Looking back on the Class of 2017
Since the NFL Draft is a month away, I thought it would be an excellent time to analyze some past High School Classes. For this list, I’ll be basing the rankings on 247’s list. First off, it’s interesting to see…
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Continue ReadingSince the NFL Draft is a month away, I thought it would be an excellent time to analyze some past High School Classes. For this list, I’ll be basing the rankings on 247’s list.
First off, it’s interesting to see how the recruiting landscape has changed over the past five years. Our 2022 class had many colleges clawing to get Michigan recruits, with schools such as Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Tennessee being very active. On the other hand, 2017 saw similar talent to today’s recruits, but the top 6 players in our state all went to the University of Michigan, with 12/15 of our top recruits staying in-state. I will highlight a few of Michigan’s top recruits in 2017 and outline how their careers have progressed.
#1 Donovan Peoples-Jones – Cass Tech –> University of Michigan –> Cleveland Browns
We all know DPJ. The Cass Tech receiver was touted as one of, if not the most talented receiver in the entire country back in 2016/2017. We also know that he didn’t play his best football at Michigan, whether because of scheme, effort, talent, or a mix of all three, I can’t say for sure. Nevertheless, DPJ was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 6th round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite not living up to the hype at Michigan, DPJ totaled 597 yards and three touchdowns during his sophomore season in Cleveland, and I would expect him to put up even better numbers with Deshawn Watson as his new QB.
#2 Ambry Thomas – Detroit MLK –> University of Michigan –> San Francisco 49ers
Known for his big-time interception that sent the 49ers to the playoffs, Ambry Thomas is an excellent developing NFL talent. He’s played in most games this past season but hadn’t done too much to impress, but not anything wrong to get him a bench spot. His story is still being written professionally, but he was undoubtedly a great talent coming out of MLK and a very loved player during his time at Michigan.
#4 Deron Irving-Bey – Southwestern Academy –> University of Michigan –> Central Michigan –> Transfer Portal
A different story for Irving-Bey. He did not pan out at Michigan. He was one of those highly-touted guys getting invited to all the elite camps and performing well, but he did not see any action at Michigan; he then transferred to Central Michigan, where he did not see any action, then he was academically dismissed. The last time I saw anything about Irving-Bey, he was in the transfer portal. I hope he’s doing well.
#10 Jordan Reid – Cass Tech –> Michigan State –> College Graduate
Reid was the highest-rated in-state Spartan recruit. A unique path for Reid as he was a solid lineman for the Spartans with 39 starts, then opted out of the 2020 season, and now he’s a college graduate with a communications degree. I’m happy to see him graduate college, and I could not find any further information on social media.
#21 Keegan Cossou – Greenville –> Central Michigan –> College Graduate
Cossou was a solid player at Central Michigan, having played in 45 games at TE/DL. Although he didn’t become a super-duper breakout NFL superstar, it seems like Cossou is doing well. He just graduated from Central Michigan in December, and his brother Gavin Cossou is heading into his senior season at Grand Valley State playing TE.
Final Thoughts
The class of 2017 didn’t have too many NFL talents, even at the very top. Though, it’s very likely that the class of 2021, 2022, and so on will be the same. Sure, there are two solid NFL starters at the top of this class, but from there, there’s a wide range of people who went down different paths, and that’s ok! I know that if you’re a highly ranked player reading this, you likely want to make it to the NFL, which you should for sure pursue with your whole heart. But if that doesn’t work out, that’s ok. It’s ok to be a college graduate with any degree, and it’s ok to not graduate from college or go to college.
I went to a very academically competitive High School full of University of Michigan and Ivy League scholarships, while I had a 2.0 GPA for my Freshman and Sophomore years. I then got accepted to Grand Valley State, where I am now. I always felt horrible about my academic performance and athletic performance. But since then, I’ve significantly improved my grades, joined GVSU Club Rugby, and most importantly, I’m doing things I enjoy doing, and I’m following dreams based on my own passions, not anybody else’s.
It may sound cliché, but the best course for 99.9% of people will be to get good grades, stay out of trouble, avoid dangerous substances, and pursue what YOU love.