in the ESPN 300, but also positionally, as he finishes as the top-ranked defensive tackle. He possesses excellent size, and though he's listed as a DT, his measurables and ability offer the Crimson Tide versatility in how to use him along the defensive front. He has the initial burst and ability to fire off low and play with pad level. He has a stout presence; he's capable of disrupting plays with penetration. Big, strong and explosive, Alfano is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches. -- Haubert

No. 39 Ishmael Sopsher (8)
Sopsher is among the more talented big men in this class, but he is also one of the most frustrating. He is a big boy with outstanding power and good short-space quickness for his size. When he is firing on all cylinders, he is capable of being a real handful in the trenches. But the uncommitted DT has slipped down in the final rankings because of inconsistency. We've see impressive flashes from Sopsher, but we'd like to see him maximize his natural ability from play to play. This drop is not about ability. If and when he becomes more consistent, he will be a five-star-type talent. -- Haubert

Recruiting Update: The elite physical talent is going to sign with an SEC program come Feb. 6. The question remains whether that program will be LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss or Texas A&M. His older brother Rodney, a juco defensive line prospect, has an offer from LSU, and that could tip the scales. -- Hamilton

No. 44 Jayden Daniels (109)
Daniels jumps into the top 50, and of all the QBs in this class, the Arizona State signee may have the best physical upside. His long, athletic frame is eerily similar to that of Lamar Jackson. Daniels is only going to get bigger and stronger. Though he amassed over 13,000 yards and over 170 TDs in high school, it is his uncanny ability to keep his eyes downfield under duress that impresses us the most. He is a passer first, runner second, and though he is more than capable of ripping off runs when things break down, he is very heady about locating last-second passing options. He is a poised, confident player, and he can control his emotions despite his competitive temperament. The competition at ASU is going to be fierce this spring, as both Daniels and fellow classmate and Under Armour All-American Joey Yellen have enrolled early. -- Luginbill

No. 49 Keiondre Jones (107)
Jones is an example of why you don't judge a book by its cover. The Auburn signee has a thickly built, wide body; he can take up space and push defenders around. He also possesses surprising flexibility and short-area quickness that you don't often see in prospects with his size and build. Jones, the No. 1 OG in this class, has also displayed the ability to play center. The agile and powerful big man is a nice addition to that Tigers O-line unit. -- Haubert

No. 84 Charles Cross (194)
This has proven to be one of the strongest and deepest O-line classes we have seen in recent years, and Cross is another example of why. The now top-100 Mississippi State signee has arguably as much upside as any of the talented OT prospects in this class. He needs to continue to fill out, but he possesses a nice frame and length, and he is flexible enough to play with knee bend and natural power. Cross is an OL with the tools to develop into an upper-tier left tackle in the SEC. -- Haubert

No. 186 Keilan Robinson (NR)
This kid is a missile. He is so sudden and explosive that if you blink, you might miss your shot at him. The Alabama RB commit enters the ESPN 300 for the first time off a terrific senior year, and he may be one of the more undervalued players in this class. He's not very big at 5-foot-10, 186 pounds, and he may not be a three-down back, but where he's going, he doesn't have to be. Alabama loses Jacobs and Damian Harris to the NFL draft, but Robinson brings something different to the table. He's like a smaller version of Kenyon Drake in terms of speed and quickness. He's more dynamic than Alabama's traditional power runners of the past. He moves a lot like current Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle. -- Luginbill