The first edition of the Premium Prospect Board for the Class of 2017 looks at the most impactful new entries in the updated ESPN 300. Most of these prospects were under the radar, but will soon be household names.
Criteria for inclusion on this list is based on:
Specific value for committed team
Readiness in terms of physical attributes and mental makeup
Readiness in terms of refined skill set and technique
Top 10 ESPN 300 newcomers
1. DT Phidarian Mathis
ESPN 300 Rank: 20
Undeclared
Breakdown: You likely won't know his name or even graduating class for that matter, but Mathis won't be a secret for long. He has reclassified as a 2017 prospect after being in the 2018 class prior to this spring. He is very talented, and now that he has been identified, the process is going to be rapidly accelerated for this talented young man.
2. RB Travis Etienne
ESPN 300 Rank: 117
Undeclared
Breakdown: Etienne is a powerful and explosive back who has long-field speed and the ability to be a home run threat every time he touches the ball. He moves like a scatback, but has the build to develop into an every-down carrier at the next level. In typical Louisiana fashion, great players seem to pop up throughout the process and this is one of the more exciting prospects in the second phase of evaluation.
3. QB-PP Connor Neville
ESPN 300 rank: 261
Committed: Washington State
Breakdown: Leave it to Mike Leach to find the right guy and hitch his wagon to him. He doesn't care what their name is, he cares whether they can play or not and Neville can play. He is an extremely accurate deep ball thrower, not just a dink-and-dunk shotgun spread player. His accuracy and timing is excellent as is his anticipation and feel for the position. Washington State is on the rise once again and Neville is a nice piece of the puzzle.
4. DT Trestan Ebner
ESPN 300 Rank: 213
Committed: TCU
Breakdown: He has fast track times, but doesn't always look as fast on tape, yet he wins footraces. He is a deceptively agile player. Long-field speed is his greatest asset and, as a utility scatback/wide receiver, he can be difficult to handle in the open field. As he continues to develop, he will need to develop nuance for the position and focus on the little things because speed won't always be enough. He can play both in the slot and on the outside.
5. S Amari Carter
ESPN 300 Rank: 233
Breakdown: Carter is instinctive, fast and physical. As a safety he could be one of the more well-rounded players from a run/pass support standpoint. He can play all the roles. He is a terrific defender coming forward, understands pursuit angles and is a terrific tackler. He has range and explosiveness to develop refinement in man coverage, but still has a complete game.
6. OT Billy Ross
ESPN 300 Rank: 163
Breakdown: Ross is one of a few offensive tackles to enter into the updated ESPN 300 for this class. A candidate at offensive tackle or guard for the next level, he plays with a nasty streak and shows flashes of dominance in the trenches.
7. TE-H Grant Calcaterra
ESPN 300 rank: 260
Committed: Oklahoma
Breakdown: A well-rounded enigma who spends a lot of time flexed out and not in-line. Not a devastating player yet in the run game (let's face it, who is at TE these days), but is tough and gives good effort. He is a deceptively speedy threat in the passing game, which is where he is utilized and excels the most. Increased time in the weight room will allow for him to morph into a full-time TE.
8. ATH C.J. Holmes
ESPN 300 rank: 283
Undeclared
Breakdown: Holmes is a cut above his level of competition, but he is so dynamic and deceptively physical that it would be easy to project him against better caliber players and get the same production. He has an Ezekiel Elliot feel to his game, in the sense that he is more physical than you think but also capable of making big plays.
9. CB Javelin Guidry
ESPN 300 rank: 298
Committed: Houston
Breakdown: The University of Houston is showing no signs of slowing down. This might be one of the fastest commitments in this class. Guidry checks a lot of boxes you want in critical factors at the corner position and his ball skills and open-field traits are excellent. He could be every bit the weapon on offense as he is on defense.
10. WR Justin Marshall
ESPN 300 rank: 225
Undeclared
Breakdown: In the era of the big receiver, everyone is looking for the guys who time well. Marshall is a verified 4.5 player who has the size and strength to win in contested matchups, yet also be able to take the top off a defense and make things happen after the catch. He has a noticeable second gear, which you love to see in big receivers as you want them to be more than just jump-ball guys.