Biggest Takeaways from Rivals' First Top 100 for Class of 2017 Recruits
While many college football fans are focused on their schools' recruiting efforts for the upcoming class of 2016, the hype train for the nation's top talent in 2017 is already rolling.
On Monday morning, Rivals released its first Top 100 for the class of 2017, which features 15 players with 5-star ratings and 21 who have already announced their commitments.
Here are four takeaways from Rivals' new list of those highly touted recruits who will be faxing their letters of intent in 19 months:
1. Marvin Wilson at No. 1 overall is somewhat of a surprise.
The name many expected to come in at No. 1 overall on Rivals' first Top 100 for 2017 was LSU commitment Dylan Moses, who graced the cover of ESPN The Magazine before his freshman year of high school and started picking up scholarship offers from several of the nation's top programs in middle school.
But, in an early recruiting ranking upset, the Louisiana prodigy is ranked No. 2 overall behind massive Houston native Marvin Wilson.
The 6'4", 320-pound defensive tackle looks like the complete package of frame, technique and potential, and he plays a position that has boasted several No. 1 overall recruits in recent years.
"He's a terrific prospect with good size, agility, quickness off the snap, balance and a motor that never stops," Rivals' Mike Farrell said. "And he plays a position that is weighed more than linebacker or running back, the two positions that Moses projects at right now."
There's still plenty of time for class re-rankings between now and signing day in 2017, and Moses—or another top player—might show he's worthy of the No. 1 spot over Wilson. But right now, Wilson is the top dog according to Rivals.
2. The Southeast is once again the best place for 5-star talent.
Of the 15 players in this class who have already received a fifth star from Rivals, seven are from states in the Southeast.
In addition to Moses, Florida wide receiver Trevon Grimes, Georgia defensive back Deangelo Gibbs, Florida offensive lineman Calvin Ashley, Georgia linebacker Nate McBride, Georgia defensive back William Poole III and Kentucky offensive lineman Jedrick Wills are all 5-star players.
Georgia and Florida combined for 29 of the top 100 players, with Alabama and Tennessee each adding four players. Both Louisiana and South Carolina have three of their natives on Rivals' list.
The new list shows that the Southeast's powerhouse college programs will have their pick of some of the best players in the entire country.
The area already boasts more than half of Rivals' 5-stars in the class of 2016, including the top trio of North Carolina defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, Louisiana quarterback Shea Patterson and Alabama defensive lineman Marlon Davidson.
3. The class of 2017 looks to be balanced across the board.
All positions aren't created equal in recruiting rankings, but this Top 100 has a nice balance of offensive and defensive stars—skill players and linemen.
"We have a good mix of positions in the top 10 for 2017 with quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, linebacker, safety and cornerback all represented," Farrell said. "We have a big wide receiver, a big running back, a big cornerback essentially in Gibbs who will be an amazing safety and a massive, long-levered tackle in Ashley."
That positional balance continues through the rest of the list, with each position group earning at least nine members on the top 100:
| QB | 11 |
| RB | 11 |
| WR/TE | 14 |
| OL | 16 |
| DL | 9 |
| LB | 9 |
| DB | 21 |
| ATH | 9 |
Perhaps the only outlier in this balance is at tight end. Texas native Brock Wright is the only player at the position to crack Rivals' first big list of 2017.
4. Ohio State has a head start in the race for the 2017 recruiting national title.
If these 2017 rankings are any indication, the rich will keep getting richer at Ohio State. The defending national champions lead the country in number of early commitments in the Top 100 with four.
Urban Meyer's staff already has pledges from 5-star in-state offensive lineman Josh Myers, 4-star Florida defensive back Shaun Wade, 4-star Florida athlete Bruce Judson and 4-star in-state defensive back Marcus Williamson.
Farrell called Myers "the best of a strong offensive tackle group," which includes three other 5-star prospects.
Florida State is close behind Ohio State with three current Top 100 commitments in the class of 2017. Alabama, TCU and USC each have a pair of pledges on the list.
The Buckeyes are also in the hunt for several other 5-stars on this list, including top quarterback Hunter Johnson, defensive back Lamont Wade and wide receiver Trevon Grimes.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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