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

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Someone needs to start looking for Michigan fans melting.

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SAN ANTONIO – The Army Bowl practices continued on Thursday and a number of players on the West team impressed as the game quickly approaches.

Alpha Dog

DE Jaelan Phillips, California

This dude screams immediate difference maker. At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Phillips is a freak athlete and perhaps the best pass-rushing defensive end in the nation. The UCLA commit wrecked havoc at Thursday’s practice, recording five sacks and multiple tackles during the team period. Phillips used his athleticism, speed and power to breeze by four-star offensive lineman Chuck Filiaga for most of the day and frustrated him to the point where shoving commenced. Phillips is almost unblockable off the edge, and his playmaking ability is off the charts. Phillips recovered a fumble, took it to the house and dunked on the goal post. That play basically describes his day — a slam dunk.

Next Five

OL Walker Little, Texas

The only offensive lineman that slowed down Phillips today was Walker Little. The Stanford pledge stymied him in pass protection with his size and athleticism. Little showed off his versatility by playing right and left tackle and even played a few snaps at guard. It’s hard for an offensive lineman to start at the next level from Day 1, but Little is as polished as you can get.

S Bubba Bolden, Nevada

A true definition of a ball hawk, Bolden and the West defense didn’t allow any deep balls to be completed during the team session of practice. Bolden’s presence on the back end forced quarterbacks to dink and dunk and make bad decisions on intermediate routes. Bolden is a long, athletic safety that always seems to be lurking around.

DE/LB Addison Gumbs, California

Gumbs was one of the leaders of a dominant performance by the West defense today. He was in on a number of tackles and made one of the biggest plays of the day as he dropped back into coverage and picked off a Tate Martell pass intended for Stephen Carr. Gumbs has great instincts and cover skills. He will be a perfect fit for Oklahoma’s defensive scheme.

WR Joseph Lewis, California

It was a rough day for the West offense, but Lewis really opened some eyes. After a bit of a slow start to the week, Lewis emerged as perhaps the best wide receiver on the squad. The five-star prospect runs excellent routes, snatches the ball out of the air and is a threat to take it to the house at any time.

RB Najee Harris, California

One of the most important but often forgotten attributes that can make or break a running back is pass protection ability. Harris displayed that today as he made some key blocks to keep the West quarterbacks upright. Harris also scored the first of just two touchdowns for the West during the team session and showed off his ability as a receiver as well.

Other Tidbits

— It was a rough day for the quarterbacks. TCU commit Shawn Robinson ran the ball well but was inconsistent as a passer. He has a strong arm but no control. Ohio State pledge Tate Martell was surprisingly inaccurate and threw a pair of interceptions. Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey showed the most poise and accuracy but lacked the arm strength to make deep and tight throws.

— TCU wide receiver commit Omar Manning suited up for practice but did not participate. He is battling a nagging hamstring injury that hampered him throughout his senior season.

— Sometimes quiet is good. Defensive backs Jeffrey Okudah, Darnay Holmes and Greg Johnson didn’t make many big plays, but they shut down their side of the field during the team session.

— Ohio State linebacker commit Baron Browning had a diving interception today. The five-star prospect is an athletic freak with high upside. He advanced to state in powerlifting and track and could be an immediate impact player.

— The West defense got some good pressure from defensive tackles Jay Tufele and Jayden Peevy. A Texas A&M commit, Peevy is especially intriguing considering the fact that he has only been playing football for two years. His potential is sky high.

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Maybe now some of the posters on here can relax for a couple of days.

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The sad part the whole football team and staff will be in FL on Monday

Monday afternoon we will see a pic of a blue van and masked drivers snatching Harris up with Michigan tags on it while everyone is preoccupied with the NCG

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Not until I see him on campus preferably taking a class.

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1. Most impressive prospects

The Future 50 event was loaded with talent and we’ve broken down some of the recruiting situations with many of the players and put out our list of the top 12 prospects on offense and defense (include links if needed). What’s my take you may ask? Let’s start with the 10 most impressive prospects.

1. DE Xavier Thomas – Thomas is powerfully built, explosive off the snap and has violent hands. He’s special and whoever keeps him in state, Clemson or South Carolina, has a franchise guy. Could we be looking at the next Derek Barnett of college football?

2. OG Jamaree Salyer – Tackles usually get the most attention, but Salyer was clearly the dominant one and took a few higher-ranked kids to school. Georgia needs to keep him in state. He's one of the best guards I've seen in a long time.

3. CB Patrick Surtain – Surtain is so long and has added much bulk but hasn’t lost a bit of his fluidity and flexibility. He’ll go to a major power program and impact from day one. Is he Jalen Ramsey? He could be better if you can believe that.

4. RB James Cook – The Florida State commitment made everyone look foolish for the most part and it’s unfair to try to cover him in one-on-one situations. It's tough to say he'll be better than his brother, Dalvin Cook, but he's on track to have a great career.

5. WR Justyn Ross – The best wide receiver from the state of Alabama since Julio Jones? He could be.

6. OT Brey Walker – The Oklahoma commitment has a great frame, long arms and does a good job of extending to push opponents outside the pocket or wash them into the line. Many won't remember Quenton Spain but he reminds me of him except longer.

7. WR Terrace Marshall – Marshall is smooth, gets off the line well, cuts on a dime and catches everything out front. He’s a must keep for Ed Orgeron at LSU.

8. CB Myles Sims – Sims can be awkward at times, but his length and ability to change direction at his size as well as his potential as a huge corner or ball-hawking safety makes him special.

9. DE Micah Parsons – Parsons, a Penn State commitment, played linebacker and more than held his own through drills and some one-on-ones despite being so big. He’s a Noah Spence clone but more advanced at the same stage.

10) DE KJ Henry – Henry’s shoulder dip is elite and he’s so wiry, it’s hard to get a clean shot on him.

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3. Five guys to keep an eye on

And here are some young guys to watch from the 2018, 2019 and even 2020 classes.

1. DT Ishmael Sopsher (2019) – Sopsher is a special prospect for a 2019 prospect with advanced pass rushing moves, power and great leverage. This kid will be one to watch for sure.

2. QB JT Daniels (2019) – Daniels, who seems to like Notre Dame and Stanford, is a prolific passer who showed good accuracy, a nice release and good touch downfield.

3. QB Harrison Bailey (2020) – Bailey is huge for a 2020 quarterback with a big arm, it’s easy to see why he has so many early offers.

4. RB Trey Sanders (2019) – Sanders is a huge running back for his grade and fits the mold of other Alabama commitments at the position in recent years.

5. RB Noah Cain (2019) – Cain didn’t dominate by any stretch but he had his moments and is one of the more well-rounded running backs in the 2019 class.

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Where's a link to the best Michigan board?

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