By the time their senior years roll around, five-star prospects stand out among their peers. They are often easy to pick out. And while the five-member 247Sports Rankings Council had broad agreement on which players should be five-stars in the final release of the Top247 for the class of 2020, there were some disagreements in each member’s individual five-star rankings.

We identified which prospects each expert rated high above the other experts, and asked them to explain why they are taking a stand well above the rest of the group.

Barton Simmons’ Outliers

No. 6: Georgia DT Jalen Carter (9 in Top247)

No. 19: Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman (25)

No. 30: Boston College OT Ozzy Trapilo (79)

On Carter ...

“I’ve long had a hunch on Carter because athleticism is packed into that 300-pound frame that I’m not sure any other interior defender in this class has. I love the innate strength and movement ability that the background in competitive lifting and basketball have given him. I also like that he’s new to defensive line with much of his background on offense at H-Back. He already plays with great leverage and ferocity but i think the trajectory is steep too.”

On Bowman ...

“I think the modern running back isn’t the plodding, workhorse. It’s the explosive, dynamic back that can exploit space and probe for big plays. That’s Bowman to me. He’s got 10.4 speed in the 100 meters, has the prerequisite production against elite competition and I just can’t help but see Travis Etienne remade in the Clemson offense, or if you want another ACC back, how does Dalvin Cook sound?”

On Trapilo ...

“I’ll be honest, it would take some courage to throw Trapilo into our oficial five-star rankings but in my personal rankings, it’s worth taking a flyer on. The bottom line is that this is the type of guy that gets drafted in the first round in the NFL Draft but is never enough of a finished product out of high school to rank that high. I think we’ve identified a player with that kind of ceiling. He’s got great size, outstanding basketball athleticism, NFL pedigree and has shown significant development year over year into his senior season. If you can’t take a shot on a guy like this then we’re just conceding a reluctance to make bold projections.”

Charles Power’s Outliers

No. 16: Wisconsin OT Jack Nelson (26)

No. 23: Texas A&M WR Demond Demas (31)

On Nelson ...

Every cycle, we see big-framed offensive linemen who are lean and athletic begin a rapid developmental ascent as seniors. This time last year, Jack Nelson was listed as a 6-foot-7, 240-pound offensive tackle. He showed up to the All-American Bowl at a lean 282 pounds with close to 34 inch arms. He then had a strong week and acquitted himself well against elite competition after rarely if ever having to block a defensive lineman who will play big-time college football. His natural talent and mental makeup made for an easy transition and should do similar at Wisconsin. Nelson is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the class, is a dominant player on Friday nights and still has a considerable room for development. I’ll buy that stock.

On Demas ...

Demond Demas could have the highest ceiling of any non-quarterback skill player in the 2020 cycle. He didn’t play his senior year due to a transfer ruling and needs to progress as a route-runner, but there’s no denying Demas has the talent to make individual plays few others can dream of pulling off. As a prospect with a higher ceiling and lower floor than many of the other five-stars, I thought having Demas at 23 split the difference a bit. If he hits in college, I think there’s a decent chance he’ll end up better than some ranked ahead of him based on his immense physical upside.

Steve Wiltfong’s Outliers

No. 4: Clemson DE Myles Murphy (14)

No. 6: Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (29)

No. 16: Texas DE Alfred Collins (32)

No. 19: Alabama LB Demouy Kennedy (35)

On Murphy ...

I think Murphy is a unique athlete that is still blossoming physically, with all the traits to develop into one of the best edge rushers in college football. His testing numbers, 4.6 40 and 4.2 shuttle resemble highly-recruited defensive backs. He’s twitchy, strong and physical, runs extremely well for a defensive end/outside linebacker and above all I love the effort he plays with. Between the senior film and live evaluations in the spring before and All-American Bowl after, Murphy has always looked like an elite guy to me. With my own personal rankings I also take into account the program they signed with and I believe Clemson will completely maximize every ounce of potential Murphy is bring into their program as an early enrollee.

On Stroud ...

Like I said with Murphy, I take into account program signed with and I believe Ryan Day has shown a bit of a Midas touch with his last couple starting quarterbacks and I love the traits and skill set Stroud is bringing to Columbus, a talented passer and subtly athletic player that has already shown incredible development in the last year, improving from junior year to Elite 11 in the summer to a magnificent senior campaign. I also took a flier this high on the position alone. I think Bryce and DJ were the no-brainers at the top but I think if Stroud does what he’s capable of doing at OSU he’ll be a Top10 pick as well.

On Collins ...

We’re talking 60 tackles for loss over the last two seasons including 35 as a senior. Incredibly productive player that we’ve also seen develop physically in front of our own eyes. He weighed 247 pounds in the spring at The Opening Regional and then a lean looking 284 on our scale at check in for the All-American Bowl and will easily carry 300 pounds in Austin where he has the skill set to play across the front. He’s an explosive and nimble athlete that averages a double-double on the hardwood and plays above the rim. I think he can be scary good as he continues to add strength to his big, athletic frame.

On Kennedy ...

Had some of the best linebacker film the last two seasons (junior and senior clips), impacts the game in all three facets, and I love his potential for growth going to play at Alabama. Runs well, a smooth second level defender that can play in space, he strikes, he turns the ball over, he can rush the passer, he can change direction and tackle, he’s just a playmaker that I could see leading the Crimson Tide in tackles for a couple seasons.

Brandon Huffman’s Outliers

No. 4: Oregon LB Justin Flowe (11)

No. 21: Ohio State WR Gee Scott Jr. (37)

No. 28: Notre Dame OT Tosh Baker (56)

On Flowe ...

“While I don’t doubt the days of inside linebackers being picked in the top five are gone, if they ever really were, Flowe is a linebacker prospect so good that I think he could reverse the trend. In fact, it was in last year’s draft that an inside linebacker went in the top 5 with Devin White and a second inside linebacker went inside the top ten with Devin Bush. Flowe is similar size to both at the same stage, in fact, he may be bigger than both were. As physical a linebacker prospect to come out of the West in the last decade, Flowe also possesses athleticism to give him plus coverage ability, though his strength is certainly against the run and getting into the backfield. He should be an instant impact linebacker immediately for Oregon and is an optimal fit for an inside linebacker at the next level.”

On Scott Jr. ...

“Seeing the growth of Scott as a player from an 8th grader to his senior year, I saw a player that got bigger, stronger, more polished and more importantly faster as his career went on. He’ll never be mistaken as a blazer, but he consistently gets separation, is always getting behind the secondary and is a downfield threat and not just a short yardage receiver. He’s difficult to press but if you give him a cushion, he can still exploit it. Scott also never had the luxury of so many top receivers in that he never had a D-I caliber quarterback throwing him the ball so he never put up the big numbers other receivers, until his senior season, where he showed the off-season explosion wasn’t limited to shirts and shorts, but then followed it up with a big senior year where he posted career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns. He’s the most college ready of the Ohio State receivers that signed, which is saying something because I anticipate each will play as true freshman, but physically, Scott should have a very seamless transition and I feel he’ll quickly be a part of the receiver rotation and enjoy a stellar career in Columbus.”

On Baker ...

“The biggest disappointment of the All-American Bowl week was Baker being hurt in the first practice and being sidelined the rest of the week and then for the Polynesian Bowl too. Thankfully, I had seen Baker earlier in the year when he matched up against the No.1 prospect by 247Sports for 2021, J.T. Tuimoloau. While Tuimoloau got the upper hand, you expect that from the No.1 prospect. When he was flipped over, Baker dominated his defender, another FBS prospect. He has elite athleticism for his size, a tribute to his basketball background, his mobility and quickness not a commonality with tackles. He also has a frame that can support more weight but shouldn’t sacrifice his athleticism. I think had he participated the whole week in San Antonio, this wouldn’t be such an outlier so I’m glad I got a chance to see him during the season.”

Greg Biggins’ Outliers

No. 7: South Carolina DT Jordan Burch (17)

No. 10: LSU CB Elias Ricks (18)

On Burch ...

“I like his positional versatility and he showed me enough at the Under Armour AA Game practices to justify the ranking. I get the competition for him at Hammond wasn’t great but for me, this is a kid who’s very athletic and if ends up sliding inside, I think he’s going to be very difficult to block. He has a projectable frame as an inside/outside guy, is a plus athlete and shows the kind of motor I think you have to have to really be successful in the trenches.”

On Ricks ...

“Ricks didn’t have a great senior year but he played all season with a torn labrum that required surgery. I still remember him as a junior playing the nation’s toughest schedule, covering the other teams best receiver and finishing the year with nine picks, six for TDs. He’s long, has great ball awareness and instincts and is a better athlete then given credit for. He plays with an edge to his game, isn’t afraid to mix it up in the run game and always competes at a high level. He’ll need to continue to work on his overall quickness and burst but I think he has a very nice upside to him.”