The instant-impact recruits for teams in Way-Too-Early Top 25
— -- The second edition of Mark Schlabach's? 2017 Way-Too-Early Top 25 is out, following national signing day. The crop of new talent in the fold, especially those elite recruits who can be instant starters, can change the look of our rankings.
Here's our look at the instant-impact recruits:
1. Alabama
Najee Harris will likely see the field early, but Alabama still has some other talented running backs. With Cam Robinson leaving for the NFL, offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood has a good chance to start as a true freshman. Depending on what Alabama does with freshman standout Jonah Williams, Leatherwood could play left or right tackle immediately. The five-star prospect enrolled early and will go through spring practices.
2. Florida State
With Dalvin Cook off to the NFL, five-star Cam Akers is an easy pick to make an instant impact in Tallahassee. Although the Seminoles return an experienced back in Jacques Patrick and have speedy freshman Amir Rasul, among a couple of others, Akers is a potentially dynamic player. An every-down back with the ability to score from anywhere on the field, he is similar to Cook but with a thicker frame. Akers' talent, skill level and advanced physical development combined with his enrolling for the spring semester provide the nation's No. 9-ranked player in the 2017 class an opportunity to take hold of the starting job early in 2017.
3. USC
Running back Stephen Carr will see the field as a true freshman, but his path to starter is likely blocked by Ronald Jones. Along the defensive line, there is a huge hole that Stevie Tu'ikolovatu plugged last year. Marlon Tuipulotu will have an opportunity to play early along a defensive line that needs bodies, and he could be talented enough to step in right away.
4. Ohio State
The Buckeyes have a plethora of prospects who could start right away, including No. 1-ranked cornerback Shaun Wade, No. 1-ranked safety Jeffrey Okudah and No. 1-ranked junior college cornerback Kendall Sheffield. The Buckeyes are losing starting corners Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, so any of these three prospects could see themselves in serious roles this fall.
5. Penn State
Defensive back Lamont Wade is one of the bigger names in this class for Penn State. His talent and ability should get him on the field early, even though the Nittany Lions are returning quite a bit of the secondary. Wade, No. 112 in the ESPN 300, could help in a variety of roles on defense, and his versatility will help him find an early spot.
6. Clemson
The Tigers have said goodbye to quarterback Deshaun Watson, and that means there is an open quarterback competition beginning this spring. Returnees Kelly Bryant, Tucker Israel and Zerrick Cooper have combined to throw 13 career passes, which means No. 1-ranked pocket passer and early enrollee Hunter Johnson will begin spring practice in a competition to be the next starting quarterback for the national champions. With the position unlikely to be settled headed into next season, Johnson will be in position to get on the field in 2017 as the best pure passer on the roster.
7. Washington
The Huskies lost starting cornerback Kevin King and Sidney Jones from last year's team, and though cornerback has been recruited well the past few years, ESPN 300 prospect Elijah Molden has the talent to play early. Molden is the son of former NFL defensive back Alex Molden and has the mental and physical ability to jump into the mix right away.
8. Oklahoma
With Dede Westbrook no longer around, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield will need a go-to receiver, and that's why the Sooners targeted No. 3 junior college receiver Marquise Brown out of College of the Canyons. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-star recruit has sudden explosiveness and flashes a second gear that could make him an instant star for OU next season.
9. LSU
JaCoby Stevens, the third-ranked athlete in the ESPN 300, is talented enough to play on either side of the ball for LSU, but the Tigers recruited him as a safety. With All-SEC safety Jamal Adams leaving for the NFL, the four-star prospect has a chance to step in and immediately see extensive playing time on special teams for LSU, and he has a real chance to earn a spot in the safety rotation.
10. Oklahoma State
Coach Mike Gundy isn't afraid to play younger players if they can make an immediate impact, but if you're looking for a prospect in the OSU class who could see the field right away, turn to junior college offensive tackle? Arlington Hambright out of Garden City (Kansas) Community College. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Hambright is already on campus for spring practices and should get every opportunity to earn early playing time in Stillwater.
11. Auburn
The one thing that has been missing the past two years at Auburn is consistent quarterback play. Enter former Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham. With a handful of young, talented receivers on the roster, head coach Gus Malzahn is hoping the top-ranked junior college prospect will get the Tigers' offense on the right track. Stidham is new to the SEC, but he showed enough in his freshman season at Baylor to have the Auburn faithful excited about the future on the plains.
12. Wisconsin
The Badgers are losing a big pass-rush threat in T.J. Watt, who left for the NFL draft. The coaching staff typically doesn't recruit many instant-impact-type prospects, but in this class, they were able to land junior college defensive end Andrew Van Ginkel, who is ranked No. 6 at his position. Having some college experience and coming in at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Van Ginkel should be able to help shore up that loss and give some help on the edge.
13. Georgia
14. Michigan
The Wolverines landed ESPN 300 wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones in December and immediately gained a playmaker on offense. Peoples-Jones, the No. 22 overall prospect, is coming into an excellent situation to see the field early. Michigan is losing receivers Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson, which gives Peoples-Jones a fairly clear path to the field next season. Add that he enrolled early, and this should be a name to watch this coming season.
15. Stanford
There are so few positions where Stanford needs immediate help, but the Cardinal will throw extra linemen on the field and play them early if they are ready, and that is where No. 4 offensive tackle Foster Sarell could step in. Truthfully, either Sarell or Walker Little could be the call here, which illustrates how good the offensive tackle tandem headed to Palo Alto is.
16. Miami
The Hurricanes will be forced to play freshmen in the secondary next season, after the loss of cornerback Corn Elder and three safeties. That means four-star ESPN 300 safety and early enrollee Amari Carter will have to quickly become a factor. With two safety spots up for grabs headed into the spring and only Jaquan Johnson returning with much experience, Carter is a sure bet to be in the two-deep coming out of spring practice, and he has a chance to win a job on the field in 2017.
17. Kansas State
Bill Snyder hates playing true freshmen out of high school and always says it's best to judge a recruiting class after five years. But don't be surprised if junior college defensive end Xavier Davis of Pima (Arizona) Community College finds a way to get on the field quickly. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound three-star recruit was originally committed to Oregon State, but the Wildcats got him to flip right before the midterm juco signing period started. Davis will be on campus for spring practices. Scouts love his pass-rushing ability and quick first step, and those are always needed in the Big 12.
18. Louisville
The Cardinals won a huge recruiting battle when ESPN 300 and Under Armour All-America Game safety C.J. Avery picked Louisville over a number of SEC programs. With the loss of Josh Harvey-Clemons and not a lot of depth in the secondary, the hard-hitting safety is expected to challenge for a starting spot early. With Avery already enrolled for the spring semester and set to go through spring practice, his development on the field and physically will be accelerated heading into next season.
19. Colorado
Colorado will need immediate help on defense, and Javier Edwards should be the replacement for departing nose tackle Josh Tupou. Edwards is the nation's No. 3 junior college defensive tackle and stands 6-foot-3, 345 pounds, so the Buffs hope they've found at least one immediate answer on a defense that will need to replace a number of starters heading into the 2017 season.
20. USF
The Bulls first class under Charlie Strong finished in an impressive manner reeling in a pair of talented prospects from Carol City in four-star receiver Kevaughn Dingle and three-star safety Naytron Culpepper. Three-star holdover Jean Marcellus could find his way into the rotation as a freshman, as could three-star cornerback and one time Miami verbal Nick Roberts. Three-star linebacker Keirston Johnson was a need filler out of the Jacksonville area, as is upside three-star guard Demetris Harris alos out of Jacksonville. Keeping area three-star prospect Jabreel Stephens was also a nice grab.
21. Washington State
The Cougars' top two commitments are a quarterback and a wide receiver, but with Luke Falk returning and so much talent coming back at receiver, it's tough to see either earning a starting spot. That leaves Preston Hendry, the nation's No. 8 junior college defensive end. There are plenty of bodies at defensive end for the Cougars, but you don't bring in a juco standout if he doesn't have the talent to contribute right away, and that could be the case with Hendry.
22. West Virginia
With the Mountaineers' explosive offense, it wouldn't be a shock to see either No. 7 junior college offensive tackle Kelby Wickline or No. 10 juco receiver Dominique Maiden make an immediate impact, but here's betting it's Maiden who does a lot of damage right away in Morgantown. Maiden is a quality outside receiving target with size and reliability. He might not wow you in any one area, but he is very good in many areas, and that's exactly what the Mountaineers need from their receivers in 2017.
23. Texas
The Longhorns have some very good, young defensive talent, but when you recruit a player the caliber of Gary Johnson of Dodge City (Kansas) Community College, the expectation is that he plays right way. Johnson, the nation's No. 1 junior college inside linebacker recruit and No. 9 player overall, picked the Horns over Arizona State, Oregon and USC, and with his heat-seeking-missile style of play, he will be expected to do big things right away on the Forty Acres.
24. Boise State
Boise State lost standout running back Jeremy McNichols to the NFL draft, and though? Alexander Mattison appears poised to take over, three-star Drake Beasley Jr. will be given a shot to jump into the mix. Beasley was ruled ineligible for his senior season after transferring, so he will be determined to hit the ground running for the Broncos. He is a tremendous talent and capable of making an early impact similar to McNichols at Boise State.
25. Virginia Tech
Tight end Bucky Hodges and his 48 receptions for 691 yards and seven touchdowns are gone to the NFL. The lone returning tight end on the roster with a reception is undersized sophomore Chris Cunningham, who caught six passes for 48 yards in 2016. That means three tight end prospect in the 2017 class will have the chance to make an impact as true freshman:? Dalton Keene, Drake Deiuliis and terrific in-line blocker Lecitus Smith. With Keene already enrolled in Blacksburg and set to go through spring practice, he becomes the natural pick to see the field early, especially considering he can play H-back or line up in the slot and work down the field. If Deiuliis can stack some muscle mass after reporting in June, he could also become a factor as a receiving threat flexed out.
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