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

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No. 16 Shaun Wade, CB, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian

Recruitment: enrolled at Ohio State

Movement: Up from No. 33

Simmons says: "Another ready-made contender for a starting job in Columbus. If you're gonna test Wade through the air, you're playing with fire. He's a ballhawk at corner with rare length."

No. 17 Richard LeCounte III, S, Riceboro (Ga.) Liberty County

Recruitment: enrolled at Georgia

Movement: Up from No. 19

Simmons says: "You're gonna feel LeCounte on the football field. If you're a teammate you're gonna feel his energy, if you’re an offensive player you're gonna feel his hit stick, if you're a quarterback you're gonna feel his range. I love the way he impacts every setting."

No. 18 Tadarian Moultry, ILB, Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin

Recruitment: committed to Auburn

Movement: Up from No. 50

Simmons says: "Bottom line, no one in the 2017 class has film that's more fun to watch than Moultry. He's violent football player that adds a pass-rush skillset to go with his inside linebacker heat-seeking style."

No. 19 Davis Mills, QB, Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian

Recruitment: committed to Stanford

Movement: Up from No. 21

Simmons says: "An ACL injury in the playoffs kept Mills from rising even higher in the rankings. We wanted to see him throw next to all the other top arms at the Army Bowl but despite his absence, we got to the end of this cycle thinking that nobody can match Mills as a pure passer."

No. 20 Joshua Kaindoh, WDE, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Recruitment: enrolled at Florida State

Movement: Up from No. 22

Simmons says: "You won't find a more impressive looking edge player from a physical standpoint. His ability to dominate as a pass rusher during Under Armour practices gave us the confidence to move him inside our elite tier."

No. 21 Austin Jackson, OT, Phoenix (Ariz.) North Canyon

Recruitment: USC is seen as the front-runner with Washington and Arizona State still hanging around.

Movement: Down from No. 9

Simmons says: "As far as five-stars go, Jackson's impact may come a little bit more slowly. He's a guy that may need a redshirt season to settle in but his upside is absurd. He's a tackle that plays with twitch and power and who is still learning the position."

No. 22 Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Honolulu (Hawaii) St. Louis

Recruitment: enrolled at Alabama

Movement: Up from No. 34

Simmons says: "I really believe Tua is going to challenge Jalen Hurts this spring for that starting quarterback job in Tuscaloosa. He's as natural a leader as you'll find and he can spin the ball with anybody. In the Army Bowl, he showcased some athleticism as well. No stage will be too big for Tua."

No. 23 Jacoby Stevens, S, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland

Recruitment: enrolled at LSU

Movement: Up from No. 24

Simmons says: "In a loaded year for safeties, Jacoby Stevens is probably the most purely talented of them all. He's that rare body that can lock up your best receiver at cornerback but has the size to be a nickel linebacker."

No. 24 Henry Ruggs III, WR, Montgomery (Ala.) Robert E. Lee

Recruitment: Alabama is the Crystal Ball favorite with Florida and Florida State still contending.

Movement: Up from No. 55

Simmons says: "Ruggs went from an off-the-radar guy to a nearly unanimous pick as the top wideout within our team based on a crazy senior year and eye-popping performances at the Alabama-Mississippi Game and the Army Bowl. Remember, this is the same kid that was only playing basketball as a sophomore."

No. 25 Calvin Ashley, OT, Washington (D.C.) St. John's College

Recruitment: committed to Auburn

Movement: Down from No. 23

Simmons says: "I didn't think Ashley would survive as a five-star. He trended down some after being one of the first to earn a fifth star in this class but he battled back with a big senior season and really impressed our team at the Under Armour Game."

No. 26 Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech

Recruitment: enrolled at Michigan

Movement: Down from No. 8

Simmons says: "He's so effortless and such a smooth glider that it's hard to really grasp how athletic this kid is. There isn't a receiver in this class with the physical tools and complete package of Peoples-Jones."

No. 27 Robert Barnes, S, Southlake (Texas) Southlake Carroll

Recruitment: committed to Oklahoma

Movement: Up from No. 45

Simmons says: "In only five games as a senior, Barnes put together some of the most impressive safety tape in this class. On the camp circuit he's been one of the country's best ballhawks but turn on the tape and the dude will absolutely strike you."

No. 28 Colby Parkinson, TE, Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Oaks Christian

Recruitment: committed to Stanford

Movement: Down from No. 16

Simmons says: "The subtleties of Parkinson's game are what makes him special. He's got a 6-foot-7 frame that he can use to box out defenders, he's got suddenness to him as a route-runner and he's a tough, gritty competitor."

No. 29 Devonta Smith, WR, Amite (La.) High School

Recruitment: After visiting LSU last weekend, Smith has trips to Alabama and Miami in front of him with the Tide considered the favorite.

Movement: Down from No. 14

Simmons says: "This call was about Smith's upside. He's so good right now but still so far from being maxed out. As he adds strength and mass on the college level, he's going to become a dominant force."

No. 30 Aubrey Solomon, DT, Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County

Recruitment: Alabama was named the leader at the Army Bowl but Michigan is beginning to trend. Georgia is involved.

Movement: Up from No. 41

Simmons says: "Solomon's senior season and his Army Bowl performance put him into this discussion. He was among the most disruptive interior defenders in either All-American game and he plays really hard on Friday nights. That's rare among the big boys in high school."

No. 31 Marvin Wilson, DT, Bellaire (Texas) Episcopal

Recruitment: LSU appears to be the team to beat but Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USF are all still involved.

Movement: Down from No. 12

Simmons says: "This is the defensive tackle in this class that you want walking off the bus first. His size makes him rare but we think he's been passed up developmentally by a the defensive tackles above him."

No. 32 Dylan Moses, OLB, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Recruitment: Enrolled at Alabama

Movement: Down from No. 15

Simmons says: "This was probably the most debated five-star in a year where we felt a lot of names deserved consideration. Ultimately Moses remains one of the freaks of this class and in the five-star ranks, we're betting on traits. He's got them.”

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