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Published Dec 25, 2016
SpartanMag.com: Top 25 on the 25th
Jim Comparoni and Matt Dorsey
SpartanMag.com

SpartanMag.com puts together its annual Top 25 for December 25th. The list is comprised of the top football prospects in Michigan for the class of 2017. The list is done post season as to provide the most accurate assessment of all of the players listed. See who improved their stock and who slipped.

HIGHLIGHTS:

-The University of Michigan secured the "In-State Title" by getting recent commitments from Ambry Thomas and Deron Irving-Bey. The Wolverines beat the Spartans out for both players. Michigan finished with four of the top six and five of the top eight. Michigan State has commitments from two of the top six and three of the top eight.

-No player had a better senior season than future Spartan Cody White. He was named Mr. Football for his efforts and his combination of size and speed should translate at the next level

-Five offensive line prospects are on the top 25 and each of them packs potential. Michigan State commitment Jordan Reid is the most polished at this point. As a senior, Reid's athleticism began to shine. Meanwhile, it has been a while since a prospect with Robert Hudson's size and ability has come along.

-We ranked the three safety prospects within four spots. Michigan commitment Jaylen Kelly-Powell slipped a little. He is strong in the short area, but struggled with deep passes against Detroit King and Oak Park. Hard-hitting Jordan Ulmer is the stock-on-the-rise candidate, but does he have the elite speed needed to excel at the next level? Scott Nelson could end up being the best of the trio. The in-state schools offered him early, but backed off during the fall.

-Syracuse has commitments from two players in the top 25. While neither are top 10 players, we like both prospects and they should do well in the ACC.

- On the defensive front, Michigan has a nice combination in Deron Irving-Bey and Corey Malone-Hatcher. Defensive line is one of the most important positions on the field, and arguably the most difficult to recruit. D-linemen are in short supply, but high demand. Neither player is a can't-miss prospect, but both of them carry a high ceiling of potential.

A closer look at the Top 25 on the 25th:

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#1: A cut above. Size, speed, strength, skills, smarts, character. He could have played for a few Big Ten teams this year and earned some all-conference votes.

#2 Showed holy-wow speed when he caught Peoples-Jones from behind during their regular-season meeting.

#3 Great hands, terrific route-running ability, explosive speed, and then he has outstanding make-you-miss ability after the catch at 6-foot-3. That’s a rare package. The Mr. Football Award recipient has a strong case to be No. 2 in this ranking. His ability to throw the ball will make him a trick play threat at all times at Michigan State.

#4 Difficult to block with the way he an dip his shoulder, get low, with a strong lower body and then run the hoop. He and Irving-Bey are less of a sure thing than Rison or White, but there is a premium on d-line prospects due to their importance, and the shortage of supply. This adds to their value in this ranking.

#5 Has a lot of work to do but has a high ceiling. Good size, well-proportioned, powerful build, and can run a little bit, and makes good use of the shoulder club. Quick off the ball, strong vs blocks, strong vs double teams, shows the spin move in space. He’s an athletic three-technique with a chance to grow big and strong.

#6 He has an argument to be No. 2 or 3 on this list. Quick take-off from the line of scrimmage, sharp into his breaks and then gains separation with terrific acceleration in the first two strides after his break. Then hands, and then underrated strength after the catch. He’s been a high-level recruit for a while, and now has a jacked up upper body.

#7 Quick, smart feet in the box. Unloads with a good wallop downhill. Stops high school players in their tracks. Can accelerate in the short area. Plays tough, plays hard, more physical than his brother, James, who was 10 pounds lighter in high school. His brother was No. 3 in the state and had a good college career but didn’t live up to that ranking. Joshua runs well from sideline-to-sideline. He’s a good bet to become at least a contributor, because he plays tough and smart with good athleticism. He’s close to being college-ready, but his ceiling of potential might not be that high.

#8 Best offensive line prospect in the state, easily the most technically-sound. Reshaped his body a bit and become more athletic as a senior. Will add good mass from here. Emerged as a quality defensive lineman this fall. He is good enough that he could get a look on that side of the ball. He is probably the most improved player over the past 12 months in the Top 10.

#9 Terrific, championship-level high school player. Tackles well, with force, for a little corner. Game-changer on offense at RB and kick return at the high school level. He’s probably good enough on offense to be a RB at a Northwestern or an Indiana. Not sure about his position at the college level. Too short for CB? Maybe not. Might make MSU and UM regret not offering him.

#10 Former Ohio State commitment is a smooth, fluid athlete. Simmons is the best pass-defending linebacker on this list and might have a higher ceiling than Ross. Simmons can turn the corner extremely well as a blitzer, better than Ross. Simmons is faster in sideline-to-sideline pursuit than Ross, but Ross isn’t slow. Simmons will likely get faster, not sure about Ross. But Simmons is slight in size and must grow into a position.

#11 Has hands and body control similar to Josiah Price, but probably a little faster. Terrific hands, makes showtime catches. He makes difficult grabs outside the framework of his body look easy, with hands extended. His blocking ability and size aren’t ideal, nor were they for Price.

#12 Good potential as a guard. Exudes power when down-blocking or pulling. Must learn to play hard all the time.

#13 Underrated player over-shadowed by great teammates. Rangy, fast, quick, strong d-ends at 6-foot-4 are hard to find, and he is in that category. He matched strength with Ja’Raymond Hall in the season opener when they occasionally locked up. He was strong inside when playing the five technique when Cass occasionally went to a 3-4. He can take on blockers and hold the point against D-1 recruits at his current weight. He’s only going to fill out and get stronger and he has the frame to maintain or add to his speed and quickness. He has a good bull rush, especially for a lean guy; plus a good counter rip. Technically advanced. Gifted frame and good, not great, athleticism. He has good, quick counter moves to the inside but might lack stand-out edge rushing ability.

#14 Big frame, raw, heavy-legged, struggles to move his feet in pass protection. That area should improve as he gets into better condition. Size and power makes him an interesting project.

#15 Quick feet and good change-of-direction in the short area gives him good coverage ability in the slot, but he has had some struggles in downfield coverage. One of the top three safeties in the state, however the gap between them is narrow.

#16 Athletic 6-foot-6 frame, and he has only played football for three years. He has good feet from his soccer background. Terrific natural strength, plus work ethic and team attitude, gives him a high-ceiling of potential and makes him one to watch for the future.

#17 He has offers from schools in the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12. Played hurt as a junior and became a rising sleeper this fall as he emerged as the hardest-hitting safety in the state. Plays big and physical. Ran a 4.67 (electronic) on a cold day at the Chicago Opening. Minnesota and Missouri lead, while MSU is considering a scholarship offer. He will visit MSU on Jan. 20.

#18 Quality all-around player as safety, part-time QB, return specialist in high school. Good speed, good tackler, takes good angles, executes the speed turn, plays the ball well. MSU and Michigan offered him early, but neither school continued to pursue him into the late stages. They could regret that if he ends up in Madison or Iowa City.

#19 Like Hall, he’s an interesting project, and needs a lot of work with his pass set. At a legitimate 6-foot, 300-plus, he is the biggest, most powerful offensive lineman in the state. He caves people when he is able to engage. Hudson have some defensive line potential as a two-gapping DT.

#20 Fleet LB who manned the middle and played smart in high school. Has the speed to make the transition to the outside and play slot LB in college because he can turn and cover well. Official visits include Nebraska, Iowa State, Indiana. Very little difference between Ward and Simmons. Nebraska might be close to getting a commitment.

#21 Decommitted from Cincinnati due to a coaching change. He is planning trips to Cincy and Bowling Green, and possibly Purdue and Mississippi State. Showed terrific straight-line speed at RB. Has the frame to add 15 good pounds without losing speed. Seems to be a little bit stiff, but that’s not rare for LBs. He’s quick with his starts and stops. Probably has the best closing speed of any linebacker on this list. Tackles well in space. Purdue could use him

#22 Quality all-around tight end who would be good enough to join an MSU recruiting class in most years, if the Spartans hadn’t already nabbed Matt Dotson and Jack Camper. Cousou is good enough to play in the Big Ten, but the Big Ten slept. He has size, route running ability, hands, good athleticism, toughness, can block.

#23 Starred at QB for Muskegon High, but will likely be a WR at Virginia Tech. He showed good, raw ability at WR at The Chicago Opening with high-end acceleration. The difference between Pimpleton and PSU commit KJ Hamler is slight. Hamler's routes are more polished, but Pimpleton has yet to focuse on the WR position and could be a fast-learner.

#24 Quick ball carrier is bigger than he appears. His downhill quickness, plus his ability to catch the ball downfield out of the backfield, makes him a good prospect for the Syracuse uptempo spread. Could be a better defensive back prospect, but chose Syracuse due to the Orange wanting him as a running back. We ranked him as such.

#25 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: Big enough, strong enough to be a Big Ten prospect. Dominant down-blocker, pulls okay. Ambles just a bit. The MAC is full of OL recruits that would start in the Big Ten. MAC teams often land players that are still growing and developing; Sassack fits that mold as he has the frame to carry 300 pounds.

HONORABLE MENTION: The players listed below (in no order) were all closely evaluated by SpartanMag.com, but barely missed the cut. It would not surprised us if they go on to have quality careers at the D1 level.

-Garrett Winn

-Jamal Allen

-Nate Umlor

-Davion Johnson

-Ralph Holley

- AJ Thomas

- Larry Borom

- Richard Bouwens

- Jairus Grissom

- Desean Boyd

- Carter Dunaway

- Rodney Hall

- Johnathan Berghorst


MichiganState
FOOTBALL
Scores / Schedule
footballfootball
17 - 2
Overall Record
8 - 0
Conference Record
Finished
Rutgers
74
Rutgers
Michigan St.
81
Arrow
Michigan St.
Michigan St.
80
Arrow
Michigan St.
Illinois
78
Illinois
Michigan St.
90
Arrow
Michigan St.
Penn St.
85
Penn St.
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