Winners and Losers of May on the 2017 College Football Recruiting Trail
Many college football recruits reached the end of their junior year in May, moving forward toward one final high school season. Spring evaluation helped result in several key verbal commitments and decommitments alike, along with a seemingly endless stream of favorites lists the prospects released throughout this month.
While plenty of storylines will command our focus throughout the summer, it's an appropriate point to look back and reflect on the recruiting developments of May. Here's a peek at programs that thrived during the late stages of spring, along with those unlikely to remember this time frame with fondness.
Loser: Baylor Bears
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The foundation of a program that won 50 games during the past five seasons has officially crumbled. Baylor announced intentions to terminate the contract of head coach Art Briles on May 26 in the aftermath of a widespread sexual assault scandal that has rocked the university.
Briles, known as one of college football's top offensive coaching minds, built the Bears into a national force. A team that failed to finish above .500 from 1996 through 2009 placed among the Top 15 in final Associated Press polls in four of the past five seasons.
Along the way, Baylor's recruiting efforts were also on the rise and served as evidence of sustainable success. Now you have to wonder how long Baylor's next rebuild may take.
Uncertainty will swirl around this squad moving forward, and the program could suffer significant roster transfers if players aren't comfortable in an evolving climate. Briles' firing also carries serious ramifications in recruiting.
Tight end Kedrick James became the third 4-star recruit to decommit from Baylor since February when he announced his decision shortly after the Briles news broke. Blue-chip pledges from standouts such as receiver Hezekiah Jones and quarterback Kellen Mond are also undoubtedly in jeopardy.
"I'm not sure how it will affect my recruitment, but I definitely committed there because of Art Briles," Mond, an Elite 11 national finalist, told Bleacher Report.
Winner: LSU Tigers
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We've come to expect recruiting surges from LSU under head coach Les Miles, and his staff served up the latest example in May. The Tigers vaulted to No. 1 in 2017 SEC recruiting rankings with six commitments this month.
Coveted quarterback Lowell Narcisse kicked things off May 2 when he announced plans to play in Baton Rouge. Rated No. 5 nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks, Narcisse initially pledged to Auburn last summer, but the Louisiana product will instead face head coach Gus Malzahn as an opponent.
"I've decided to stay home and play for my home state," he told Shea Dixon of 247Sports. "My main focus now is helping my team win a state championship."
Narcisse surely appreciated the May 20 addition of 4-star offensive tackle Austin Deculus, a 6'6", 323-pound prospect listed No. 9 nationally among players at the position. LSU further enhanced its future outlook up front four days later, when 6'5", 314-pound lineman Saahdiq Charles joined the class.
Other pickups this month include Georgia fullback Tory Carter, top-ranked junior college receiver Stephen Guidry and local defensive end Aaron Moffitt.
Loser: Oregon Ducks
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Oregon is only 16 months removed from its appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship and managed to win nine games last season despite the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. So where's the recruiting payoff?
The Ducks hold just two commitments as summer approaches, with one (4-star defensive end Langi Tuifua) arriving last summer and the other (3-star running back CJ Verdell) occurring earlier this month. Verdell, rated No. 58 nationally among running backs, is a quality addition, but his pledge doesn't come close to offsetting the loss of blue-chip quarterback Ryan Kelley.
The 4-star prospect, rated No. 5 nationally among pro-style passers, ended a verbal pact that spanned nearly six months on May 3. To make matters worse in Eugene, he issued a commitment to fellow Pac-12 competitor Arizona State just three days later.
Oregon now sits at No. 71 overall in composite class rankings, falling to No. 10 among conference opponents. The Ducks have failed to land a single in-state prospect to this point, while USC reached into Oregon for a May 19 commitment from Portland linebacker Daniel Green.
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Winner: Cal Golden Bears
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While the spotlight shifted away from a whirlwind 2016 recruiting cycle in February, one unanswered question commanded attention more than two months later. Demetris Robertson, a 5-star recruit rated No. 1 overall among receivers in 2016 composite rankings, extended his decision-making process until May 1.
The Peach State product held a press conference at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, stunning many analysts with a commitment to Cal. Robertson, who had also signed a non-binding financial aid agreement with Georgia, asserted he was attracted to academic opportunities in Berkeley.
"The education was a big part of my decision. I wanted to keep that foundation," he said during the live-streamed announcement. "When I went there, it felt like home. Me and the coaching staff have a great relationship. That's where I felt were the best of all things for me."
Golden Bears head coach Sonny Dykes secures a scintillating offensive threat prepared to compete for immediate reps. Robertson should also be an appealing asset for top-tier quarterback targets such as 5-star prospect Tate Martell.
Martell spent eight months committed to Texas A&M, where he was recruited by current Cal offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. He ended that pledge this month, and a strong relationship with the assistant could set the stage for increased dialogue between the two parties.
The Golden Bears have received six commitment predictions in Martell's 247Sports crystal ball during the past three weeks. Meanwhile, Cal collected a trio of 2017 in-state pledges in May while climbing to No. 6 in Pac-12 class rankings.
Loser: Texas A&M Aggies
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It wasn't too long ago Texas A&M looked like perhaps the most quarterback-rich program in college football. The Aggies entered last season with former 5-star recruits Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray fighting for the job, while No. 1 overall 2017 dual-threat prospect Martell pledged in late August.
Fast forward to May 2016 and none of this trio remains in the picture for head coach Kevin Sumlin. Allen and Murray both transferred out of the university, leaving Martell to lick his chops as a potential Day 1 starter next year.
However, his relationship with the university seemed to erode following the departure of offensive coordinator Spavital, and alternative options began to emerge. Martell revealed intentions to use official visits elsewhere this fall, though he planned to maintain a Texas A&M commitment throughout.
Instead, he elected to sever ties May 4. Martell's father, Al, detailed the motivation to do so during a conversation with Adam Gorney of Rivals.com:
"It was different with [new Aggies offensive coordinator Noel] Mazzone with the whole communication. Mazzone had been there two weeks for our visit in January, he had been there maybe all of 10 days, so I get it. If the guy didn’t want to talk a whole lot, he’s still feeling out his job and his co-workers and his staff and where he fits in.
I get that but when you go out a month later, for two days on that trip, didn’t talk to him once and then when we were there in March for their scrimmage, again, we were there for four days and not once did Mazzone ever talk, and I was five feet from him. Not a handshake, not anything.
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Ohio State, UCLA and Cal are among programs that could ultimately benefit from the decision by bringing Martell on board.
This decommitment set off an unfortunate chain of events for Sumlin as assistant coach Aaron Moorehead seemed to imply Martell lacked loyalty with a tweet in the immediate aftermath. This statement led directly to another decommitment from 4-star receiver Mannie Netherly, and 5-star receiver Tyjon Lindsey—a close friend of Martell—declared he would no longer consider the Aggies.
These dramatic developments undoubtedly define this spring in College Station, but May wasn't a total washout for Texas A&M. The Aggies landed commitments from 4-star defensive back Derrick Tucker, 3-star quarterback Connor Blumrick and 3-star offensive lineman Adrian Wolford.
Winner: Alabama
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Alabama often claims real estate in the winners' column of our monthly recap, en route to six consecutive No. 1 recruiting classes. Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban has enjoyed another strong spring on the recruiting trail, and May brought him yet another intriguing mobile quarterback.
Following the recent signings of Blake Barnett (2015) and Jalen Hurts (2016), Alabama continues to place an emphasis on acquiring dual-threat talents behind center. Hawaii native Tua Tagovailoa, rated No. 58 overall in the 2017 cycle, committed to the Crimson Tide on May 2.
The 4-star playmaker pledged to Alabama over fellow contenders such as UCLA, Ole Miss and Auburn. Despite a long-distance recruitment, Tagovailoa found comfort in Tuscaloosa.
"I feel like I'm home over there," he told news station KHON2 after his announcement (h/t Drew Champlin of AL.com). "Everybody on Sunday goes to church, and that's something big in my life as far as spirituality. I couldn't ask for anything better."
Rated No. 2 nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks, he gives Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin another dynamic athlete to build around down the road. Tagovailoa starts at the same high school (St. Louis) that produced Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.
Alabama also received good news May 25 when the team was featured among favorites in lists released by 5-star running backs D'Andre Swift and Cam Akers, who decommitted from the Crimson Tide in March. Saban could still add another blue-chip rusher to a class that already features top-ranked 2017 running back Najee Harris.
Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted. All player and class ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings.
Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.
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