The updated Rivals250 rankings are now live. There are big risers and notable fallers in the rankings with high school football season finally here after a long offseason.
Two of the biggest risers from the fresh set of rankings play on Friday nights in Mississippi: wide receiver Ayden Williams and running back Dante Dowdell. The two Magnolia State standouts made big jumps and are primed to have strong senior campaigns before leaving for the collegiate level.
Here's why Williams and Dowdell have seen their stock rise going into the season.
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Perhaps no prospect has had a better offseason than Ridgeland (Miss.) wide receiver Ayden Williams. Williams has jumped inside the Rivals100 after standing out on the 7-on-7 circuit and in camps during the spring and summer.
Williams really shined down in Florida at the UA Future 50 camp in July. There, the Mississippi pass catcher showed off his catch radius, won his fair share of matchups against high-quality defensive backs, and answered just about any question that anyone had of him.
Williams is a physical wideout on the outside that plays like an alpha. He has the makings of being a legitimate go-to option in an offense and the arrow is only pointing up in his development as a player.
The Rivals100 receiver is closing in on a decision. Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, and South Carolina are among the top contenders for the Magnolia State pass catcher. The Rebels appear to be sitting in the driver's seat as Lane Kiffin looks to add more weapons to his offense.
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Dante Dowdell landed just inside the June edition of the Rivals250 rankings. Now, he is safely inside the top-200 and has a chance to rise even higher with another productive season toting the rock in Mississippi.
Committed to Oregon, Dowdell is a well-built running back that has the frame, vision, and quickness to hurt defenses all over the field. He rushed for more than 2,500 yards as a junior and totaled nearly 30 touchdowns during his breakout campaign.
Dowdell is locked in with Dan Lanning and the Ducks after choosing the Pac-12 program over Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the SEC back in May.
