Rivals Five-Star: Key WR storylines to follow heading into Indianapolis
The Rivals Five-Star is being held June 23-24 at the Indianapolis Colts’ practice facility. Here are four wide receiver storylines we’re following heading into the biggest event of the summer.
How much higher for Tristen Keys?
Tristen Keys, the Mississippi five-star, is currently in rare air for a wide receiver. He’s sitting at No. 5 in the entire country just behind a pair of potential franchise offensive tackles and quarterbacks.
But could he rise even higher with an electric performance at Rivals Five-Star?
The opportunity is certainly there. Keyes is the highest-rated player coming to the event which gives him an opportunity to show everyone that he can do it on the biggest stage against the best competition. It’ll be fun to see him go to work.
Young guns step on the stage
This is the type of event where younger players can really burst onto the scene. We don’t have a shortage of very talented young prospects ready to make an impact.
Ohio State commit Jamier Brown is already a five-star and can stamp himself as the next one up for the Buckeyes.
Indiana native Monshun Sales (6-5, 195) has turned a lot of heads during his recruitment but we haven’t seen him against top competition. Eric McFarland is an electric player out of IMG Academy. He’s one of the youngest players attending as a 2028 prospect and will look to leave his mark.
LSU well represented
The battle between LSU and Ohio State for the title of ‘Wide Receiver U’ isn’t a debate to get into right now. However, the Tigers will be well represented at Rivals Five-Star.
Kenny Darby, Tristen Keyes and Jabari Mack are all scheduled to be in attendance. So we’ll get a good look at the future of the Tigers’ receiving corps. That’s if the Tigers can hold on to Keyes. He was at Tennessee recently for an official visit and the Vols were one of the top contenders for his signature before his verbal pledge to LSU.
Will Zion Robinson be on the board?
Right now, it seems to be a three-team race for the Texas wideout. He’s completed official visits to Michigan and Miami already. Both programs feel like they improved their chances with the big-bodied playmaker. A visit to Stanford looms just before the Rivals Five-Star event.
Will the Cardinal be able to close the gap with the two powerhouse programs? That’ll be one of the first questions asked to Robinson at media day on Monday.
It’s also very interesting that Robinson has seemingly eliminated TCU, where he has family ties, and will leave the state.
Will another five-star emerge?
As things currently stand, Tristen Keyes and Jamier Brown are the only five-star receivers that will be at the event. So this is a great opportunity for the other receivers to step up and make a name for themselves in front of analysts and evaluators.
There are several candidates in the mix to make a move. But I’ll have my attention on a select group of players that the NFL is loving right now.
At the slot position alone Tyreek King, CJ Sadler and Vance Spafford will get to show who is the alpha at the position this cycle. Getting a closer look at that battle will be a lot of fun.
