Mid-South Spotlight: 2024’s best standouts compared to NFL players – News Block

Comparisons are an inevitable part of college football recruiting. This week, Rivals goes region by region to compare some of today’s top high school prospects against NFL or college players.

If you’re looking for the high school version of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro Deebo Samuel, look no further than Miller. The four-star receiver from Silsbee (Texas) is a versatile offensive threat who impacts the game at a high level with the ball in his hands. He can stretch the field vertically, make tough contested catches and turn a quick pass into a big win.

“They want to use me as Deebo Samuel,” Miller told Rivals of his possible fit at Texas A&M. “Put myself in that position; I love hearing that. That’s where I like to compete. Just give me the ball.”

Miller becomes a runner after the catch. He averaged more than 23 receiving yards in his junior year and is just as dangerous in the open field. Miller accounted for 25 touchdowns while playing all three phases, averaging nearly a first down each time he carried the ball.

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Smooth is a word that easily describes Hudson’s five-star game. He’s an effortless road runner who demonstrates outstanding spatial awareness and creates separation with ease. He has a good throw off the line and runs clean routes that help him become a quarterback’s best friend in the passing game.

Hudson is similar to Garrett Wilson in that they are very similar in size at the same stage of their development, and both are big-play receivers who are effective in fast-paced, middle, and downfield games. Wilson was a first round pick after starring at Ohio State. Hudson has the same type of ceiling with one more season at the prep level.

The five-star wide receiver has proven to be a big-play machine at Lake Belton and is virtually indefensible in man-on-man situations. He adds a dimension as a return man and ball carrier, showing just how dynamic a player who can be moving forward is.

Simmons is a game-ruining pass rusher with the ability to ruin an entire offensive game plan. That sounds a lot like Dallas Cowboys phenom Micah Parsons, who has quickly established himself as one of the elite defensemen in the NFL.

Simmons is a five-star recruit from Texas powerhouse Duncanville, where he has often been the best player on the field since his second season in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The elite pass-rusher reached quarterback for 22.5 sacks as a junior.

Where Simmons really showed his game-changing ability was in the Division I 6A State Championship Game last December. He completely dominated the Galena Park North Shore offense, as he lived in the backfield for the entire game. Simmons is explosive off the edge and is a dynamic chess piece for any defensive coordinator.

Mississippi State has had no shortage of next-level defensive linemen over the years, highlighted by Chris Jones and Jeffery Simmons in the past decade. Five-star Kamarion Franklin has the makings to be next on that path.

Franklin is listed at 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, passing the eyesight test with ease. He can play outside on the edge or slide in on the 3-tech. Either way, Franklin is a real threat to get to the quarterback on any play. That is evidenced by a school record 19 sacks as a youth vs. quality contest at the 5A level in northern Mississippi.

Franklin-to-Jones may not be an apples-to-apples comparison, but both had similarly sized frames at the same point in the process and boast the versatility to rush the passer down the entire defensive line. It remains to be seen if Franklin can reach the level that Jones has since, but I’m excited about what the five-star brings to the table.

Bigger, more athletic corners are becoming the norm at the NFL level. Tariq Woolen may be the best example of that, as the 6-foot-4 cornerback enjoyed a breakout rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.

Four-star Selman Bridges seems to fit the same type of mold. A two-sport athlete who also competes on the basketball court and track, Bridges is a long corner with an exciting development ceiling. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds with long arms that make it easy to compare him to the former UTSA star.

The bridges have the length and speed that make it difficult for any receiver to create much of a gap against him. He can play outside corner, nickel, or even deep. Bridges made half a dozen breakup passes and tallied a pair of interceptions during his junior season at Central Texas.

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