10 Under-the-Radar College Football Recruits to Watch

If you follow college football recruiting, you know the 5-star names. Many of you know the majority of the 4-star names. They've become somewhat household.

But what about those 3-star athletes looking to prove themselves at the next level? Many athletes are looking for a chance to show themselves worthy once they step on a college turf. In turn, many college coaches are looking to turn 3-star recruits into 5-star college players.

And, as we've seen from guys like J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman, Tony Romo, Russell Wilson and several others who have shined in the NFL, college football recruiting ratings ultimately are for entertainment purposes only.

Here are 10 under-the-radar athletes to watch as college football recruiting continues for the 2017 class. All athletes are listed in alphabetical order.

3-Star DT/OT Popo Aumavae

Hometown (school): Stockton, California (St. Mary's HS)

Size: 6'4", 315 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 369 overall (No. 25 DT)

A big recruiting target with a mean streak on the field, Popo Aumavae is talented enough to play defensive tackle or offensive tackle. He was a first-team all-state selection and the TCAL league MVP as a junior, finishing the year with 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks on defense and nine pancake blocks on offense.

Aumavae has Power Five offers from UCLA, Michigan, Washington, Oregon and others, and his unofficial classification of being a jumbo athlete makes him one to watch. He's rated as a defensive tackle, but his size and length could be used more effective on the offensive side of the ball. Look for Aumavae to choose his winning school wisely.

3-Star QB Judd Erickson

Hometown (school): Littleton, Colorado (Mountain Vista HS)

Size: 6'4", 204 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 474 overall (No. 22 PRO)

Above anything else, Judd Erickson passes the eyeball test. He's a tall, rangy quarterback with a strong arm and nice touch on intermediate and deep passes. He has a high football IQ, and he plays with a lot of confidence. In three games this year, Erickson has thrown for 1,160 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging almost 390 passing yards per game.

Of the nation's top 30 ranked pro-style quarterbacks in the 2017 class, Erickson not only is the only one uncommitted but also the only one without a reported offer, according to his 247Sports profile. Of all the athletes considered sleepers in the class, Erickson arguably is the most interesting player to watch, as he has the tools to be a solid FBS quarterback.

3-Star WR Octavius Evans

Hometown (school): Center, Texas (Center HS)

Size: 6'2", 195 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 538 overall (No. 81 WR)

Center, Texas, isn't the biggest place in the world, but Octavius Evans is doing his part to put the small town on the national recruiting map. Built more like a safety or outside linebacker, Evans can play multiple positions but flourishes as a wide receiver and a return specialist.

In three seasons prior to his senior year, Evans recorded 188 catches for 2,348 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was a 1,000-yard receiver as a junior, catching 76 balls for 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns. Evans is a small-town athlete with big-play potential for whichever FBS school he chooses. Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Mississippi State are three schools to keep an eye on.

3-Star ATH Tayler Katoa

Hometown (school): Layton, Utah (Layton HS)

Size: 6'2", 222 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 540 overall (No. 38 ATH)

How many athletes do you know who can line up as a game-changing defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid and then switch sides of the ball to run the offense as a dual-threat quarterback? Tayler Katoa is a special prospect, and whether he's on offense or defense, he's proven himself to be a playmaker.

In seven games last season, Katoa threw for 784 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 344 yards and seven scores. This year, he has six touchdowns (five rushing) in three games. Defensively, he has 23 tackles as a senior; he had 40 as a sophomore through 10 games. Washington, Arizona State, Colorado and in-state schools Utah and BYU are hoping to land his commitment by February.

3-Star DE Aaron Sterling

Hometown (school): Tucker, Georgia (Tucker HS)

Size: 6'2", 260 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 391 overall (No. 18 SDE)

There are a handful of stud defensive ends this year, and Aaron Sterling isn't far from the elite pack. He has good size as a strong-side defensive end, and he's quick enough to play weak-side defensive end if necessary. Sterling plays the game with a high motor and lots of athleticism and intensity. If a school wanted to add weight on him, he also would make for a solid, next-level defensive tackle.

Sterling was an Alabama commit since December of last year but decommitted from the Crimson Tide last Sunday. Teams like South Carolina, LSU, Tennessee and in-state school Georgia are four programs to pay attention to as he looks to find a college home.

3-Star WR Bryan Thompson

Hometown (school): Moreno Valley, California (Rancho Verde HS)

Size: 6'3", 190 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 379 overall (No. 53 WR)

The stats from last year don't lie: Bryan Thompson is a reliable, go-to option as an outside receiver. A big target, Thompson is someone who will give opposing cornerbacks fits in jump-ball situations, as well as go routes, because of his frame.

Thompson's game in college may be best suited to be that possession receiver who moves the chains, almost in a modified, flex tight end role. He has 11 reported offers, including Arizona, Washington, Arizona State and Utah.

3-Star DT Tyrone Truesdell

Hometown (school): Augusta, Georgia (Laney HS)

Size: 6'3", 325 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 330 overall (No. 20 DT)

The talent pool of defensive tackles in the 2017 class is loaded, but an athlete like Tyrone Truesdell plays with a chip on his shoulder. With that, Truesdell is doing his part to become a part of the regular radars of colleges.

Truesdell is a classic one-technique on the defensive line, a run-stopper and a bully in the trenches. He only has six reported offers, but with an offer list including Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina and Florida, Truesdell is proof that multiple offers isn't necessary. One lucky Power Five school will add a beast to its defensive class in February.

3-Star LB Andrew Ward

Hometown (school): Muskegon, Michigan (Muskegon HS)

Size: 6'1", 200 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 941 overall (No. 41 ILB)

The versatility of Andrew Ward is something that a lot of colleges have been keeping on notice. Although he's rated as an inside linebacker, he also has the quickness and football savvy to play outside linebacker. Size wise, he looks the part of an outside linebacker or safety more than an inside linebacker.

Ward, who had 83 tackles (23 for loss) as a junior, has 10 reported offers, including Virginia Tech, Nebraska, Penn State and Arizona. He recently took an official visit to Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers are hoping to score a big recruiting win soon.

3-Star RB Damon Williams

Hometown (school): Gadsden, Alabama (Gadsden City HS)

Size: 6'2 ½", 187 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 415 overall (No. 26 RB)

The first thing to immediately notice about Damon Williams is his size. He's taller than the prototypical college football running back recruit. He has good breakaway speed and hits the holes quickly. And when he's not playing the role of a scatback, he's showing his power as a bullying north-south bruiser.

Williams' recruiting has been trending to Louisville as of late, but schools like Michigan, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri are in the race for his services. With his ground game and his ability to line up in the slot for passing situations, he can be a game-changing option at the next level.

3-Star APB Kaegun Williams

Hometown (school): Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill HS)

Size: 5'9", 190 lbs

247Sports composite ranking: No. 377 overall (No. 5 APB)

A team like Cedar Hill has so many options on offense, and a player like Kaegun Williams further complicates things for opposing defenses. At his full potential, Williams is a stud running back, but he may be even better lined up as a slot receiver.

For the year, he has 143 rushing yards, 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns—numbers generated in an offense with receivers committed to Oklahoma and Texas A&M in Charleston Rambo and Camron Buckley, respectively, and a quarterback committed to Notre Dame in Avery Davis. Williams, who has offers from Tennessee, Cal, Colorado and others, is averaging seven yards per carry.

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