Introducing 2017 stars from the Midwest
The top two prospects in the Midwest are already off the board, but there are plenty more four and five-stars still looking for their college destination. Today we highlight a few of those highly-rated Midwesterners who have active recruitments.
Scouting report: A new five-star after the February update to the Rivals100, Peoples-Jones continues to improve his play and develop physically. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound wideout is one of the most well-rounded wide receiver prospects to come out of the Midwest in the last decade, and he has demonstrated the work ethic to maximize his potential.
Recruiting breakdown: Peoples-Jones has his pick of schools, and released a top 10 in January. Since then, ACC programs Clemson and Florida State have offered and both can safely be added to that top group as well. His most recent visits went to in-state programs Michigan and Michigan State, but he plans to travel south during spring break and see Florida State, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama and Florida. Peoples-Jones is not expected to make a decision until his senior year.
Scouting report: Richardson is a true athlete prospect who has played quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, linebacker and returned punts for his high school team. Outside of quarterback, all of those positions are possible in college. Wide receiver is probably his most likely destination in college because, at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, he has great size and combines it with outstanding athleticism and quickness.
Recruiting breakdown: Richardson’s offer list is lighter than most prospects in the Rivals100, and we feel that is due to the Cleveland-area prospect not putting a lot of focus on his recruitment at this stage. He has not visited many schools and apparently is not real active in staying in contact with coaches. Michigan is his most recent offer and the Wolverines, along with Kentucky, sit well among the schools that have offered. Watch out for Michigan State and Ohio State, though, if those schools offer.
Scouting report: Davis is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound wide receiver who brings great size, playmaking ability and explosiveness. He showed his versatility when midway through his junior season the Springfield coaches needed him to play running back and give the offense a boost. He promptly responded by rushing for over 1,300 yards in a little over half of a season. Wide receiver will be his future, but his time at running back should only help his run-after-catch abilities.
Recruiting breakdown: The newest additions to Davis’ offer list are Nebraska and Virginia. The next college visit on his schedule is March 25 to Tennessee, which will be his first college visits since a January trip to Ohio State. New Buckeyes assistant coach Greg Studwara is looking to get Davis back on campus this spring, but Ohio State has not yet offered. Even if it does, Michigan State and Penn State appear to be the early teams to beat here.
Scouting report: Listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds, Broiles has good size and is very physical for his position. He is definitely an asset in run support and has no issue playing press coverage on bigger receivers. Brolies also has good instincts. He sees the field well, anticipates receivers’ routes and has a great break on the football. Broiles always looks in complete control on the football field and plays with a lot of confidence.
Recruiting breakdown: The last month has seen a parade of offers come through for Broiles, who moved into the Rivals250 during our February update. Broiles added just his third offer of the process on Feb. 8, but now sits on an offer sheet that features 33 schools. He took an unofficial visit to Oklahoma in mid-February and returned to Norman this past weekend. Sandwiched between those two Sooner stops were trips to Miami and Florida.
Scouting report: The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Johnson scores high marks in the most critical aspects of the cornerback position. He brings speed, fluid hips and explosive quickness to the position, allowing him to run with receivers down the field and stay with them through their routes. He also has the toughness and a solid build that allows him to press receivers at the line of scrimmage. Johnson combines those physical traits with outstanding instincts.
Recruiting breakdown: The recruiting surge we expected for Johnson when we ranked him in the first Rivals250 for the 2017 class has begun. The four-star cornerback has hit double-digit offers with recent additions coming from Big Ten programs Indiana, Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. Tennessee was the first Power Five school to offer last summer and he made a return visit to Knoxville in February, but claims no leaders.
Scouting report: After a dominant junior season that saw Riep record seven interceptions, it was easy to predict the recruiting rise we have seen of late. The 6-foot, 180-pound prospect combines great size with plus-athleticism and a nose for the football. He has a way of making plays and is quickly becoming the type of cornerback you trust to be out on an island. There are just so few weaknesses in Riep’s game and his speed, athleticism, instincts and fluidity are all outstanding.
Recruiting breakdown: When it comes to offers, there is no prospect hotter than Riep over the last month. The Cincinnati native has picked up 21 offers since the beginning of February from schools representing each of the Power Five conferences. Riep most recently took visits to Penn State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. After a late-January offer from Ohio State, expectations were the Buckeyes would jump to the top of the list for the in-state prospect, but Riep has strongly denied having any favorites.
Scouting report: The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Beach looks like he stepped out of central casting when they called for a FBS offensive tackle prospect. The four-star lineman has an ideal build, height and arm length for the position. The other thing that immediately jumps off film about Beach is that he plays very balanced. Balance is something few come to naturally and is difficult to ingrain in young linemen. Beach also has strong hands and dominates the point of attack.
Recruiting breakdown: Beach is the top-ranked prospect in the state of Wisconsin for 2017, but he was actually born in Ohio and has also lived in Colorado. The home-state Badgers still have to be considered one of the top contenders right now and Paul Chryst is cleaning up with in-state prospects in this class thus far. To keep Beach within the state borders, they are going to have to battle a dozen other schools that have offered, from Syracuse to Oregon State. Beach’s next planned visit is to Michigan on March 11.
Scouting report: Jarvis has established himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the Midwest over the past eight months. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, his game is best-suited for offensive guard, but it is not out of the question that he could play right tackle in college. Jarvis plays light on his feet and is a good athlete. With his frame, defensive linemen have a difficult time getting around Jarvis and once he locks on he has the strength to control defenders to the whistle.
Recruiting breakdown: Jarvis’ recruitment has exploded over the winter, and the Chicagoland native now lists offers from 16 schools. The interest has expanded outside the Midwest and includes recent offers from SEC programs Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State. With his stock still rising, Jarvis is just taking it all in and does not list any favorites. He is planning to visit both Arkansas and Michigan this spring.