B/R Recruiting Notebook: CB Jamyest Williams to Announce Top 5 at the Opening

The month of July is here, and 166 athletes are days away from The Opening at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Major recruiting news is expected at the annual event, as seven 2017 prospects are scheduled to announce their college plans during the week.

While The Opening will have many eyes on it, look for recruiting news to remain hot throughout the entire country. Auburn landed a big junior college prospect on Friday in 4-star wide receiver Brandon Martin, the No. 6 JUCO player in the 2017 class. Martin was an LSU signee in 2015.

Additionally, other Power Five schools continue to add to their growing classes. Texas A&M remained a trending topic in recruiting and continued its ascension in the 247Sports composite team recruiting rankings with the addition of wide receiver Camron Buckley. The Aggies now have 17 commitments with Buckley's pledge.

As a new week approaches, here are up-to-date recruiting nuggets regarding some of the nation's top athletes:

Credit: 247Sports.com

4-star CB Williams to announce top 5

The upcoming week is a big one for Lawrenceville, Georgia, 4-star cornerback Jamyest Williams. He is one of only a handful of athletes preparing to compete at The Opening for the second consecutive year.

"I'm excited," he said. "It's a blessing to be able to go back-to-back. I know it's going to be way better than last year. There will be different competition, and there are a lot of ballers in my class."

While he's in Beaverton, Williams told Bleacher Report that he plans on making a major announcement for all who follow his recruiting process. The nation's No. 6 cornerback and No. 52 overall player will trim his list of 49 reported offers early in the week.

"I'm releasing a top five," Williams said. "I may do it as soon as I touch down [in Oregon]."

Whenever he announces, expect fireworks, as Williams is considered one of the most competitive, athletic defensive backs and, arguably, one of the best pound-for-pound players in the 2017 class. He's listed at 5'9" and 170 pounds but uses his outstanding coverage skills to play larger than his size.

Williams said his top five was made using several factors, including player-coach relationship, academics, campus environment and camaraderie. He said his ultimate decision will focus on him making "a 40-year decision, not a four-year decision."

The primary factor in a final decision, he said, will involve overall growth individually as a player and a person. He also said he'll look for similar traits from a college that The Opening can offer him this week.

"I'm looking for a place that will prepare me and get me to work at my best potential," he said.

Credit: 247Sports.com

4-star DE Ray ready to trim top 12

Madison, Alabama, 4-star defensive end LaBryan Ray released a top 12 in May consisting of schools from coast to coast. Since then, Ray has been somewhat tight-lipped about his ultimate recruiting plans.

Ray told Bleacher Report on Friday that the time to make new moves within his recruiting process is now. He's hoping to trim his list of offers in half sometime during the fall season.

"I won't lie, it's been tough," said Ray, who is ranked the nation's No. 5 strong-side defensive end in the 2017 class. "There are a lot of great universities out there. You can't go wrong with a whole lot of them. It can be hard choosing the one that's best for you and your family. I'm just tying to enjoy the process."

Ray, who claims "about 40" offers, took June unofficial visits to Ole Miss and Tennessee, and he said he's looking to take summer visits to Florida, Florida State and Mississippi State. He also said he has a couple of official visits planned, but he wasn't ready to release that information publicly.

At 6'4" and 260 pounds, Ray has slimmed down in preparation of playing defensive end at the next level. He added that he's been asked about potentially gaining weight to play inside as a defensive tackle—which he said he would be open to.

Choosing a winning school, Ray said, will be a family discussion and a decision he doesn't take lightly.

"Of course, I'm looking at academics," he said. "As for the football part, knowing I'll have a good relationship with the coaching staff, especially with my position coach, is real important to me. I want to go someplace that feels like home, someplace where I know I'll feel comfortable."

Credit: Student Sports

3 official visits planned for RB Heimuli-Lund

Salt Lake City 4-star running back Sione Heimuli-Lund told Bleacher Report on Friday that while he doesn't have dates set, he does have three official visits in mind for the fall.

Heimuli-Lund, the nation's No. 14 running back in the 2017 class, said he's looking at officials to Stanford, LSU and UCLA. He committed to Stanford back in November and said Stanford has always been his "dream school," according to Amy Donaldson of the Deseret News.

"I'm a Stanford commit. I'm pretty firm," Heimuli-Lund told me. "I know anything can happen in life, and I truly just want to make sure I don't miss out on anything with the other options."

Getting new offers is always something that Heimuli-Lund values, and on Thursday, he picked up an offer from USC, a school he's always kept an eye on.

"That was pretty surreal, pretty crazy," Heimuli-Lund said of the USC offer. "It was always a school I wanted to get an offer from. I was pretty excited and grateful that I got it."

Heimuli-Lund didn't say USC would get an official visit, but he still will have two visits to take if the projected three become set in stone. LSU and UCLA are hoping to sway the 6'0", 235-pound back when those dates are set.

Additionally, Heimuli-Lund said he is considering taking an unofficial visit to LSU this summer. He's built good relationships with defensive coordinator Dave Aranda from LSU, as well as offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu and quarterback coach Marques Tuiasosopo from UCLA.

"LSU is LSU," he said. "With LSU being in the SEC, it's big-time football. UCLA's been recruiting me pretty hard, if not the hardest. It's going to take a lot, because I'm pretty firm with Stanford, but the other schools have been showing a lot of love."

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Can Arizona keep the Pac-12 recruiting crown?

With programs like USC, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon and Washington in the Pac-12, some outside the conference may be surprised that Arizona is currently the team to beat in the conference recruiting rankings.

The Wildcats have 20 commits and most recently added 3-star offensive lineman Cody Shear on Friday. Arizona's class is headlined by three 4-star recruits in athlete Greg Johnson, running back Nathan Tilford and quarterback Braxton Burmeister.

The good news for head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff is that there's still room for Arizona to add elite talent. Among the players the Wildcats are targeting are 4-star cornerback Thomas Graham, 4-star linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia and 3-star safety Rhedi Short.

June was a great month for Arizona, as the team scored 10 of its 20 commits during that span. The Wildcats are hoping their recruiting success continues this summer.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles