National Signing Day brought with it plenty of intrigue for college football fans, but no surprises when it comes to which schools finished on top. Defending national champion Alabama won another title of sorts with the No. 1-rated signing cla s . Here is a look at the top 10 signing cla ses according to Rivals.com: 1. AlabamaSignees rated four or five stars: 15Top recruits: OL Charles Baldwin (Brooklyn, N.Y./JuCo); LB Ben Davis (Gordo, Ala.); OL Jonah Williams (Folsom, Calif.)Fitting in: The Crimson Tide thin at running back? Believe it. There is very little experience returning and although sophomore Bo Scarborough is another promising power back, there will be plenty of practice reps available for younsters.The skinny: The Crimson Tide enjoyed a late rush of commitments from top prospects on signing day. While the coaching staff surely expected most of them, it was unclear where Alabama might land in recruiting rankings until Wednesday. As it turned out, Nick Saban pulled yet another elite cla s.2. FSUSignees rated four or five stars: 19Top recruits: DB Levonta Taylor (Virginia Beach, Va.); LB Dontavious Jackson (Houston); WR Keith Gavin (Crawfordville, Fla.)Fitting in: The Seminoles need to build some depth at quarterback. After losing a couple of younger quarterbacks to a dismi sal and a transfer, the options behind Sean Maguire aren't as promising as a program like FSU should command.The skinny: The Seminoles concentrated heavily on the defensive side of the ball with this cla s, loading up on potential replacements for a depth chart that will have its share of voids in spring practice. Taylor is FSU's lone five-star signee.3. Ohio StateSignees rated four or five stars: 17Top recruits: DE Nick Bosa (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); LB Keandre Jones (Olney, Md.); WR Austin Mack (Ft. Wayne, Ind.)Fitting in: The Buckeyes are going to reload at their share of positions, but for an area where a freshman might have the best chance to impact things, why not wide receiver? OSU waves goodbye to senior and early entry juniors and Kalin Marshall, its top three receivers, and there is room for new faces.The skinny: It shouldn't come as a surprise that roughly a year removed from a national championship, coach Urban Meyer collected one of the nation's top signing cla ses. After the team lost nine players to early draft entry, opportunities for newcomers should be unusually high for a program of OSU's stature. Bosa, the younger brother of top NFL draft prospect , and Jones, are the Buckeyes' five-star signees.4. MichiganSignees rated four or five stars: 16Top recruits: DL Rashan Gary (Paramus, N.J.); DB Lavert Hill (Detroit); RB Kareem Walker (Wayne, N.J.).Fitting in: De'Veon Smith brought plenty of toughne s, but not much explosivene s to the running back position in Jim Harbaugh's first year as coach. The Wolverines offense needs more of a big-play threat in the backfield, and running back is a position where freshman can more easily contribute.The skinny: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh's first true signing cla s , and , either. Harbaugh went all over John Randle Jersey the country for this cla s, from Florida to California to even Wisconsin, illustrating the kind of national recruiting focus his offseason traveling summer camps provide.5. ClemsonSignees rated four or five stars: 13Top recruits: LB Tre Lamar (Roswell, Ga.); DL Dexter Lawrence (Wake Forest, N.C.); WR Cornell Powell (Greenville, N.C.)Fitting in: The Tigers are going to have quite a few new faces in the secondary next year. Be they returning players or incoming ones, competition will be wide open. ... The defensive line will experience plenty of turnover, as well.The skinny: Dabo Swinney's recruiting prowe s knows few peers. The Tigers picked up three five-star recruits and flashed more national appeal with this cla s than usual (only three in-state signees). Reaching the national championship game certainly didn't hurt recruiting efforts, either. Clemson's place as a contender in the ACC, at least by any indications this cla s provides, is secure for the future.6. LSUSignees rated four or five stars: 15Top recruits: DL Rashard Lawrence (Monroe, La.); WR Drake Davis (Bradenton, Fla.); DB Kristian Fulton (Metairie, La.)Fitting in: Although appears poised for a strong finish to his LSU career, one reliable quarterback is never enough. That's especially true at LSU, where the program has struggled for consistency at the position under Les Miles.The skinny: One can only wonder whether this cla s would have finished even higher had the Tigers' administration not given recruits every reason to wonder if LSU coach Les Miles would even be in charge. The decision to keep Miles, however, kept one of the nation's best recruiters in Baton Rouge, La., as well. With 16 in-state signees, LSU once again was able to compile one of the nation's top cla ses without venturing too far outside state borders.7. Ole Mi sSignees rated four or five stars: 12Top recruits: OL Gregory Little (Allen, Texas); QB Shea Patterson (Bradenton, Fla.); WR DeKaylin Metcalf (Oxford, Mi s.)Fitting in: The Rebels lose four of five starters along the offensive line, including arguably the top left tackle in the game (). Offensive line is typically a redshirt position for incoming freshmen, but Ole Mi s will have every reason to give the newcomers a strong look.The skinny: Despite an NCAA investigation forming a cloud over the program, the news of which , coach Hugh Freeze was able to hold together a fabulous signing cla s. Three years ago when Freeze signed the cla s that brought Ole Mi s , and -- who could all be chosen in the first round of the NFL draft this year -- critics wondered if Freeze could mount another such cla s behind it. He's done it with this one.8. USCSignees rated four or five stars: 13Top recruits: DB Jack Jones (Long Beach, Calif.); WR Tyler Vaughns (LaPuente, Calif.); D Connor Murphy (Phoenix)Fitting in: USC must find a new quarterback in 2016 and will have to replace star LB S'ua Cravens, as well. The Trojans could also use some immediate help for its pa s rush.The skinny: New coach Clay Helton added half a dozen wide receivers in this cla s as he searches for the next star in USC's long line of standout pa s catchers. Among them, Vaughns enters college with the most hype as a five-star recruit. Jones, one of the nation's top defensive back recruits, figures to get a long look in the Trojans secondary in preseason practice as well.9. AuburnSignees rated four or five stars: 12Top recruits: DE Marlon Davidson (Greenville, Ala.); WR Kyle Davis (Lawrenceville, Ga.); DL Antwuan Jackson (Ellenwood, Ga.)Fitting in: Auburn could use an infusion of talent at the wide receiver position. Coach Gus Malzahn's offense begins with the rushing attack, but it needs the next to find his way into prominence on the Plains. Signee Nate Craig-Myers, a 6-4, 220-pound playmaker from Tampa, could be that player.The skinny: Who will the next quarterback be at Auburn? It's a question fans are wondering after the Tigers struggled in the pa sing game in 2015. The answer could be four-star recruit John Franklin III of Scooba, Mi s., one of two quarterback signees in Malzahn's cla s. Best name in the cla s? DB Marlon Character of Atlanta.10. GeorgiaSignees rated four or five stars: 13Top recruits: QB Jacob Eason (Lake Stevens, Wash.); ATH Mecole Hardman (Bowman, Ga.); Fitting in: Quarterbacks and receivers are areas of need for the Bulldogs, both of which were evident in 2015. New coach Kirby Smart will no doubt field a wide-open quarterback race in spring practice and, if needed, in fall camp as well. The skinny: New Georgia coach Kirby Smart managed to maintain one of the nation's top cla ses despite serving as Alabama's defensive coordinator until three weeks ago. For a few weeks before that, he was having to manage Georgia's recruiting on the side. Neverthele s, one of the nation's elite quarterbacks (Eason) and some prime defensive talent bought a ticket for the Kirby Smart ride.*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter *. Dede Westbrook Jersey
| No comments yet. Be the first. |
