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

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Brandon Ruiz @BrandonRRuiz
Proud to Announce That I Will Be Staying Home and Committing to Arizona State University!

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Brandon Ruiz @BrandonRRuiz Proud to Announce That I Will Be Staying Home and Committing to Arizona State University!

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This is it. The last Rivals100 rankings update for the 2017 recruiting class has been released, and with it there are six new five-star prospects and two players who lost their fifth star right before the finish line.

And, for the first time since 2009, a running back finished No. 1 overall in the country as Najee Harris from Antioch (Calif.) Antioch Senior held on despite a strong push from uncommitted defensive tackle Marvin Wilson and Florida State running back commit Cam Akers.

Bryce Brown was the last running back to finish No. 1 overall back in 2009 when he edged out Rueben Randle for the honor after an amazing week at the U.S. Army All American Bowl.

Prior to that, in 2004, Adrian Peterson was No. 1 overall, so the results for running backs at the top has been a bit mixed.

Harris, an Alabama commitment, has a rare combination of size, speed and elusiveness and is the best running back I’ve scouted since Peterson. While Peterson was a more physical runner and more of a sure thing in my mind, Harris has better natural receiving skills and is well-rounded like Brown was. It will be interesting to see if he blossoms in college like Peterson did or struggles to gain consistency like Brown. Those are the inherent risks of having a running back at the top, but this year we felt Harris was worth the risk.

Wilson and Akers, a Florida State commitment, made a push, while there was a brief discussion regarding the nation's No. 4 prospect, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwoodfrom Pensacola (Fla.) Washington, who's also an Alabama commitment. The top five is rounded out by Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy defensive end Josh Kaindoh, another Florida State commitment.

Rounding out the top 10 is No. 6 Jaelan Phillips from Redlands (Calif.) East Valley (UCLA defensive end commitment), No. 7 Walker Little also from Houston (Texas) Episcopal (Stanford offensive tackle commitment), No. 8 Chase Young from Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha (Ohio State defensive end commitment), No. 9 Baron Browning from Kennedale, Texas (Ohio State linebacker commitment) and No. 10 Davis Mills from Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian (Stanford quarterback commitment).

Alabama, FSU, Stanford and Ohio State all boast two verbal commitments from prospects ranked in the top 10. In addition to Young, the new five-stars in this cycle include Georgia quarterback commitment Jake Fromm from Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County at No. 20, FSU running back commitment Khalan Laborn from Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan at No. 23, Oklahoma linebacker commitment Jacob Phillips from Hendersonville (Tenn.) Beech Senior at No. 29, Iowa defensive end commitment A.J. Epenesa from Edwardsville, Iowa at No. 30 and Alabama linebacker commitment Dylan Moses from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG at No. 32.

The two players who dropped a fifth star are Los Angeles (Calif.) Augustus Hawkins wide receiver Joseph Lewis, who fell to No. 50, and Miamisburg, Ohio offensive lineman and Ohio State commitment Josh Myers, who moved from tackle to guard and checked in at No. 55.

Here’s a breakdown of the new five-stars and the two that lost their fifth star from the Rivals.com regional analysts.

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