The West is always good for some exciting news on the recruiting trail and the 2017 class should be no different. Here is a look at some committed and uncommitted prospects who should make it interesting leading up to National Signing Day.
Harris has been committed to Alabama for many months but numerous programs continue to recruit him and the prospect of staying closer to home as Signing Day approaches could definitely be appealing. The five-star and top-rated recruit in California just recently visited Ohio State and it went well. He spends a great deal of time in Southern California at tournaments and camps and has visited USC and UCLA many times. Harris is so good no team is going to give up recruiting him, but trying to steal him away from the Crimson Tide could be difficult.
Stanford and UCLA seem to be mainly fighting it out for the five-star cornerback but then you talk to other people and it sounds like he could be headed to the Big Ten – Nebraska, mainly – with some other Calabasas, Calif. standouts. Holmes’ recruitment could really take some interesting twists and turns in the coming months. He loves Stanford. He has a great relationship with UCLA defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin. And then his friends are going to Nebraska and he has great bonds there, too.
There have been some whispers that Alabama is the clear frontrunner for Davis but he denied those reports and said it’s unfair to say that at this point. That might be cover so his favorite doesn’t get out, but it sure does seem like he spends a lot of time at USC and loves it there. UCLA and many others are also involved with the top offensive guard in the class and it doesn’t look like he’s anywhere near a decision. This will come into more focus through the fall but a commitment might not happen until Signing Day.
He’s committed to Texas A&M. He’s actively recruiting players so the Aggies have the best recruiting class possible. He loves it in College Station and has gone often. So what’s the problem? Martell, the top dual-threat quarterback in the class, recently said he plans to take his official visits and there’s no telling what that means in the long term. He has a great relationship with new Cal offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, who came over from Texas A&M. He recently took a trip to Ohio State. Martell is committed, yes, but this one might not be over just yet.
One of the best receivers in this class is Lindsey and his recruitment remains a mystery. He doesn’t do many interviews and doesn’t give away all that much but there are some programs that seem to be standing out more than others. Ohio State looks really good in his recruitment, Nebraska is definitely in the running after a recent visit and then there’s Texas A&M, which remains a major player because he’s so close with Martell. Some Pac-12 schools are in the mix (especially Oregon and USC) but the sense is that Lindsey is looking at other places more with a big-time emphasis on the Big Ten. Don’t be surprised if he takes a closer look at SEC schools soon.
Carr is considered a soft commit to USC and it might be even softer after recent visits to Michigan and Miami. The Wolverines are loading up at running back in this class but it doesn’t seem to be scaring off the top all-purpose back in this class and he absolutely loved his trip to Ann Arbor for the spring game. The Miami trip also went really well and the Hurricanes will definitely be high moving forward. USC is certainly not in a bad position with him but others have Carr thinking a lot and there could be changes leading up to Signing Day.
One reason Graham said he decommitted from USC is that the coaches weren’t recruiting him hard enough. Well, others have stepped it up. The four-star recently took a trip to Notre Dame and loved it, saying one big thing he’s looking for is something different for college and he found it in South Bend. UCLA is making a run at the Rancho Cucamonga recruit and it will be interesting to see if USC comes back with the full-court press whether Graham would be interested. The Trojans might have moved on to other targets.
It really looks like St. Brown is focused in on two schools and it comes down to Stanford and Notre Dame. His brother, Equanimeous, is already in South Bend and that could be a huge draw but the four-star receiver seems to be enamored with Stanford and its mix of athletics and academics. Those two are definitely at the top but others are not out of it. UCLA, Washington, USC, Oregon, Cal and others still have a fighting chance but right now it looks like a two-team race.
Whatever is the thinking when it comes to Filiaga, throw it out because things are about to change in a big way. The four-star offensive lineman is moving from California to Texas for his senior season and – surprise, surprise – a bunch of the major programs in that area are starting to offer. The question really becomes will Filiaga fall in love with his surroundings in Texas and decide to stay closer there for college or is his mind set on coming back to California? It’s really an unknown at this point.
After his recent decommitment from Arizona, Burmeister is taking his time and not rushing a decision, but does have a certain group of schools in mind. Utah and Washington are definitely high on his list and believe it or not, the four-star quarterback is intrigued by Indiana and the offense there. The Hoosiers could be a realistic option as his recruitment continues. And don’t count out Arizona, either. It seems like the Wildcats aren’t done coming after him even though he’s open again. South Carolina is up there, too, but with Jake Bentley enrolling a year early that could be a stretch.
