2017's running backs recruiting class is good enough to remind you of 2005 and 2014

Welcome to The Crootletter (sign up to get this in your inbox every morning!), SB Nation's daily college football recruiting newsletter.

I’ve been writing less of late while focusing on some bigger video projects for SB Nation. But it’s time to get back to the Crootletter. I’ve picked up a lot of notes and observations since being on this recruiting road trip that began the day after Christmas, first for the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, and now at the Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

This is the best running back class since 2014 or 2005.

The 2014 class, if you recall, featured Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Joe Mixon, Royce Freeman, Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, Elijah Hood, Rock Thomas, Samaje Perine, and Joe Yearby.

2005’s class featured Jonathan Stewart, Darren McFadden, Jamaal Charles, Felix Jones, James Davis, Rashard Mendenhall, Antone Smith, Mike Davis, Ray Rice, and Donald Brown.

The 2015 and 2016 classes were a bit down at the position, but the 2017 group has arrived just in time to save the day.

Alabama commit Najee Harris, of Antioch (Calif.), and Florida State commit Cam Akers, of Clinton (Miss.), are deserving Nos. 1-2, in whichever order you prefer. Harris has rare agility for a 6’3, 226-pound running back. He is more fluid than Derrick Henry was at the same age. And he also catches the football well. Akers’ size/speed combination at 210 pounds is freakish. Most of the players who can accelerate like Akers can weigh 170 pounds, not 210. That makes a big difference when trying to arm tackle someone.

Neither would look out-of-place on an NFL roster right now.

While Michigan is pursuing Harris, it does’t look like they will get him, if you believe his fellow Alabama commit, QB Tua Tagovailoa, who told multiple reporters that Harris will be on the same flight as him to Tuscaloosa to enroll early following the Army Bowl. (Update: some reports now have Harris going back to California after the game.)

But two backs do not make a class. Georgia commit D’Andre Swift, of Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Josephs, is a bowling ball at 5’9, 218, who might remind some of Maurice Jones-Drew, or Doug Martin. USC is getting a good one in Stephen Carr, of Fontana (Calif.) Summit. Tennessee commit Ty Chandler, of Nashville (Tenn) Montgomery Bell has great burst. And FSU commit Khalan Laborn, of Virginia Beach (Va.) Bishop Sullivan, put on a great show during the Under Armour Game.

With the incredible talent leaving college football for the NFL draft, the sport needed this infusion at the running back position.

A good year for receivers

A number of players can make the case for the honor of No. 1 receiver.

Michigan commit Donovan Peoples-Jones, of Detroit (Mi.) Cass Tech, Clemson commit Tee Higgins, of Oak Ridge (Tenn.), and Alabama commit Jerry Jeudy, of Deerfield Beach (Fla.) all have special talents. Peoples-Jones is a good blend of size (6’2) and speed. At 6’5, Higgins has the ability to be a terror in the red zone. And Jeudy might not be the best at any one thing, but his game has no weaknesses.

But I’ve also been very impressed by some of the shorter receivers.

Henry Ruggs, of Montgomery (Ala.) Lee, plays much bigger than his 5’11 size. I knew about his basketball exploits (he was dunking as a ninth-grader at 5’9), but it was his hands that really impressed me. Barton Simmons of 247Sports told me that Ruggs had the biggest hands of any receiver at the Army game. He showed them off this week, plucking balls away from his body with ease. See for yourself.

Ruggs plans to visit Alabama and Florida State in January, and perhaps Auburn and Florida, as well. I think he is the best receiver in the state of Alabama, even though many websites disagree as of this writing. I can also confidently say there is no way he should be the No. 28 receiver nationally, as he is on the 247Sports Composite.

West Virginia commit Mike Harley, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, has been awesome all week. His quickness in space will be a problem for defenses in the Big 12.

Ditto Florida State commit D.J. Matthews, of Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity.

This is also maybe the best offensive line class I’ve seen in nine years covering recruiting. More on that at a later date.

Notes

5-star offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood enrolled at Alabama and began practicing with the Tide Wednesday. Some sources at Florida believed they could flip the Pensacola (Fla.) Booker T. Washington star, but that did not happen. Ultimately, Leatherwood might be better suited to play guard, but I simply love watching him play. And I like the offensive line class the Gators are putting together.

Speaking of Alabama, I will be interested to see what becomes of four-star linebacker commitment VanDarius Cowan, of Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.). Cowan was booted from his high school team, removed from the Army game, and is now not going to enroll early for the spring semester. This likely impacts the total size of the class the Tide could take, due to some creative accounting schools can utilize with spring enrollees, as opposed to kids arriving in the summer.

Even though he played receiver for much of the week at Under Armour, LSU safety commit Jacoby Stevens, of Murfreesboro (Tenn) Oakland, is one of the most athletic big safeties I’ve seen. Whether he plays receiver or safety at the college level (he told me he likes safety), I think he’ll find success.