Based on off field mentalily or skill? I know literally nothing about this kid except he wanted to go to Syracuse so I'm assuming he's not too sharp.
Skill and film.
1. He's really skinny. He's listed at 195, but I don't believe it for a second. He's not physically ready to be a contributor year 1. At our program, he would be an obvious redshirt:
a. His high rating is clearly assuming he's a workaholic in the gym, follows a diet to allow him to get stronger and withstand the physicality of college DBs;
b. It also projects that he has the frame to do so. I don't make that assumption.
c. People love his height and length. I get it, but that alone does not a receiver make.
2. I don't see the route running:
a. I'm not a receiver guru, but there are DB guys on the board like
@Memnon and
@Tee3000 who talk about what makes life hard for DBs. Crisp route running, suddenness, "stop-start," eye language, body language. I don't see it from Russell.
b. I think he's the beneficiary of playing on a great team with very good individual players.
Long story short, the 5-star rating seems to be pure projection to me, and not objective reality. It's based on his 6'5" and long profile. I don't even think he's a contributor at a major program until his Redshirt Soph year, and that's if he fills out physically. We can do better than that.