Sleepers, stars and future impact players

The Blue Raiders finalized the the 2017 signing class on Wednesday, signing twenty-five prospects to national letters of intent. The list combines a few sleepers and a nice bit of star power. Just maybe, this could be the class that propels the Blue Raiders toward their first Conference-USA title.

The Blue Raiders got better on Wednesday. How much better? Time will tell, but they are building a team capable of winning a conference title. They just need to prove it on the field.

With that said, here’s a look at who I think stands out in this 2017 recruiting class:

Tavares Thomas, a 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker from Navarro Junior College, is a relentless pass rusher who is also capable of dropping into coverage. After the defense struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks in 2016, Thomas should have an opportunity to make an impact in his first year in Murfreesboro. New defensive coordinator Scott Shafer has promised to bring an attacking style to the Blue Raider defense and Thomas’ ability to pressure quarterbacks off the edge should give him an opportunity to make some noise in the defensive backfield next season.

Another future linebacker, DQ Thomas, comes in as an underrated two star prospect (for the record, I pushed for a third star on Thomas). The hype surrounding this sleeper is real, though. He is a linebacker with exceptional ball skills who slipped under the radar because he did not hit the camp circuit very hard during the summer. He held a Mississippi State offer until the defensive coordinator left and at that time, the offer was apparently pulled. Middle Tennessee stood firm, though, and landed a Magnolia state standout who I see sliding into a starting linebacker spot in 2018.

Sleeper picks aside, there’s quite a bit of star power to be found in this class, including a former Rivals 250 player, Octavis Johnson. A former South Carolina signee, Johnson signed with the Blue Raiders on Wednesday after a stint in junior college. He is still a high-level three star talent in my eyes, thanks to a unique combination of size, speed, and athleticism. With a good summer and fall camp, Johnson should slide right into the corner spot vacated by Jeremy Cutrer.

Maurice Gordon looks like the perfect combination of I’Tavius Mathers and Benny Cunningham. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound three star prospect projects to take Mathers spot as the leader in the Blue Raider backfield next season. His size, speed, and most importantly, vision should keep the Blue Raider rushing attack moving forward in 2017. It won't take long for everybody to see what had Rick Stockstill and his staff so giddy about when it comes to Gordon.

Middle Tennessee coaches flipped Raheme Fuller the night before signing day. I think they’ll find it was worth the effort. At 6-foot-3 and checking in at 180 pounds, Fuller is a physical defensive back who understands route concepts and is not afraid to come up and make a tackle. His ability to position himself between the ball and receiver - “in phase” in football lingo - should help shore up the Blue Raider secondary in the coming years.

Inspired by his late brother, Zack Dobson, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound receiver, made national headlines with a handful of truly amazing plays during his senior season. He has the skills to play as a freshman, but the staff will hope they can redshirt him. Either way, the three-star prospect appears to be setup as the heir to Richie James. Sufficed to say, the Blue Raider receiving corps will be in good hands for years to come.