re: Class of 2016 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Waiting On Demetris Robertson Edition

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Shawn Jennings, DB, Dadeville


The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Jennings will commit on May 15 and Alabama is a favorite to land the Dadeville athlete, who played quarterback last year but will play defense in college. His brother Anfernee, a defensive end, signed with Alabama in February.

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Cavin Ridley, WR, Deerfield Beach, Fla.


The younger brother of Tide signee Calvin, the four-star Cavin also has an Alabama offer. All 11 of the 247Sports Crystal Ball picks predict Cavin to Alabama as well, so it's probably a matter of whenever he can make a visit to Tuscaloosa.

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Quarterback to be named later


Clockwise from top left are targets Jalen Hurts (Channelview, Texas), Dwayne Haskins (Potomac, Md.), Xavier Gaines (Lake Wales, Fla.) and Jawon Pass (Columbus, Ga.). Blake Barnett and David Cornwell committed to Alabama in June of their respective signing class years. Cooper Bateman committed in May. Odds are that Alabama will have a QB commit in that time frame. If Diggs chooses Alabama, Haskins could too because the two want to play together in college.

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Deonte Brown, OL, Decatur, Ala.


The 6-foot-3, 350-pound Brown earned an Alabama offer earlier this year and while he hasn't gotten as much buzz lately, he's a top in-state lineman that could give the Tide a pledge.

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Each year, college football coaches look for recruits who can fit their schemes and be major impacts within the program. In many cases, coaches want these athletes to excel sooner than later.

There are many coaches nationally who won't look for excuses to play their best athletes. If that means a freshman outshines a senior in practices, so be it. The 2016 recruiting class has a handful of athletes who are capable of making an upperclassman a permanent backup.

Of course, it all depends on how fast a player adapts to a program, but here are 10 2016 athletes who not only could see playing time in college but also could be put into starting roles as freshmen. All names are listed in alphabetical order.

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DT Rashan Gary

Hometown (school): Paramus, New Jersey (Paramus Catholic)

Size: 6'4", 290 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 1 overall



There's a reason why Rashan Gary is the top-ranked player in the country. He has great strength, a ton of football IQ and ridiculous speed for a player his size. As he inches closer to 30 reported offers, Gary is an athlete who can go anywhere in the country and see immediate playing time.

Most recently, Gary has visited Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina and Ohio State. Those programs are potential landing spots, but Alabama and Michigan are two schools considered to be front-runners. Look for Gary to continue taking his time with the process.

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The quarterback carousel continues to gain momentum in the 2016 recruiting class—including three 4-star commitments at the position last week—and no prospect currently commands more attention than Dwayne Haskins.

The 6'3", 198-pound Maryland passer claims nearly 40 scholarship offers. He is still considering several college programs while working his way toward an announcement.

Haskins told Bleacher Report he expects to reveal a decision this spring. He is targeting late May/early June as a time frame to declare his pivotal pledge.

"I definitely want to be committed before I go out to the Elite 11 finals," Haskins said.

He qualified for the event on Sunday by performing well at The Opening Washington, D.C. regional. Haskins became the fifth quarterback invited to the Elite 11 finals, which begin on July 5 at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

Past competitors include Andrew Luck, Teddy Bridgewater, Tim Tebow, Matt Stafford and Jameis Winston.

"It's a dream come true," he said. "I didn't think I was going to get invited at first, to be honest. It's a great opportunity to join the people who have gone out to the Elite 11 and the people who are going there now. It's great to go out there and compete."

Haskins claimed quarterback MVP honors at the regional camp. He separated himself from the pack of contenders with consistency throughout the day.

"Dwayne is very smooth. He's got a great stroke," Nike coach Matt James said. "The ball comes out of his hand very nicely. It finishes down the field and doesn't get hung up. They're catchable passes that are on kids in a hurry. He's very knowledgeable as far as defensive reads and understanding where to go with the ball. He didn't force things and just made smart decisions all day long."

Haskins, rated fifth nationally among pro-style quarterbacks in 247Sports, threw for 3,066 yards and 36 touchdowns during the past two seasons. He tossed just 11 interceptions on 387 pass attempts during that span, per MaxPreps.

Haskins will command quite a spotlight this fall as a senior at The Bullis School.

"I'm a game-changer whenever I have the ball in my hands, whether it's first down or third down," he said. "I'm going to get the job done. I don't make too many mistakes, and if I do make a mistake, there won't be one the next play. It's about making sure I capitalize on everything around me."

That skill set has led plenty of collegiate coaching staffs to pursue him during the course of his recruitment. Haskins understands he's now considered one of the top 2016 recruits who remains uncommitted.

Three coveted quarterbacks—Jarrett Guarantano (Tennessee), Tristen Wallace (Ohio State) and Devon Modster (Arizona)—announced their respective commitments on April 15.

However, Haskins isn't allowing other players' pledges to dictate his decision or put pressure on him.

"It's crazy to think that people are committing like flies. Every day, there's something new going on," he said. "I'm just taking my time with it. I'm not too worried about who commits now or who commits later. The spots are definitely filling up, but the schools I'm interested in don't have a quarterback."

The final stretch of this frenzied recruitment is likely to feature at least four more campus visits. Haskins shared plans to attend spring games at Virginia Tech and Rutgers this upcoming weekend.

He also aims to spend time at Notre Dame and Florida before determining which university is the right fit. Haskins previously visited both schools and likes them enough to return for another look.

"Those will be the last few schools I'm visiting before a decision," he said.

Maryland has continuously shown Haskins immense interest. The Terrapins know a commitment from a quarterback of his caliber could create a rewarding chain reaction for in-state recruiting efforts.

Although he made a name for himself in Maryland, Haskins grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey—just minutes away from Rutgers. His choice could ultimately center on the pair of Big Ten newcomers.

Other teams to keep an eye on include Alabama and LSU, though the Tigers already hold a commitment from top-rated dual-threat quarterback Feleipe Franks.

Another intriguing element of Haskins' recruitment is his close relationship with third-rated Maryland wide receiver Trevon Diggs.

The 4-star athlete also earned an invitation to The Opening on Sunday after coming up big on both sides of the ball. Diggs recently trimmed his list of college options to a top 12.

Alabama, LSU, Florida, Rutgers and Maryland are programs of interest that overlap with Haskins' potential landing spots. Diggs named the Crimson Tide his leader at this point and wore Alabama gloves during the regional camp.

Haskins confirmed he considers himself and Diggs a "package deal" when it comes to college. They could form a dangerous duo for years to come.

"He's just a playmaker," he said. "Tre and I go way back since freshman year. We definitely learned how to play with each other. I feel like I know when he's open and when he's looking for me to throw him the ball. The relationship I've built with him at receiver, I want to continue that in college."

Haskins admits he's likely to commit before Diggs, so that decision could tip off the receiver's ultimate intentions. We've seen "package deals" disintegrate on the recruiting trail in years past, but this pair seems rather adamant about its plans.

We'll learn more about the quarterback's possible destinations in upcoming weeks, as visits and final sales pitches should shape the outcome.

Expect the fun-loving Haskins to head to the Elite 11 finals representing a school's recruiting class, ready to encourage fellow elite talents to join him.

"It's an exciting time right now," he said.

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