The 2017 college football recruiting class hasn’t had a single, no-doubt No. 1 throughout, unlike some recent classes. There wasn’t a Jadeveon Clowney or Robert Nkemdiche this year.
2017’s No. 1 college football recruit, Jaelan Phillips, was No. 375 just 16 months ago
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Louisiana LB Dylan Moses, who was famously offered by top powers as a middle-schooler, is probably still the biggest name, though the Alabama commit currently ranks No. 13 on the 247Sports Composite, which collects the four big rankings into one. California RB Najee Harris, another Bama commit, was recently No. 1 and now ranks No. 3.
Signing Day’s No. 1, now that all four services have released their final rankings, will be California pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, a UCLA signee. There’s still no consensus, as Rivals and Scout both rank Harris No. 1, ESPN ranks Tennessee OL and Vol signee Trey Smith No. 1, and 247 itself ranks Texas OL and Stanford commit Walker Little No. 1. Phillips is tops overall in the Composite’s formula without being No. 1 at any single outlet, via consistently ranking highly across the board.
He’s soared up the rankings over the last year or so, after Washington discovered him in 2015, when the Composite rated him the country’s No. 375 recruit. The rest of the Pac-12 quickly caught up, so did the rest of the country, and he was eventually named U.S. Army All-American Bowl Defensive Player of the Year.
Phillips still remembers the ESPN rankings. Even after his Washington offer he’d look at ESPN and see a “NR” next to his name on the profile. Then, one day, he jumped all the way up to No. 3.
“That was really mind blowing,” Phillips said.
Many recruits will brush off the importance of the rankings or claim not to pay attention. Phillips, with his baritone voice, isn’t like that. During the spring of his junior season he recalls “refreshing” pages quite frequently.
“People say, ‘Oh stars don’t matter,’” Phillips said. “But it for sure matters. It doesn’t affect my ego or how I play, if anything, it makes me play harder because I have to prove myself.”
Just don’t tell him he’s great. As smart as he is --€” and as often as he hears traits like “motor,” “speed at my size,” and “good in the open field” --€” he remains abashed at his placement.
“I still don’t think I’m that good, to be honest,” Phillips said. “I don’t see why I’m a five-star, to be honest with you. They tell me, and it makes sense, but it still baffles me. Growing up and watching these (recruits), they’re gods to a high school kid. To be in that company now doesn’t register in my mind.”
How’d his name get so hot? SB Nation’s Bud Elliott, who’s covered Phillips at camps:
Phillips was good as a junior, yet took a huge leap as a senior. With a 6’5, 250-pound frame, he has the ideal size teams are looking for in a defensive end. Further, he has rare burst and bend to go along with that size. 2017 is a great year for offensive tackles, but Phillips consistently beat them during every all-star event he attended. Phillips also has a great motor, and is a top student. He is one of the surest bets in the class of 2017.
He’s part of a UCLA class that still needs a lot of filling out, but is pretty heavy on star power, with another five-star in California CB Darnay Holmes. With a strong close, the Bruins should finish with a top-20 class. Phillips should have plenty of chances to shine as a freshman, with UCLA’s line losing top rusher Takkarist McKinley and top defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes.
Elsewhere!
Here’s this year’s Five-Star Desert, a 2.2-million-square-mile area stretching from part of Michigan to part of Oregon and down to the Rio Grande. If your school’s in the area, well, it’s a good thing your coaches are very creative!
Did you know “the crystal football” is still around? You get four trophies for winning the national title these days, plus whatever bowl, conference, rivalry, and division hardware you stack up.
The year’s first silly state law proposal in the name of college football: a former Ole Miss player who’s now a state rep wants to, like, take over the NCAA.
LSU’s next Mike the Tiger will never be paraded around the stadium, and LSU will seek to have its tiger habitat certified as a sanctuary. These are ultimately good things.
PREVIOUS: I attempted to select the country’s best team at each loss level and stand by my controversial choice of Virginia over Kansas as the country’s best two-loss team. Nearly beating Louisville is better than actually beating Texas.
