12/22/2015 football Edit

Breakdown: Top 2016 and 2017 classes

Jason Howell

Football Recruiting Analyst

Rivals.comhasupdatedthe2016and2017recruitingrankingsoverthelasttwoweeks,andtheteamrankingshavebeenupdated.Nowitistimetobreakdownthecombined2016and2017teamrankings.Whohasthebestgroupwhenbothclassesarecombined.Toaccomplishthis,arulebroken.Allprospectsineachclassareconsideredandnotjustthetop20prospectsineachclass.Hereisthebestofthebestinthecombinedteamrankings.

1)OhioStateClickRivals.comBestof2016and2017HeretoviewthisLink.

JoshMyers

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.70

3,403

Headliner:OTJoshMyers,Miamisburg(Ohio)Miamisburg,No.8overall2017

Overview:TheBuckeyesarereachingfarandwidefortalent.

UrbanMeyer

maintainsastrongFloridapresence,whileinsuringthehomestatealsofeels

thelove.TheMidwestiscertainlypresentandtherearehighlyratedguysfrom

otherregions.TheBuckeyeshavethemostfive-starprospectsinthe2016and

2017classes.JoshMyersisthetoprankedprospectatNo.8overallinthe

2017class.FloridiansNickBosaandShaunWadearenotfarbehind,and

JakeHausmannushersinthefourfour-starsintheRivals100.Toptobottomthe

Buckeyesareflatoutgettingitdoneontherecruitingtrail.

2)AlabamaClickHeretoviewthisLink.

NajeeHarris

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.80

3,314

Headliner:RBNajeeHarris,Antioch(Calif.)Antioch,No.5Overall2017

Overview:Surprise,surpriseit'stheCrimsonTide.Whowouldthink

NickSaban

andAlabamawouldbesohighinthe2016and2017combinedrankings?Justabout

everyone,andforgoodreason.TheTidecontinuetograbtoptalentsfrom

severaldifferentregions.Thetoptwoprospectsinthe2016and2017classare

bothfromCalifornia.NajeeHarrisandJonahWilliamsaretheonlyfive-star

prospectscurrentlycommittedtotheTide,andCamAkersaddsRivals100flavor

fromtheSoutheastwithatrioof2017Georgians.Texas,Mississippi,Georgia,

California,Louisiana,Florida,NorthCarolina,VirginiaandAlabamaareall

representedbymembersofthetwoTideclasses.Sabancontinuestoshowhis

recruitingpowersstretchfarbeyondthebordersofAlabamaandtheSoutheast.

3)NotreDameClickHeretoviewthisLink.

DaelinHayes

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.56

2,735

Headliner:LBDaelinHayes,AnnArbor(Mich.)Skyline,No.21overall2016

Overview:NotreDamehasalonghistoryofrecruitingnationallyand

BrianKelly

hasdefinitelyembracedthetradition.TheFightingIrishhavehititbiginthe

Midwest,theSoutheast,theWestcoast,andtheEast.MichiganlinebackerDaelin

Hayesistheonlyfive-starintheFightingIrishcrew,butBrockWright,

TommyKraemer,RobertBeal,JoshuaLuggand

ChaseClaypooladdsomeRivals100flavor.

TheIrishalsohaveastrongRivals250presence.Overall,themomentumcontinues

tobuildandisshowingitselftobeathrivingnationalprogramontherecruitingfront.

4)FloridaClickHeretoviewthisLink.

FeleipeFranks

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.31

2,724

Headliner:QBFeleipeFranks,Crawfordville(Fla.)Wakulla,No.29overall2016

Overview:TheGatorsareinneedofaquarterbackwiththerecentdepartureof

WillGrier,soitisagoodthingRivals100QBFeleipeFranksheadlinesthegroup.Floridadoesnothavetogofarsinceitisinthemiddleofoneofthemostfertilerecruitinggroundsinthecountry.JimMcElwainandhiscrewhavemadesomehugestridesontherecruitingfrontandonthefieldsincetheirarrival,andthefutureisonceagainlookingbrightwithstrong2016and2017classes.

5)MichiganClickHeretoviewthisLink.

KareemWalker

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.36

2,490

Headliner:RBKareemWalker,Wayne(N.J.)DePaulCatholic,No.41overall2016

Overview:DevinBushandKareemWalkerweretwobigrecentadditionsbytheWolverines,andWalkertakestheleadasthetopratedprospectineither

class.The2016classisdoingtheheavyliftingintermsoftherankings,butthemomentumisdefinitelypositiveinAnnArbor.WalkerisjoinedintheRivals100byBenBredeson,andsevenothersarriveinthe2016Rivals250.JimHarbaughishittingallareasofthecountry,anditissafetosayhehasbeenverypositivelyreceived.

6)BaylorClickHeretoviewthisLink.

DevinDuvernay

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.42

2,687

Headliner:OGPatrickHudson,Silsbee(Texas)Silsbee,No.34overall2016

Overview:Baylorhasaverysolid2016class,andisoutofthegateinahurryin2017.TheclassisextremelyTexasheavy.ThetalentisstrongintheLoneStarStateandtheBearsarerecruitingattheprogram'shighestlevels.PatrickHudsonisjoinedbyDevinDuvernay,BaronBrowningandJhamonAusbonintheRivals100club,andfourmoreprospectsarriveintheRivals250.ArtBrilesandhiscrewarecurrentlyridingasbigawaveofmomentumastherehaseverbeeninWaco.

7)AuburnClickHeretoviewthisLink.

MarlonDavidson

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.64

2,601

Headliner:DEMarlonDavidson,Greenville(Ala.)Greenville,No.9overall2016

Overview:Auburnisthesmallestgrouptothispointinthecombinedrankings

withonly22commitments.However,twofive-starprospectsgivetheTigersas

muchpunchasanyoneonthelist.MarlonDavidsonandCalvinAshleyleadtheway

fortheTigerclasses.Boththe2016and2017classeshaveastrongSoutheast

feelwithAlabama,GeorgiaandFloridaeachwellrepresented.GusMalzahnhasearnedastrongreputationontherecruitingtrailandhecontinuestogetthejobdone.

8)MiamiClickHeretoviewthisLink.

SamBruce

TOTALCOMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG.STARS

POINTS

3.64

2,550

Headliner:WRSamBruce,FortLauderdale(Fla.)St.ThomasAquinas,No.47

overall2016

Overview:Regardlessoftheheadcoach,keepingtalentathomeisthebiggestpriorityforMiami,andthe2016and2017classesarefulloflocalareastandouts.SamBruceisoneofthemoreelectrifyingprospectsinthecountryandhehasbeenalongtimeHurricanecommitment.MarkRichtsawhisgroupofcommitmentshitprettyhardbeforehewasannouncedasthenewheadcoach,butthereisplentyoftalenttobefoundincloseproximitytocampus.

9) Florida StateClick Here to view this Link.

Levonta Taylor

TOTAL COMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG. STARS

POINTS

3.65

2,441

Headliner: CB Levonta Taylor, Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes, No. 10 overall

2016

Overview: Florida State is the smallest group in the top 10, but it has some

real star power. Taylor headlines the group, and Malik Henry,

Naseir Upshur, Baveon Johnson, Janarius Robinson,

D.J. Matthews and

Ja'len Parks are

all Rivals100 members. Florida is definitely home, but the Seminoles have also

mined the talent hotbeds of Georgia, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia.

Jimbo Fisher and his crew continue to keep the Seminole brand as one of the

nation's best.

10) Ole MissClick Here to view this Link.

Shea Patterson

TOTAL COMMITS

FIVE-STARS

RIVALS100

RIVALS250

AVG. STARS

POINTS

3.52

2,381

Headliner: QB Shea Patterson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, No. 3 overall 2016

Overview: The Rebels have the top ranked recruiting class in the 2016 rankings.

Five-stars Shea Patterson and Gregory Little are the two biggest commitments to any one team in the country and both arrive in the top five of the 2016 rankings. The 2017 group only includes Rivals250 standout D.D. Bowie at this

time, so it is off to a nice start but the numbers are light at the moment. Patterson and Little are joined by DeKaylin Metcalf, giving the Rebels three commitments in the Rivals100 before anyone else has two. The job Hugh Freeze and

his staff are doing in Oxford is incredible, and the momentum continues to build.

Click Here to view this Link.