National Signing Day 2018: Ranking the Top 50 Overall Recruits

Trevor Lawrence, a prized quarterback, is one of the best prospects in the nation.Credit: Student Sports

When the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game, true freshmen stole the spotlight. On the biggest stage, both programs showed the importance of recruiting and signing immediate-impact talent.

The 2018 class features dozens of players who can assert themselves as first-year contributors, and many of them are highlighted in Bleacher Report's top 50 prospects of the current cycle.

Some of them still need college homes.

Though the early signing period in December resulted in a flurry of commitments, several of B/R's top 50 players remain on the board. Barring a surprise, those prospects will announce their college intentions next week on the first Wednesday of February (the traditional national signing day).

Current skills and top-end potential shaped our rankings. And as Alabama and Georgia reminded the college football world, we better start paying attention to these talents right away.

50. Jacob Sirmon, QB, Washington

Height/Weight: 6'4 ½", 226 lbs

High School: Bothell; Bothell, Washington

247Sports composite ranking: No. 95 overall (No. 6 pro-style QB)

1 Thing to Know

Jacob—who comes from an impressive football family—isn't the only Sirmon headed to Washington. His cousin Jack is a 3-star linebacker and has signed with the Huskies.

49. Payton Wilson, LB, North Carolina State

Height/Weight: 6'4", 225 lbs

High School: Orange; Hillsborough, North Carolina

247Sports composite ranking: No. 79 overall (No. 4 OLB)

1 Thing to Know

Over the last two seasons, Payton Wilson amassed 230 tackles with 60 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 23 sacks.

48. Marquis Spiker, WR, Washington

Height/Weight: 6'3", 188 lbs

High School: Murrieta Valley; Murrieta, California

247Sports composite ranking: No. 59 overall (No. 9 WR)

1 Thing to Know

During his senior year, Marquis Spiker set the California state record for most career touchdown receptions. According to MaxPreps, the wideout tallied 72 scores from 2015-2017.

47. Dax Hollifield, LB

Height/Weight: 6'2", 236 lbs

High School: Shelby; Shelby, North Carolina

247Sports composite ranking: No. 150 overall (No. 8 ILB)

Interested in: Stanford, Virginia Tech, North Carolina

1 Thing to Know

Dax Hollifield was a tackling machine in high school. He amassed 154 stops and 18 sacks as a junior, per Langston Wertz Jr. of the Charlotte Observer, and collected 150 tackles as a senior.

46. JJ Peterson, LB, Tennessee

Height/Weight: 6'2 ½", 231 lbs

High School: Colquitt County; Moultrie, Georgia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 48 overall (No. 3 OLB)

1 Thing to Know

For much of 2017, Alabama was considered the team to beat for JJ Peterson. But once defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt accepted the head coaching position at Tennessee—where two former Colquitt players are—Peterson's recruitment followed.

45. Caden Sterns, S, Texas

Height/Weight: 6'1", 192 lbs

High School: Steele; Cibolo, Texas

247Sports composite ranking: No. 19 overall (No. 1 S)

1 Thing to Know

The MVP of the Army All-American Bowl, Caden Sterns intercepted two passes in the showcase. He also notched two tackles with one stop behind the line of scrimmage.

44. James Cook, RB, Georgia

Height/Weight: 5'11 ½", 181 lbs

High School: Northwestern; Miami

247Sports composite ranking: No. 41 overall (No. 3 all-purpose RB)

1 Thing to Know

His brother is Dalvin Cook, who starred for three years at Florida State before the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft.

43. Solomon Tuliaupupu, LB

Height/Weight: 6'2", 220 lbs

High School: Mater Dei; Santa Ana, California

247Sports composite ranking: No. 86 overall (No. 3 ILB)

Interested in: USC, Oklahoma, Ohio State, UCLA, Notre Dame

1 Thing to Know

USA Today named Solomon Tuliaupupu the All-USA Defensive Player of the Year. The linebacker collected 63 tackles with 12 stops for loss and four sacks as a senior.

42. Tanner McKee, QB

Height/Weight: 6'6", 200 lbs

High School: Centennial; Corona, CA

247Sports composite ranking: No. 46 overall (No. 3 pro-style QB)

Interested in: Stanford, Brigham Young

1 Thing to Know

Before attending whichever school is eventually his college choice, Tanner McKee will embark on a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will be available for the 2020 football season.

41. Kelvin Joseph, S, LSU

Height/Weight: 6'1 ½", 191 lbs

High School: Scotlandville Magnet; Baton Rouge, Louisiana

247Sports composite ranking: No. 42 overall (No. 5 S)

1 Thing to Know

Joseph committed to LSU at the Army All-American Bowl, and while he was scheduled to officially visit Alabama and Auburn before signing day, he shut down his recruitment after a visit with the Tigers, according to Sam Spiegelman of SEC Country.                         

40. Jaiden Woodbey, S, Florida State

Height/Weight: 6'2", 204 lbs

High School: St. John Bosco; Fontana, California

247Sports composite ranking: No. 35 overall (No. 4 S)

1 Thing to Know

Jaiden Woodbey committed to Ohio State in February 2017 but flipped to Florida State during December's early signing period. Best of all for the Seminoles, he enrolled early.

39. Ricky Person, RB, NC State

Height/Weight: 6'2", 202 lbs

High School: Heritage; Wake Forest, North Carolina

247Sports composite ranking: No. 111 overall (No. 4 RB)

1 Thing to Know

While struggling through an injury-plagued junior season, Ricky Person wanted to find another way to contribute. He added third-down pass-rushing duties to his role and added 17 tackles, per J. Mike Blake of the News and Observer.

38. Tyreke Johnson, S, Ohio State

Height/Weight: 6'1", 191 lbs

High School: Trinity Christian; Jacksonville, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 21 overall (No. 2 S)

1 Thing to Know

Tyreke Johnson started playing varsity football at Trinity Christian as an eighth-grader. Ohio State was one of the 10-plus programs to offer Johnson before he even entered high school.    

37. JaMarr Chase, WR

Height/Weight: 6'1", 195 lbs

High School: Archbishop Rummel; Metairie, Louisiana

Interested in: LSU, Auburn, TCU and Michigan

247Sports composite ranking: No. 84 overall (No. 15 WR)

1 Thing to Know

Throughout his recruiting process, JaMarr Chase has committed twice but backed off both times. He initially picked Kansas and then chose Florida. He has been uncommitted to any school since November.

36. Penei Sewell, OG

Height/Weight: 6'5", 349 lbs

High School: Desert Hills; Saint George, Utah

Interested in: Alabama, Oregon, USC, Utah

247Sports composite ranking: No. 57 overall (No. 2 OG)

1 Thing to Know

Two of his brothers, Gabe and Nephi, play football at Nevada. Penei officially visited the program in September but is only considering Alabama, Oregon, USC and Utah, per Blair Angulo of 247Sports.

35. Jaelen Gill, RB, Ohio State

Height/Weight: 6'1", 182 lbs

High School: Westerville South; Westerville, Ohio

247Sports composite ranking: No. 30 overall (No. 2 all-purpose back)

1 Thing to Know

Jaelen Gill missed much of the 2016 season because of a broken leg, but he returned to earn first-team All-OCC Buckeye honors as a senior. He was also named co-Offensive Player of the Year.

34. Brey Walker, OT, Oklahoma

Height/Weight: 6'7", 320 lbs

High School: Westmoore; Moore, Oklahoma

247Sports composite ranking: No. 29 overall (No. 4 OT)

1 Thing to Know

In November 2015, as a sophomore in high school, Brey Walker gave his pledge to Oklahoma. The offensive lineman never backed off that commitment and signed Dec. 20.

33. JT Daniels, QB, USC

Height/Weight: 6'2", 205 lbs

High School: Mater Dei; Santa Ana, California

247Sports composite ranking: No. 16 overall (No. 2 pro-style QB)

1 Thing to Know

Initially considered one of the nation's best prospects for 2019, JT Daniels elected to reclassify and will be part of USC's 2018 class. He plans to enroll during the summer, per Adam Gorney of Rivals.com.

32. Brendan Radley-Hiles, CB, Oklahoma

Height/Weight: 5'10", 183 lbs

High School: IMG Academy; Bradenton, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 38 overall (No. 5 CB)

1 Thing to Know

Brendan Radley-Hiles' path to Oklahoma is unique. He attended Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Calabasas (California) and IMG Academy (Florida). At his final stop, Radley-Hiles intercepted five passes and forced two fumbles.

31. Jordyn Adams, WR, North Carolina

Height/Weight: 6'2", 175 lbs

High School: Green Hope; Cary, North Carolina

247Sports composite ranking: No. 58 overall (No. 8 WR)

1 Thing to Know

"Athlete" doesn't do Jordyn Adams justice. In addition to being a prized wideout, he batted .494 and stole 26 bases his junior year of high school baseball, and he appeared in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game in July 2017. Adams also threw down a vicious dunk that is worth a watch or 12.

30. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

Height/Weight: 6'1 ½", 195 lbs

High School: Bishop Gorman; Las Vegas

247Sports composite ranking: No. 36 overall (No. 2 dual-threat QB)

1 Thing to Know

Dorian Thompson-Robinson served as the backup to Tate Martell, a 4-star in the class of 2017, before taking over the starting role this year. "DTR" proceeded to complete 68.5 percent of his passes for 3,275 yards, 38 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

29. Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

Height/Weight: 6'3", 250 lbs

High School: Bishop Gorman; Las Vegas

247Sports composite ranking: No. 33 overall (No. 1 TE)

1 Thing to Know

Though all top-tier recruits typically have a chance to contribute in a rotational spot immediately, Brevin Jordan might be a starter from day one. Miami is already thin at tight end and must replace Christopher Herndon, a likely NFL draft pick.

28. Brenton Cox, DE, Georgia

Height/Weight: 6'4 ½", 247 lbs

High School: Stockbridge; Stockbridge, Georgia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 23 overall (No. 2 strong-side DE)

1 Thing to Know

Brenton Cox committed to Ohio State last April but opened his recruitment shortly before the early signing period. He elected to stay in-state for college and has enrolled for the spring semester at Georgia.

27. Mark Pope, WR, Miami

Height/Weight: 6'1", 175 lbs

High School: Miami Southridge; Hialeah, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 67 overall (No. 11 WR)

1 Thing to Know

Similar to Daniels, Mark Pope reclassified from the 2019 cycle into 2018 and is a well-regarded prospect. However, the decision isn't as prominent because it happened in May 2016.

26. Ricky Slade, RB, Penn State

Height/Weight: 5'9", 185 lbs

High School: C.D. Hylton; Woodbridge, Virginia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 27 overall (No. 1 all-purpose back)

1 Thing to Know

During his last three seasons at C.D. Hylton, Ricky Slade amassed 3,529 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns. He nearly averaged 10 yards per carry, ending that impressive three-year stretch with 9.5.

25. Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State

Height/Weight: 6'5 ½", 238 lbs

High School: Lindenhurst; Lindenhurst, NY

247Sports composite ranking: No. 37 overall (No. 2 TE)

1 Thing to Know

Jeremy Ruckert raced go-karts to reveal his commitment in a video on Bleacher Report. The versatile tight end chose the Buckeyes over Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin.

24. Lorenzo Lingard, RB, Miami

Height/Weight: 6'0", 190 lbs

High School: University; Orange, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 25 overall (No. 2 RB)

1 Thing to Know

In his senior season, Lorenzo Lingard earned Gatorade Florida Football Player of the Year honors. He rushed for 1,701 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year.

23. Teradja Mitchell, LB, Ohio State

Height/Weight: 6'2", 232 lbs

High School: Bishop Sullivan Catholic; Virginia Beach, Virginia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 44 overall (No. 2 ILB)

1 Thing to Know

One of the best players from Virginia, Teradja Mitchell secured USA Today's Defensive Player of the Year award for the state. He amassed 162 tackles with a ridiculous 41 stops for loss, adding three forced fumbles and two blocked field goals.

22. Talanoa Hufanga, ATH, USC

Height/Weight: 6'0 ½", 193 lbs

High School: Crescent Valley; Corvallis, OR

247Sports composite ranking: No. 88 overall (No. 2 ATH)

1 Thing to Know

Talanoa Hufanga was a three-year starter for the basketball team at Crescent Valley and was a first-team All-Conference player last season. However, his career on the hardwood has come to a close because Hufanga enrolled early at USC.

21. Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

Height/Weight: 6'2 ½", 192 lbs

High School: Parkway; Bossier City, Louisiana

247Sports composite ranking: No. 13 overall (No. 3 WR)

1 Thing to Know

A high school teammate of TCU-bound dual-threat quarterback Justin Rogers, Terrace Marshall twice eclipsed the 1,200-yard mark in high school. Unfortunately for the talented duo, Marshall missed most of his senior season because of a fractured fibula.    

Height/Weight: 6'6", 330 lbs

High School: Fairfield; Fairfield, Ohio

247Sports composite ranking: No. 17 overall, No. 2 OT

Signed with: Clemson

1 Thing to Know

Ohio State rarely misses on the top in-state prospect, but Jackson Carman chose Clemson. Had the Buckeyes secured Carman, they would've signed the five best players from Ohio. Instead, the program whiffed on the state's No. 1 prospect for only the second time since 2010.

Height/Weight: 6'6", 318 lbs

High School: Knoxville Catholic; Knoxville, Tennessee

247Sports composite ranking: No. 22 overall (No. 3 OT)

Signed with: Georgia

1 Thing to Know

Cade Mays had been pledged to Tennessee for more than two years, but the offensive lineman opened his recruitment after the program fired head coach Butch Jones. Mays signed with Georgia on Dec. 20 and then enrolled early.         

Height/Weight: 6'2 ½", 180 lbs

High School: American Heritage; Fort Lauderdale, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 12 overall (No. 2 CB)

Interested in: Miami, Georgia, Alabama

1 Thing to Know

Few prospects can claim such an impressive coaching history. During his time at American Heritage, Tyson Campbell has learned from Mike Rumph—a first-round draft pick in 2002—and Patrick Surtain Sr., a three-time Pro Bowl corner.

Height/Weight: 6'6", 272 lbs

High School: Berkeley Prep; Tampa, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 7 overall (No. 1 OT)

Interested in: Michigan, Alabama, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida

1 Thing to Know

According to Rodney Page of the Tampa Bay Times, Nicholas Petit-Frere received a special honor during the Under Armour All-America Game. At halftime, he was recognized for being a finalist for the Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy, an award given to the country's top African-American high school football player.

Height/Weight: 6'2", 187 lbs

High School: Helix; San Diego

247Sports composite ranking: No. 32 overall (No. 4 CB)

Interested in: USC, Alabama, Texas A&M

1 Thing to Know

Isaac Taylor-Stuart recorded a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the Nike Opening Regional Camp, according to 247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins (via Scout.com). Taylor-Stuart gathered 205 tackles, 40 pass breakups and 13 interceptions during his time in high school.

Height/Weight: 6'1", 188 lbs

High School: Angleton; Angleton, Texas

247Sports composite ranking: No. 24 overall (No. 3 S)

Signed with: Texas

1 Thing to Know

BJ Foster pulled off a unique trifecta at the Under Armour All-America Game, accounting for three turnovers. The hard-hitting safety forced a fumble that his team recovered, and he picked off a pass. However, Foster—a running back in high school—fumbled away the ball on that interception.

Height/Weight: 6'2", 235 lbs

High School: Bishop Gorman; Las Vegas

247Sports composite ranking: No. 15 overall (No. 1 ILB)

Signed with: USC

1 Thing to Know

Palaie Gaoteote chose to play in the Army All-American Bowl. After accepting the invitation, he posted a message saying that he was "very blessed to represent" his father and grandfather, both of whom are retired combat veterans and Airborne Rangers. He notched three stops and assisted on a tackle for loss in the game.

Height/Weight: 6'4", 213 lbs

High School: South Brunswick; Monmouth Junction, New Jersey

247Sports composite ranking: No. 8 overall (No. 1 WR)

Signed with: Penn State

1 Thing to Know

Justin Shorter surged in the recruiting rankings between his junior and senior seasons in high school. According to Land of 10's Tyler Donohue, heading into the 2017 campaign, Shorter ascended 119 spots in the 247Sports composite rankings. He then accounted for 874 total yards and 12 touchdowns.

Height/Weight: 6'2", 285 lbs

High School: IMG Academy; Bradenton, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 20 overall (No. 1 DT)

Signed with: Ohio State

1 Thing to Know

Taron Vincent is the son of former NFL safety Troy Vincent, who now serves as the league's executive vice president of football operations. The elder Vincent intercepted 47 passes during his 15-year NFL career, appeared in five Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro once.

Height/Weight: 6'4", 214 lbs

High School: Rome; Rome, Georgia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 18 overall (No. 1 OLB)

Signed with: Georgia

1 Thing to Know

According to Jeff Sentell of Dawg Nation, Adam Anderson has a 300-word sign language vocabulary. Sentell noted the heralded prospect's younger brother is classified as deaf. And, per Todd Holcomb of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Anderson worked in the summer of 2017 so he could buy his brother hearing aids.

Height/Weight: 6'4", 342 lbs

High School: Pace Academy; Atlanta

247Sports composite ranking: No. 10 overall (No. 1 OG)

Signed with: Georgia

1 Thing to Know

Soon after Georgia landed Jamaree Salyer, his future position coach posted a strange, lovable video celebrating the commitment. Sam Pittman awkwardly smiled into the camera, waved pompoms, revealed a nice UGA jersey and ended the moment with a "yes, siiiiiiii-r."

Height/Weight: 6'1", 220 lbs

High School: Scotland County; Laurinburg, North Carolina

247Sports ranking: No. 9 overall (No. 1 RB)

Signed with: Georgia

1 Thing to Know

The amount of production Zamir White provided in high school is borderline unbelievable. In four seasons, the running back scampered for 7,169 yards on 738 carries—9.7 yards per attempt—and scored 125 total touchdowns on offense.

He'll join 2017 5-star D'Andre Swift on a Georgia roster that is graduating two 5-star runners, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. There's been a little bit of running back depth in Athens lately.

Height/Weight: 5'11 ½", 191 lbs

High School: Mater Dei; Anaheim, California

247Sports ranking: No. 11 overall (No. 2 WR)

Committed to: USC

1 Thing to Know

The USC-bound receiver is the third member of his family to earn a 4-star ranking or higher. Equanimeous was a 4-star in 2015, Osiris (Stanford) was a 4-star in 2017, and Amon-Ra is a 5-star in 2018.

Height/Weight: 6'5 ½", 235 lbs

High School: West Forsyth; Clemmons, North Carolina

247Sports composite ranking: No. 14 overall (No. 3 weak-side DE)

Signed with: Clemson

1 Thing to Know

KJ Henry ceded the spotlight when announcing his commitment. Rather than revealing it himself, he brought assistant coach Pat Murphy to the stage. "Coach Murphy has been a big part of my everyday life here. He puts a smile on my face," Henry said of Murphy, according to Michael Hewlett of the Winston-Salem Journal.

Height/Weight: 6'3", 235 lbs

High School: Harrisburg; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

247Sports composite ranking: No. 5 overall (No. 2 weak-side DE)

Signed with: Penn State

1 Thing to Know

Though listed as a defensive end throughout his recruitment, Micah Parsons will play a different position with the Nittany Lions. According to Greg Pickel of PennLive.com, head coach James Franklin said Parsons will initially be a middle linebacker.

Height/Weight: 6'1 ¼", 199 lbs

High School: American Heritage; Fort Lauderdale, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 6 overall (No. 1 CB)

Interested in: LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Miami

1 Thing to Know

Although Patrick Surtain Jr.'s father coaches at American Heritage and was an All-Pro corner for the Miami Dolphins, most of the prospect's extended family lives in Louisiana, per Sam Spiegelman of SEC Country. That connection is a key reason for LSU's standing in Surtain's recruitment.

Height/Weight: 6'3", 260 lbs

High School: IMG Academy; Bradenton, Florida

247Sports composite ranking: No. 3 overall (No. 1 strong-side DE)

Signed with: Clemson

1 Thing to Know

Xavier Thomas attends IMG Academy but is from South Carolina, where he will return to play college football. Thomas once called the University of South Carolina his dream school, per Morgan Moriarty and Bud Elliott of SB Nation, but he chose Clemson because of its success and the recent coaching change in Columbia.

Height/Weight: 6'5", 235 lbs

High School: St. Frances Academy; Baltimore

247Sports composite ranking: No. 4 overall (No. 1 weak-side DE)

Signed with: Alabama

1 Thing to Know

According to Michael Casagrande of AL.com, Eyabi Anoma has only played organized football for two years. Nevertheless, as a senior at St. Frances Academy, Enoma amassed 98 tackles, registered 22 sacks and also forced four fumbles.

Height/Weight: 6'3", 221 lbs

High School: Harrison; Kennesaw, Georgia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 2 overall (No. 1 dual-threat QB)

Signed with: Georgia

1 Thing to Know

Justin Fields enrolled early at Georgia, but that decision wasn't easy. MLB clubs have monitored Fields, and baseball signing bonuses can be appealing. In the past, quarterbacks have been selected in the MLB draft despite not playing college baseball, so a club may eventually pick Fields anyway.

Height/Weight: 6'6", 208 lbs

High School: Cartersville; Cartersville, Georgia

247Sports composite ranking: No. 1 overall (No. 1 pro-style QB)

Signed with: Clemson

1 Thing to Know

Trevor Lawrence won two state championships and then set several Georgia records during his senior season. He racked up 14,352 passing yards and 161 touchdowns while at Cartersville. The former record-holder? Deshaun Watson.

The 5-star quarterback has enrolled early, bolstering a quarterback room that already includes Kelly Bryant and Hunter Johnson.