Top 2017 College Football Recruits with NFL Ties
We've witnessed generations of families impact NFL competition, with the Manning and Matthews clans among the most prominent examples. Pedigree can make a big impact in the rise of a college recruit, providing a young player with opportunities and pressure that otherwise perhaps wouldn't exist.
The 2017 recruiting class includes several standouts who aim to someday follow family members' paths to professional careers of their own. We've highlighted a collection of prospects who have plenty to live up to in college and beyond.
5-Star QB Dylan McCaffrey
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High School: Valor Christian (Littleton, Colorado)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 pro-style quarterback; No. 18 overall
NFL Connection: Wide receiver Ed McCaffrey (father)
Make room for another McCaffrey in college football. Coveted quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, the top-rated prospect at his position in this recruiting cycle, is the younger brother of 2015 Heisman Trophy finalist Christian McCaffrey and son of former Stanford star Ed McCaffrey.
Ed enjoyed a successful run in the NFL, emerging as a key target for Hall of Fame Broncos quarterback John Elway. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons during his Denver tenure, helping the team win two Super Bowl titles (McCaffrey also previously earned a ring with the San Francisco 49ers).
Dylan, a 6'5", 200-pound passer, pledged to Michigan in February. He's collected more than 5,000 yards and 49 scores through the air since his sophomore season, according to MaxPreps.
5-Star CB Deangelo Gibbs
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High School: Grayson (Loganville, Georgia)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 2 cornerback; No. 10 overall
NFL Connection: Cornerback Dale Carter (uncle) and wide receiver Jake Reed (uncle)
Deangelo Gibbs is considered one of the most impressive defensive prospects in this cycle and certainly possesses family pedigree that helped turn coaches' heads early. His uncles both spent more than a decade in the NFL, doing damage on both sides of the ball.
Dale Carter was a collegiate All-American at Tennessee, secured the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award and landed on four Pro Bowl rosters while playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. Jake Reed, who attended Grambling State, lined up alongside Chris Carter and Randy Moss with the Minnesota Vikings, ultimately finishing his career with 450 receptions.
“I tell Deangelo all the time, ‘we’re built for this! The bloodline is real,’ ” Reed told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani.
Gibbs is weighing offers from schools such as Georgia, Auburn, Florida State and Alabama, per Kirpalani's report.
4-Star LB Bruce Jordan-Swilling and 4-Star CB Tre Swilling
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High School: Brother Martin (New Orleans)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 8 outside linebacker; No. 93 overall (Bruce) / No. 28 cornerback; No. 280 overall (Tre)
NFL Connection: Linebacker Pat Swilling (father)
Pat Swilling, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, has a pair of sons to keep tabs on during their upcoming college careers. Bruce Jordan-Swilling and Tre Swilling are both prized prospects in the 2017 cycle, playing alongside each other in the city where their father once starred.
The former Georgia Tech standout started his professional career as a member of the Saints, securing four Pro Bowl nods during a seven-year tenure in New Orleans. He reached the Pro Bowl again in 1993 when he played for the Detroit Lions and eventually wrapped up his career with the Oakland Raiders.
Bruce, a linebacker and running back recruit, holds more than two dozen offers. Tre, a defensive back, continued to see interest mount during this past winter when offers arrived from Alabama, Arkansas and Colorado. Both brothers are projected to sign with LSU in their respective 247Sports' crystal balls.
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4-Star WR Camron Buckley
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High School: Cedar Hill (Cedar Hill, Texas)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 35 wide receiver; No. 274 overall
NFL Connection: Linebacker Jessie Armstead (uncle)
Cedar Hill High School continues to produce impressive playmakers at wide receiver and Camron Buckley is among the best in the bunch this cycle. He caught seven touchdowns as a junior and currently holds 16 offers on a scholarship list that features TCU, Texas, Auburn, Arizona State, Ole Miss and Miami.
The Hurricanes extended an offer in February, setting the stage for him to follow family to Coral Gables. Jessie Armstead, a former Dallas area high standout, claimed two national championship rings during his time at Miami.
He moved on to an NFL career when the New York Giants drafted him in 1993 and remained with the franchise for nearly a decade. Armstead was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
3-Star LB DeCalon Brooks
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High School: Gaither (Tampa, Florida)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 34 inside linebacker; No. 936 overall
NFL Connection: Linebacker Derrick Brooks (father)
DeCalon Brooks has mighty big shoes to fill at the position his father perfected throughout a professional career that landed him in the NFL Hall of Fame. Derick Brooks, an 11-time Pro Bowl pick and Super Bowl champion, has his jersey number retired by both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 55) and Florida State Seminoles (No. 10).
Before embarking on an illustrious tenure in Tampa Bay, Brooks earned All-American honors and won a national title in Tallahassee. He was a first-round draft selection by the Buccaneers in 1995, claiming NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2002.
DeCalon has spent his high school seasons decimating offensive game plans, piling up 218 tackles and 10 sacks during the past two years, per MaxPreps. He holds offers from Florida State, Illinois and Louisville, among other schools.
4-Star WR Jalen Reagor
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High School: Waxahachie (Waxahachie, Texas)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 45 wide receiver; No. 311 overall
NFL Connection: Defensive tackle Montae Reagor (father)
Standing 5'11" and weighing 182 pounds, Jalen Reagor doesn't exactly fit the mold of his father's physique. Montae Reagor dominated along the defensive front during a college career at Texas Tech, earning All-American honors before he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1999.
He spent four seasons in Denver before moving on to the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he received a Super Bowl XLI championship ring. His professional journey concluded with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jalen, who tallied 13 touchdown receptions in 2015, appeared primed to follow his father's footsteps to Texas Tech but backed off a verbal commitment to the Red Raiders in early March. Since reopening the recruitment process, offers have arrived from Oregon, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
4-Star WR Hunter Rison
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High School: Skyline (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 40 wide receiver; No. 293 overall
NFL Connection: Wide receiver Andre Rison (father)
Hunter Rison initially announced intentions to play at Michigan State, where his dad starred in the late 1980s. However, the 5'11", 190-pound pass-catcher backed off his verbal pledge to the Spartans last season.
While he still may end up in East Lansing next year, several schools have since entered the mix. His most recent offers include Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Miami and Penn State.
Andre Rison was the Indianapolis Colts' first-round draft pick in 1989, though his most successful professional seasons occurred with the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs. The five-time Pro Bowl selection finished his NFL career with 10,205 receiving yards and 84 touchdown catches.
4-Star WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr.
8 of 8High School: Calabasas (Mission Viejo, California)
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 27 wide receiver; No. 220 overall
NFL Connection: Wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson (father)
Keyshawn Johnson Jr. couldn't stay out of the recruiting spotlight long with his name, especially in a region where his father gained fame at USC. The elder Johnson earned All-American honors during his Trojans career, which he capped with Rose Bowl Player of the Game honors.
The New York Jets selected him No. 1 overall in the 1996 NFL draft and he went on to play for Tampa Bay, Dallas and Carolina. Johnson won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers, finishing his professional career with 814 catches for 10,571 yards and 64 scores.
Johnson Jr., who racked up 944 receiving yards last fall, collected several scholarship offers as an underclassman, including Clemson, Ohio State, USC, Ole Miss and Alabama. He committed to Nebraska on March 23 via a Bleacher Report video you can view above.
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