Recruiting predictions for 2017: Pac-12

USC made a late surge on National Signing Day to capture the top-rated recruiting class in the Pac-12. Will the Trojans end up on top again? Here are five predictions for the Pac-12’s 2017 recruiting cycle.

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Five-star running back Najee Harris has been committed to Alabama for months, but he is anything but a lock to stay with the Crimson Tide.

There is a good chance the Antioch, Calif., prospect who has been compared to a mix between Derrick Henry and Todd Gurley could visit Ohio State soon and the Buckeyes are trying to make a serious run at the top-rated player in the state of California.

There has also been some talk that Harris could stay closer to home with Cal and UCLA being the top two contenders if he stays in the Pac-12. Harris remains committed to Alabama and he loves what’s going on in Tuscaloosa, but his recruitment could get very interesting in the months leading up to Signing Day.

Traditionally, it has not been easy for Arizona and Arizona State to keep top-rated talent home, but if those two programs could figure out a way, it could be a big recruiting year because there is a lot of talent in the state.

Four-star Austin Jackson could end up being one of the best offensive tackles in the class and massive four-star wide receiver Tyler Johnson already has a bunch of national offers.

It's not a good sign, though, that early, four-star lineman Kayden Lyles is already committed to Wisconsin (his brother picked the Badgers last recruiting cycle) and the state's top quarterback, Chandler Basha's Ryan Kelley has already pledged to Oregon.

This will be an interesting recruiting cycle for USC. The new coaching staff did a tremendous job closing on National Signing Day – shooting the Trojans to No. 1 in the Pac-12 team recruiting rankings – but a lot of prospects will be watching closely to see how the Trojans do on the field this season.

Four-star all-purpose back Stephen Carr and four-star cornerback Thomas Graham have moved their commitments to “soft”, which means they’re still pledged to USC but no doubt they are looking around at other programs.

USC always recruits well and usually has its pick of top prospects come National Signing Day. But this coaching staff will have to prove it this season and probably do a little extra work to land many of the best players in California and beyond.

In years past, Stanford has cashed in late by landing numerous top prospects especially after players went through the arduous admissions process, but it seems in the last couple recruiting cycles the Cardinal coaches have gone out earlier and landed some high-end targets.

That looks to be the case again in 2017, since Stanford has already secured the pledges of four-star Colby Parkinson, the second-best tight end in the class, and four-star athlete Sione Lund, a Rivals100 prospect.

Add on to that Darnay Holmes, a five-star cornerback from Calabasas, Calif., is very high on Stanford and it looks like the Cardinal is going to have another stellar recruiting class on its hands.

The talent in Southern California is almost always more plentiful, but this recruiting cycle – more than most – has a bunch of high-end prospects in the northern part of the state, which could certainly have an influence on Pac-12 recruiting.

Whether that means Cal loads up on four-star talent, or Oregon, Washington and others continue to dip into the state, the talent in the Bay Area and other surroundings is outstanding so that could be a boon for local teams.

Harris, the top-rated player in the state, is in Northern California. So are offensive tackles Aaron Banks and Alijah Vera-Tucker along with defensive end Deonte Johnson, tight end Josh Falo and many others.

It might have no influence at all, but it cannot hurt Pac-12 North teams in recruiting that part of the state this cycle.