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

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4-Star OL Trey Smith

Current Ranking: No. 9 offensive tackle, No. 48 overall

Recruitment Status: Considering Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame and Ohio State

As Bleacher Report’s Damon Sayles detailed, 4-star offensive lineman Trey Smith was dubbed the nation’s top overall prospect in the 2017 cycle by ESPN.

However, he’s still a 4-star in the 247Sports composite rankings—which is an average rating that takes into account rankings from all the major recruiting services.

With some outlets not sold on his potential to become a dominant left tackle at the college level, Smith used The Opening to make a case to be billed as a 5-star.

As noted by Brian Perroni of 247Sports, Smith’s athleticism sets him apart from a class loaded with powerful protectors in the trenches.

The Tennessee native was consistent enough to warrant consideration for a place among the group of 5-star prospects in the 2017 cycle.

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Opening annually challenges high school football's premier players to rise up in the company of elite peers. Held July 5-10 at Nike world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, the event featured 166 athletes from across America and beyond.

Each competitor earned their spot in Oregon by delivering strong performances during past seasons and recent regional showcases. Combined, this collection carries thousands of scholarship offers and will ultimately feature several future college and NFL superstars.

Some athletes entered the action with higher expectations than the bulk of other attendees, courtesy of elevated ratings throughout the recruiting-analysis industry. We examined the top 10 prospects in 247Sports' composite rankings, grading each based strictly on how they performed in Oregon.

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3. DT Marvin Wilson

School: Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Texas)

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 defensive tackle; No. 3 overall

College Status: Uncommitted; Contenders include Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas

Analysis

The young man who regularly calls himself a "real-life goon" brought intensity to the trenches throughout his stay in Beaverton. Marvin Wilson, who stands 6'4", 329 pounds, led trash-talking efforts by a mile among linemen, and walked the walk for the most part.

"He's a high-energy guy, 100 percent, all the time," fellow Texan and 4-star offensive lineman Walker Little said. "He's an absolute load to have to block. You've got to bring your A-game going against him. That's a big guy coming at you with a lot of aggression."

Wilson, who burst onto the national scene with 67 tackles—19 for loss—and 15 sacks as a sophomore, was clearly the best interior defensive lineman in attendance, though this group had a difficult time overall matching the immense talent of a loaded 2016 class at The Opening. Defensive line MVP honors awaited Wilson Sunday evening, though a few top offensive linemen enjoyed success against him during stretches of the competition.

Grade: B+

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1. RB Najee Harris

School: Antioch High School (Antioch, California)

247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 running back; No. 1 overall

College Status: Committed to Alabama

Analysis

Najee Harris arrived at The Opening with a target on his back as the No. 1 overall recruit in composite rankings. He did little to dispel that notion in Beaverton, though running backs are used almost strictly as pass targets rather than offensive catalysts in the seven-on-seven tournament.

Powerful, long legs, a formidable upper body and angry rushing style make him one of the most unique backs we've scouted in recent years, putting him in a conversation as the position's most impressive prospect since 2014 recruit and current LSU star Leonard Fournette.

Harris, who has rushed for 5,007 yards and 59 touchdowns during the past two seasons, is more sure-handed than several blue-chip receivers and presents major yards-after-catch potential in the open field. If his health remains on track, the 6'3", 226-pound playmaker is next in a line of superstar Crimson Tide running backs.

Grade: A

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BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Offensive lineman Trey Smith, the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2017, has narrowed his list down to six schools. Ohio State, Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Clemson and Notre Dame comprise the ESPN 300 prospect’s list and will fight for an official visit during the season.

Smith, from Jackson, Tennessee, has nearly every major program after him, so narrowing his list down to just six schools was a bit of a challenge. He and his father sat down and comprised a plan to help him figure out what schools would be the best suitors.

“My dad is a businessman, so he had a spreadsheet for me to narrow it down,” he said. “We put in boxes with a scale of 1 to 10 with things like a good offensive line coach, a good relationship with the coaches, opportunity to prepare me for the NFL and opportunity to play. We just had our list end evaluations of each school, and whoever was the top six on the list was my top six.”

While Smith won't reveal who came out on top within the spreadsheet, the 6-foot-6, 299-pound lineman says that one school was a clear No. 1 after the grading.

“Another school came close, but there was a clear No. 1,” he said. “It was quite shocking because that was one of my top schools, so it was interesting.”

Smith says he will take all five of his official visits during the season and plans to make his decision by mid-December, before Christmas.

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The 2016 @Final5Linemen OL

MVP - Foster Sarell
Jamaree Salyer
Walker Little
Alex Leatherwood
Wyatt Davis
Cesar Ruiz

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BEAVERTON, Ore. — One of the benefits of an event like The Opening, the premier camp for the nation’s top high school football players in the country held at Nike’s world headquarters, is it gives recruits a great opportunity to hang out with possible future college teammates. Alabama commit Tua Tagovailoa has taken advantage of that.

Tagovailoa, one of the leaders of the Crimson Tide’s Class of 2017, has spent his week in Oregon getting to know Alabama’s other six commits that are at The Opening. One of those commits is the nation’s No. 1 overall player, running back Najee Harris.

The left-handed Hawaiian quarterback spoke about the bond he is forming with Harris.

“He’s an awesome guy,” Tagovailoa said of Harris. “He’s been coming to my bible study group since Thursday. It’s been an amazing experience because you get to hear all of the struggles he’s going through and overcoming. I can’t say what he said because what gets said in the room stays in there.”

Besides getting to know each other off the field, Tagovailoa and Harris are competing on the same 7-on-7 team at The Opening, giving them the perfect opportunity to get familiar with each other’s tendencies on the field.

Just how impressed has Tagovailoa been with Harris’ game?

“You got a guy that can block for you, catch for you and a guy who can run,” Tagovailoa said. “He has all the intangibles needed to be a running back. There’s just too many things about him to be impressed by just one.”

Harris and Tagovailoa are joined on Team VaporSpeed by the following Alabama commits who are all 4-star recruits: wide receiver Tyrell Shavers; linebackers Markail Benton and VanDarius Cowan and safety Xavier McKinney. Tagovailoa said it’s important for him to leave Oregon this week with a solid friendship.

“This is where we’re going to build that bond and build that relationship,” Tagovailoa said. “By the time we get to Alabama, I hope everything is good as far as our relationship is concerned.”

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Why Alabama regained its footing with 5-star DT Marvin Wilson

Shortly after news broke back in April that Bo Davis, Alabama’s former defensive line coach, had to resign because of alleged recruiting violations, Marvin Wilson, the nation’s No. 1 defensive tackle, tweeted he was no longer considering the Crimson Tide. Things have changed in a positive direction for Alabama since then.

The main reason why Alabama is “really high” on Wilson’s list of favorite schools which include, most notably, Florida State and LSU is because of his relationship with two of the Crimson Tide’s top commits.

“(Five-star offensive tackle) Alex Leatherwood and (four-star linebacker) VanDarius Cowan are very close friends of mine, and they helped Alabama get back into it,” Wilson told SEC Country. “They have been telling me to just all get together and win a national championship.”

Leatherwood and Cowan have helped Alabama gain several commitments from the nation’s top players in 2017, such as 4-star quarterback Mac Jones, nation’s No. 1 junior college offensive tackle Elliot Baker and 4-star linebacker Markail Benton. Can the duo help secure one of the Crimson Tide’s biggest targets?

Wilson will make his decision on National Signing Day, and I do like Alabama’s chances here. New defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has some work to do to form a strong relationship with Wilson but there’s still several months to go until signing day.

“It’s still really basic right now,” Wilson said of his relationship with Dunbar. “I’m still learning about him right now and just starting to get to know him.”

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McFarland loving constant communication with Saban

The nation’s No. 4 all-purpose running back Anthony McFarland, Jr. hears from Nick Saban more than any other Alabama staff member.

McFarland said if he had to name a leader right now, it would be Alabama. Saban’s influence in McFarland’s recruitment is one of the main reasons for why that is.

“It’s been really cool talking to Coach Saban every once in a while,” McFarland told SEC Country. “Usually, you talk to the position coaches once in a while. I feel like I’m talking to Saban more than anyone else on staff. That’s a great thing to me. I’m loving that. He’s one of the best football coaches ever. It’s great getting that knowledge from him.”

Though Alabama has two other running back commits in the Class of 2017, 5-star talent Najee Harris and 4-star prospect Brian Robinson, McFarland would provide a different change of pace from those two backs. That’s why he’s not concerned with the depth chart at Alabama.

“I don’t get into stuff like that because I’m a versatile player,” McFarland said. “I can play any position on the offense — slot receiver, even tight end if they need me — I can do anything.”

Miami and Maryland are the two schools that are Alabama’s biggest competition for the DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.) star. But on his most recent trip to Tuscaloosa, which was last month, McFarland saw a side to the school that many on the outside don’t see.

“The family vibe I got there was great,” McFarland said. “People see it as a football factory but I went down there and vibed with the coaches and players. Every time I go down there, it’s all family. I’m talking to Nick Saban once every week. I was hanging with Reuben Foster a lot and Trevon Diggs when I went down there.”

McFarland plans to take all five official visits before making a commitment. He will take an official visit to Alabama for the Iron Bowl in late November.

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