12 Legacy College Football Recruits in Class of 2016

Remember the days of watching that stud athlete make play after play in college football in the 1980s or 1990s?

Some of those studs have grown up to become fathers of stud athletes, and those young studs are a year away from showing their skills on the college football scene.

Feel old yet?

Watching legacies of college football stars always brings out the water-cooler questions. Will the sons end up better than the fathers? Will the sons follow the fathers' footsteps by attending the same university? Can the sons finish with a better football resume?

The Class of 2015 had its share of sons looking for similar success that their fathers enjoyed in college. Kyler Murray, the nation's top-ranked dual-threat quarterback, signed with Texas A&M and hopes to have a career like his father Kevin, who was an All-American quarterback for the Aggies in the 1980s.

Here are 12 2016 prospects, in alphabetical order, with fathers who once shined in college football.

4-Star DE Patrick Bethel

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Vero Beach, Florida

247Sports Composite Rank: 300 (No. 18 SDE)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Miami (100 percent)

Patrick Bethel has more than 20 offers, but Miami is the favorite in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions. Part of that is because Bethel's father, Randy, had a productive college career playing for the Hurricanes from 1987-90.

Randy Bethel, a tight end, won two national championships at Miami. It's still to be determined if his son ultimately follows his footsteps, though. Patrick has additional offers from Notre Dame and Ohio State that shouldn't be taken lightly.

4-Star LB Devin Bush Jr.

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Hometown (School): Hollywood, Florida (Charles W. Flanagan)

247Sports Composite Rank: 236 (No. 7 ILB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Florida State (100 percent)

Devin Bush Jr. is an intriguing player, as he's big enough to play linebacker and quick enough to play safety. Although Florida State is a major favorite to land Bush, Georgia and UCLA are two teams to watch throughout the spring.

He is the son of Devin Bush, who was a member of the Florida State team that won a national championship in 1993 and played eight seasons in the NFL as a safety.

4-Star CB Chad Clay

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Hometown (School): Suwanee, Georgia (Peachtree Ridge)

247Sports Composite Rank: 215 (No. 21 CB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Georgia (80 percent)

Per the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, Georgia is an early heavy favorite for Chad Clay, a big, ball-hawking cornerback who is inching closer to 30 offers. Georgia, LSU and Tennessee are three schools to watch as Clay continues his recruiting process.

He is the son of Willie Clay, who was a standout defensive back at Georgia Tech and spent eight seasons in the NFL. Willie Clay was versatile enough to play cornerback and safety.

5-Star LB Ben Davis

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Gordo, Alabama

247Sports Composite Rank: 23 (No. 4 OLB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Alabama (100 percent)

Ben Davis is the nation's No. 4 outside linebacker. High expectations have been set on him, as schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and LSU are heavily recruiting him. 

Crimson Tide fans are hoping he'll not only follow his father's footsteps but surpass his father statistically.

Davis' father, Wayne, was a linebacker who saw time in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. Wayne Davis ended his college career in the 1980s as Alabama's all-time leading tackler with 327.

4-Star ATH Stephen Davis Jr.

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Irmo, South Carolina (Dutch Fork)

247Sports Composite Rank: 229 (No. 11 ATH)

Committed to Auburn

The father of Stephen Davis Jr. played 11 seasons in the NFL. Before that, he was an all-SEC running back at Auburn.

Davis Jr. committed to the Tigers in August and is expected to play in the secondary. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, he's a big safety who probably would make a decent outside linebacker if necessary.

Davis Jr. chose Auburn over offers from Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and others. He has a solid frame and good lateral movement.

5-Star QB Jacob Eason

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Lake Stevens, Washington

247Sports Composite Rank: 4 (No. 1 pro-style QB)

Committed to Georgia

The nation's top-ranked pro-style quarterback, Jacob Eason, has impressed coaches and fans of college football recruiting since first landing an offer from Oregon State as a sophomore. Eason committed to Georgia in July and is one of the nation's most anticipated recruits of the 2016 class.

His father, Tony, played wide receiver for Notre Dame and was a teammate of Tim Brown, who's a member of the 2015 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tony Eason—not to be confused with the former New England Patriots quarterback with the same name—has a son who many Georgia fans are hoping will be the SEC's next great signal-caller.

3-Star DE Zack Gilbert

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Charlotte, North Carolina (South Mecklenburg)

247Sports Composite Rank: 811 (No. 52 DE)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Pittsburgh (67 percent)

Zack Gilbert is one of those players who could see his ascension take place during the spring. The son of former NFL defensive tackle Sean Gilbert has offers from Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and other programs.

Before playing 11 seasons in the NFL, Sean Gilbert was an All-American defensive lineman at Pitt. He entered the NFL draft in 1992 as a junior after playing only two collegiate seasons.

4-Star QB Jarrett Guarantano

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Oradell, New Jersey (Bergen Catholic)

247Sports Composite Rank: 99 (No. 6 pro-style QB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Rutgers (44 percent)

A top-10 pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class, Jarrett Guarantano is a heavily targeted prospect. Ohio State, Rutgers, Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and others have offered the son of James Guarantano, one of the best football players to come out of Rutgers.

James Guarantano shined at Rutgers in the early 1990s before he had stints with the San Diego Chargers and in the CFL. He was inducted into the Rutgers football Hall of Fame in 1999.

3-Star WR Michael Irvin Jr.

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Plano, Texas (Prestonwood Christian)

247Sports Composite Rank: 517 (No. 80 WR)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Miami (100 percent)

Michael Irvin Jr. has a similar swagger as his father, who had a great career at Miami before going on to win three Super Bowl championships during his Hall of Fame career.

Irvin Jr. has playmaking skills like "The Playmaker," as he caught a state-record 22 passes in a game against IMG Academy.

A big receiver at 6'3" and 212 pounds, Irvin Jr. is considered a Miami lean—but schools such as Georgia and SMU also have offered. All 27 of the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions point to Irvin Jr. choosing the Hurricanes.

3-Star TE Thaddeus Moss

Hometown (School): Charlotte, North Carolina (Victory Christian Center)

247Sports Composite Rank: 667 (No. 25 TE)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: No predictions made

As the son of one of the best the NFL has seen at wide receiver, Thaddeus Moss is a player many are expecting a lot from at the next level.

He's got great size for a flex tight end (6'4", 240 lbs), and several schools have shown interest, including North Carolina State, Duke, Vanderbilt and Boston College.

Marshall also has offered.

Marshall was where Randy Moss became an All-American receiver, and he parlayed his collegiate success into All-Pro status and a 14-year NFL career.

4-Star WR Michael Pittman

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Thousand Oaks, California (Oaks Christian)

247Sports Composite Rank: 151 (No. 33 WR)

Committed to UCLA

Michael Pittman ended his recruiting process in October when he verbally committed to UCLA and coach Jim Mora. The 6'4", 205-pound receiver chose the Bruins over Cal, Washington, Notre Dame and Nebraska.

Although he's expected to play receiver, his versatility allows him to be a potential safety at the college level.

Pittman's father, who has the same first name, was a running back who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in the 1990s at Fresno State. He played 12 seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl championship with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.

4-Star S Nigel Warrior

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Atlanta (Westlake)

247Sports Composite Rank: 80 (No. 6 S)

247Sports Crystal Ball Prediction: Georgia (56 percent)

Nigel Warrior's genes are strong. His father is former NFL defensive back Dale Carter, who is the brother of former NFL wide receiver Jake Reed.

Warrior, the nation's No. 6 safety, has Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State and Michigan State high on his list.

Carter was a star cornerback at Tennessee before getting drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1992; he was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. In addition to being an All-American defensive back at Tennessee, he also was a dangerous special teams returner.