The college football recruiting landscape is forever changing and this is what happened in Week 9.
We are moving right along here in the 2017 college football season as Week 10 is upon us. It’s hard to believe we only have a month left in the season as kickoff feels like it happened just yesterday.
Movement in the college football recruiting ranks is also moving more rapidly. Recruits in the 2018 class are taking their official visits and some are committing on the spot. Week 9 saw plenty of top-tier recruits commit to elite programs.
Let’s take a look at some of the top stories from our weekly recruiting roundup.
Note: Latest commitments, rankings and scheduled visits come from 247Sports.
Georgia picks up future star at running back
It didn’t take long for Georgia to shoot up the team recruiting rankings this past week after picking up a commitment from four-star running back James Cook. The Miami-native picked the Bulldogs over the home state Seminoles likely because of the differentiating trend between the two programs. Florida State is struggling this year while Georgia continues to dominate both on the field and recruiting trail. Cook is ranked No. 35 in the nation and is the third-best running back.
Texas A&M lands top in-state defensive tackle
The Texas A&M Aggies may have lost a tough home game against Mississippi State last weekend, but they did land Bobby Brown, a top defensive tackle from the state of Texas. Brown, an Arlington-native, stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 282 pounds and will join an improving defense next season. Kevin Sumlin’s potential hot seat didn’t deter him, though. He’s listed as the No. 135 overall recruit in the class and the 13th-best defensive tackle.
Alabama flips Emil Ekiyor from Michigan
Everyone knows that Jim Harbaugh can recruit with the best of ’em, but Nick Saban taught him a think or two in Week 9. The Crimson Tide coach poached an elite center right from underneath Harbaugh’s nose. Four-star center Emil Ekiyor, from Indianapolis, Ind., had committed to Michigan months ago, but Saban put in the work to flip him over the weekend. Was it the fact that Michigan already has a top-tier center on the roster from the 2017 or maybe he sees greener pastures in Tuscaloosa?
Oklahoma lands elite end
Missouri-native Ronnie Perkins took an official visit to Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon and left campus knowing that’s where he wanted to be. The Sooners are one of the top teams in college football and the four-star defensive end saw a fit, and potentially early playing time, for himself in Norman. He had official visits to USC (Nov. 4) and Michigan (Dec. 8) left on his schedule, but it’ll be interesting to see if he cancels them. He’s listed as the nation’s 43rd-best recruit and fifth-best weak-side defensive end.
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Elite safety chooses West Virginia
Kwantel Raines had been one of the most highly sought-after recruits in the eastern part of the country. He held nearly 30 offers, many from Midwest schools, and he decided to stay somewhat close to his home state of Pennsylvania and commit to West Virginia. The four-star safety ranks No. 142 in the country and is the ninth-best at his position. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 200 pounds, making him the ideal size for the position.