re: Class of 2017 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: Say Your Goodbyes Edition

quote:

---

Think sometimes these guys are offered to 1) make OSU work a little harder to keep them and 2) to show other recruits that maybe their spot could get filled if they wait too long to make a decision. Do not see him leaving unless Akers commits to OSU, then all bets are off.

---

quote:

---

At next week’s The Opening Finals, there will be two guys running around and competing that are just a little different at this point than their peers.

It’s no coincidence those two will arrive at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. ranked No. 1 and No. 2 by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The talent five-star running back Najee Harris and five-star linebacker Dylan Moses are already showing is on another level at this stage in the game.

“Physically, they’re on a different level,” an off-field recruiter at a major SEC program said.

Which then got me thinking, could these two bypass college football altogether and declare for the NFL Draft if it were allowed? Would an NFL team take them as an investment? Harris is currently committed to Alabama and Moses is a one-time LSU commit still strongly considering the Tigers, the Crimson Tide and Texas along with Miami, Ohio State and UCLA.

The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Harris is more than a downhill power back. He has the shiftiness to make defenders miss between the tackles and in the open field and when he sees daylight he's gone. Harris has also proved to be an every-down back showing at multiple camps he can catch the football and be a playmaker if asked in that regard. The easy comparison is last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry who arrived at Alabama arguably the greatest high school football player of all time, however Harris appears to be more fluid than the former Crimson Tide star.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Moses has been on our radar for years running 4.4s since the eighth grade, and the five-star linebacker will look to go sub-4.4 during the Nike Football Rating Championships on July 8. There hasn’t been a linebacker as good as Moses in space since Jaylon Smith came out and dominated The Opening back in the summer of 2012. Smith went on to win the Butkus Award this past year awarded to college football's top linebacker while wrapping up his career at Notre Dame. Moses’s ability to fly around, change direction, attack ball carriers and cover is second to none.

I think it’s possible an NFL franchise would draft Harris or Moses in next April’s draft on potential alone, as I keep in mind that both should have the athleticism to be able to contribute on special teams and earn their keep on day one in the league. You only have 53-man roster to work with in the league so it would be tough to justify either guy if you didn’t think they could at least play special teams.

“I do too,” the SEC coach agreed they could do it. “I don’t know if they’d be ready immediately. I always tend to lean football would be hardest sport to make the jump because of the physical nature of the game and those guys at the professional level, mentally as well, good grief, the processing ability and nuances they learned, all the things a professional football player has to do and learn from high school to college to the pros in this sport is extremely hard. I do think a Najee or a Dylan or a Cam Robinson or a Leonard Fournette, those type of guys would get drafted on their potential but I think it would be a massive learning curve.

“There are fewer of them than we think that could make the jump.”

An off-field personnel member for a Big Ten program disagreed saying he didn’t think anyone was capable.

“That's so hard,” another prominent off-field SEC staffer with NFL experience said. "Being in the NFL the game is so fast. And so much mental. That was the thing I always admired is the mental preparation, the amount of film that those guys watch. I'm just not sure an 18-year old kid has that ability to sit down, stay focused and play the cat-mouse game with a guy like Philip Rivers or Carson Palmer or Tom Brady."

No arguments here however there’s a different feel for me regarding Harris and Moses and this topic and it probably has a lot to do with the positions they play, the size both bring to the table and how athletic they are. Remember the question also is would they be drafted, not if they would be starters in year one.

You look at the 247Sports Composite top three in 2016 and you see Michigan’s defensive lineman Rashan Gary, Clemson’s defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and Ole Miss’s offensive tackle Gregory Little at the top. Dabo Swinney is already raving about Lawrence. Maybe that trio wouldn’t have been ready coming out of high school but one of them if not all of them could have the talent to be one-and-done if it were allowed.

The top three in 2015 was Georgia defensive lineman Trent Thompson, Florida offensive tackle Martez Ivey and defensive end Byron Cowart, I don’t think anyone would have argued anyone from that group could have made the jump.

The top of the board in 2014 was special with Fournette, Texas A&M’s defensive end Myles Garrett, Michigan’s defensive back Jabrill Peppers and Robinson. You could certainly have made a case for all of those dudes coming out and none of them are expected to be in college after this year, and all are expected to be high draft picks.

“I would think it’s next to impossible for the linemen,” the first SEC source referenced said. “Those guys, really just the maturity and strength they would have to have to play against professionals coming straight from high school, those professionals they train for a living, I don’t know if that can be done. They may have the athleticism, movement skills and traits, but the strength, if it can be done it’s a skill guy that can do it.”

---

quote:

---

BURTONSVILLE, Md. – There were a few headliners and a lot of up-and-comers on the field this past Friday for the Sound Mind Sound Body Football Academy in the Washington D.C./Baltimore area.

College coaching staffs from Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Michigan State, Penn State, Army, Toledo, Ball State and Bowling Green among others were also out evaluating prospects, including Scarlet Knights head coach Chris Ash and Terrapins head coach D.J. Durkin.

---

quote:

---

The Latest: Rivals100 wide receiver Devonta Smith had planned to come to Florida State for a visit this past week -- that is until he realized he made a scheduling error. Smith thought the Seminoles were holding a camp, but he was a week late, so he had to cancel his visit. But just because he didn't make it to Tallahassee doesn't mean the 'Noles are out of the mix. According to Smith, he will make it to town for a visit at next month's camp, where he hopes to get a chance to spend quality time with the Seminoles coaches both on and off the field.

In His Words: "I haven't been down to visit since junior day so I want to get back on campus. I really want to see Coach Dawsey and how he coaches on the field. I'm going to go down there and work out and just see what kind of man he really is. It's really important for me to have that bond with my coaches because if I don't have a relationship with them it's going to be hard for me to be at that school."

Rivals Reaction: It's clear Alabama and LSU are still the two teams at the top of Smith's list, but Florida State is still working hard to get in the mix. Getting Smith on campus would be a major step in that direction, so if he misses another visit it might be too much for the 'Noles to overcome. Smith's visit pattern over the next six weeks could say a lot about his future destination.

---

quote:

---

The Latest: Class of 2018 running back Jarveon Howard has been making the rounds at camps across the Southeast and most recently he put his best foot forward while working out for Alabama. Howard, whose lone offer to date is from Memphis, said he did so well he was pulled out of drills to meet Nick Saban as well as tour the Tuscaloosa campus and football facilities.

In His Words: "It turned out great. I went out and ran a 4.4 40-yard dash and I did pretty well at Bama Ball. Once the coaches actually saw me run they were impressed. Then they pulled me from Bama Ball and the coaches talked to me quite a bit. I think they want me come back up there in July for their camp on the 17th. I’m going to try to make that trip. I think they want to see me workout again now that they know who I am coming in."

On meeting Nick Saban: "I got a chance to meet Coach Saban, It was just a natural conversation. We didn’t have a lot of time so it wasn’t like a real 1-on-1 conversation but it was still exciting. It was really good because when I actually got a chance to shake his hand it was like, I just met the coach who won the national championship."

Rivals Reaction: Howard looks the part of a Power Five back and whether it's the Tide or someone else, it seems like only a matter of time before the offers start rolling in. Prospects in Mississippi usually take longer to emerge than other states, but he's clearly a name to watch.

---

quote:

---

1. Mitch Hyatt
2. Greg Little
3. Casey Tucker

4. Jedrick Wills

The Skinny: Since an impressive showing as an underclassman at the 2015 Rivals Challenge, Wills has seen more and more offers come his way. He has been a recruiting priority for Kentucky since day one. The local five-star is a must get for coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats, but if they don’t show progress on the field this season it is likely that a school like Notre Dame, Tennessee or Alabama will swoop in and pull Wills away from Kentucky.

Farrell’s Take: Willis is also a two-timer at the Five-Star Challenge, coming out of nowhere to earn a spot in Baltimore in 2015 and showing his skills as a veteran of the event in Atlanta this year. He was one of the most consistent linemen in both years, getting out of his stance quickly, showing excellent hand placement and being patient as he reacts to his opponent's move. He could be a guard or tackle in college and beyond and should be a star.

---