With summer under way, the 2017 recruiting cycle is about to start really picking up steam. Rivals just held their annual Five-Star Challenge, where in the past players like O.J. Howard first picked up their 5th star and gained much more media exposure. Nike will soon be holding The Opening Finals in Oregon, where many of the most elite recruits will compete in both drills and workouts for a week. The Elite 11 Finals are also wrapping up for the top quarterback prospects in the nation.
A year ago, Alabama was struggling to put its recruiting class together early like it had many years prior, and many of the biggest names did not commit until as late as National Signing Day.