Spotlight turns to Class of 2016

— -- As the players from the recently signed 2015 class filtered in for registration at the Under Armour All-America Game in late December, the stress showed clearly on their faces. As reporters peppered them with questions about when they were going to commit, some began eyeing the closest exit. After a year's worth of ups and downs and twists and turns, the recruiting process was obviously weighing them down like a pair of 10,000-pound shoulder pads.

A few days later, the top players in the 2016 class, sporting ear-to-ear smiles, walked through those same doors for registration at the Elite 50 Experience. There was no doom and gloom or anxiety on their faces. They wanted to visit with anybody who wanted to put a microphone in front of them. For them, the stress of making such a life-altering decision as signing with a college was still more than a year away.

But with national signing day for the 2015 class in the books, those wide-eyed and excited stars of tomorrow are officially on the clock. They're no longer Generation Next. They're Generation Now. And though they're excited about what's to come, they also know the day will come when they too will be as stressed out as those recruits who came before them.

"This whole thing is a lot of fun right now," said Spring (Texas) Westfield defensive tackle Edward Oliver, who ranks as the No. 27 player in the ESPN Junior 300 and has offers from coast to coast. "You're meeting a lot of new people, and coaches are telling you how great you are and how much they want you. That's something that makes you feel great. Who wouldn't want to be told how good they are all the time? Then you get to go around and see all of these campuses and see these amazing football facilities. You're treated like a king. It's an incredible feeling.

"But at the same time, you know you're going to have to make this massive decision. My coach told me that will be the biggest decision in my life. It's tough for guys like us that are just getting started with the process to really understand what all that means at this point. There will be a time when it hits me, though."

Quarterback Dwayne Haskins of Potomac (Maryland) Bullis School admittedly feels the same way. Haskins ranks as the nation's No. 2 pocket-passer quarterback and the No. 26 player in the ESPN Junior 300. He has been on the national recruiting scene for more than a year now, with offers from 30-plus schools, and says he's in no rush to make a final pick. But that hasn't stopped recruiters -- and fans on social media -- from bombarding him every day via social media.

"It's not gotten old yet, but I'm sure there will be a point where I get tired of being asked all the time about where I'm going to school," Haskins said. "I think a lot of us in the 2016 class have done a good job of watching what has happened with the classes that came right before us, so we're probably a little bit more aware of what's coming and how silly things can get. I'm hoping by handling recruiting the way that I am, I can keep it from getting out of hand, and that way I'll be able to enjoy it a little bit more."

Nobody knows better what the 2016 class is about to go through than the guys who just signed, and many in the 2015 class aren't afraid to pass along some words of wisdom to the new kids on the block.

"Don't commit on a visit, even if you feel really good," said Alabama tight end signee Hale Hentges of Jefferson City (Missouri) High School. "Go home, and talk it over with your parents. Just think about it, and see if the feeling is the same as it was on the visit. For me, that was a key when trying to figure out if I wanted to stay in state and play for Missouri or go away to Alabama. I just had this great feeling about Alabama every time I would go visit there, and it lingered long past when I left the campus."

Texas signee Malik Jefferson said recruits should remember who the most important people in their lives truly are and not get caught up in social media craziness.

"It's really easy to get caught up with all the love fans give you on social media," Jefferson said. "But don't ever forget they're people that you've never met and probably never will. Don't listen to what they say, especially the people that are negative all the time. Focus on your family, closest friends and your high school coach. They're the ones you should really lean on to make your decision. They know you better than anybody else and won't steer you wrong."

No. 1 running back Ronald Jones II, who originally committed to Oklahoma State but later signed with USC, didn't need a lot of words to share his advice.

"It's your decision," he said. "No matter how tough it can get and how down you feel, don't ever forget it's your decision."