BYU enters the race for highly sought-after 2017 DB Elijah Blades

Yesterday BYU extended a scholarship offer to Elijah Blades, one of the top ranked 2017 defensive backs out of the state of California. Blades is the product of John Muir High School just out of the shadow of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

A four-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite with a rating of 89.72, Blades' first offer came from San Jose State back in mid-February, but since that time his recruitment has blown up. His list of offers includes Arizona, Colorado, Florida, LSU, Utah, Washington State, and others.

At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Blades has great size to play any position in the defensive backfield. Combine his size with the 4.42 40-yard dash he ran at The Opening in Los Angeles and you have a player that is not only a top college prospect but also has great potential to play in the NFL a few years down the road.

In addition to his defensive ability, Blades shows he's a great all-around athlete who could contribute in all three phases of the game for a team if needed. If he was to end up at BYU, his speed and agility would make him an excellent prospect in the return game for the Cougars.

It will be interesting to see how Blades' recruitment plays out and how high he puts the Cougars on his list. BYU hasn't historically had a lot of success with guys who have multiple SEC offers as Blades does, but they also haven't historically recruited a lot of guys who meet that criterion either. Kalani Sitake and his staff are definitely swinging for the fences with this kid.

Here are Blades' junior year highlights: