Ranking the Top Uncommitted Players in 2018 Class Ahead of National Signing Day
The creation of an early signing period has taken away some of the sizzle of next month's national signing day, which until this year was the only opportunity for college football prospects to lock themselves in to a school. As a result, the majority of top recruits have not only picked their destinations, but also made them official with national letters of intent.
But there are still plenty of stragglers, including some of the highest-rated players from the 2018 class. At this point, it looks like they won't decide—or at least publicly announce—where they're going until national signing day Feb. 7.
We've ranked the 10 best unsigned prospects, using 247Sports' composite rankings as a barometer but also factoring in their projected college value. We have also tried to read the tea leaves formed by their various school visits, quotes and social media posts to see if we can predict where they'll end up.
10. OT William Barnes
1 of 10
Measurables: 6'4", 325 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss
Best attribute
William Barnes has tremendously long arms, which should serve him well in pass blocking against edge-rushers who look to go wide or try to swim inside. That length also helps him keep interior defenders at bay on running plays.
Prediction
Head coach Dan Mullen is loading up on offensive linemen in his first recruiting class at Florida, with two signed and another committed. He's determined to improve the Gators offense in all areas, and Barnes is another piece who will make this possible.
9. OG Penei Sewell
2 of 10
Measurables: 6'5", 349 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Oregon, USC, Utah
Best attribute
Penei Sewell is rated as the second-best guard in his class, but he can easily take on either tackle spot depending on what his team's needs are. That versatility comes from great hands and active feet—a heck of a combination for someone so large.
Prediction
When Alabama sets its sights on a prospect, it tends to seal that deal, so it says a lot that almost every bit of contact Sewell has had in the past two months has been from the Crimson Tide. Assistant Tosh Lupoi is on the staff to pull in top West Coast prospects, with this Utah native the next one he'll draw to Tuscaloosa.
8. WR Jaylen Waddle
3 of 10
Measurables: 5'9 ½", 175 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M
Best attribute
What Jaylen Waddle may lack in size, he more than makes up for with speed and explosiveness. The 4-star recruit has the makings of a yards-after-catch wizard as well as someone who can break off big plays in the return game. He scored the winning touchdown in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 6.
Prediction
When coach Jimbo Fisher left the ACC for the SEC in early December, it not only shifted the entire college football landscape, but also gave Texas A&M a leg up on the competition for Waddle. Alabama was in the lead before that, but now the Aggies have the best shot.
7. QB Tanner McKee
4 of 10
Measurables: 6'6", 220 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, BYU, Stanford, Texas, Texas A&M, Washington
Best attribute
Whoever signs Tanner McKee will be getting a tall and heady passer who has a strong arm and great footwork. His limited performance in the Army All-American Bowl (42 yards on 2-of-6 passing) gave fans only a brief glimpse of what he's capable of.
Prediction
It's rare for quarterbacks to be available this late in the recruiting cycle, let alone one ranked No. 46 overall and third-best among pro-style passers. But most prospects as good as him aren't also planning to take a two-year Mormon mission before playing. While Brigham Young has the most experience with players who do this, Stanford is where he'll end up. The Cardinal tend to bring along their quarterbacks slowly, so the time away won't hurt him.
6. WR Devon Williams
5 of 10
Measurables: 6'4", 200 lbs
Schools in the running: Oregon, UCLA, USC and Utah
Best attribute
Devon Williams has tremendous size for a receiver—to the point he might be able to grow into a hybrid tight end/wideout once he's in a college strength program. The No. 6 pass-catcher in the 2018 class has the ability to go over the middle or outmuscle defensive backs on the edge, allowing him to line up all over the field.
Prediction
Had Willie Taggart not skipped town in December to coach Florida State, Williams likely would have already signed with Oregon. Instead, he's let the process play out and given other Pac-12 suitors a chance to win him over. The Ducks will still get him since new head coach Mario Cristobal retained wide receivers coach Michael Johnson as well as Williams' main recruiter, safeties coach Keith Heyward.
5. CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart
6 of 10
Measurables: 6'2", 187 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC
Best attribute
There aren't a lot of corners in the 2018 class with as much length and reach as Isaac Taylor-Stuart, a 4-star prospect who is the No. 4 CB in the country. Taylor-Stuart had 13 interceptions during his career at Helix High School in San Diego, six of them as a senior.
Prediction
Taylor-Stuart seems to have fallen in love with the SEC, telling Rivals' Adam Gorney that league is "more likable." He's also discovered the joys of Whataburger, which he can't get in California but can all over Texas. Head coach Jimbo Fisher should credit the burger chain for helping land the signature defensive piece of his first Texas A&M recruiting class.
4. CB Olaijah Griffin
7 of 10
Measurables: 6'0", 170 lbs
Schools in the running: Auburn, Clemson, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee, UCLA, USC
Best attribute
Besides being the son of rapper Warren G, Olaijah Griffin has made a name for himself as a two-way player whose skills make it possible for him to play on defense or as a return specialist. He's fast enough to outrun (or catch up to) anyone and also has great open-field moves.
Prediction
Since decommitting from UCLA in late December, Griffin has picked up offers from Clemson and Florida State. Auburn and Tennessee offered before the decommit, but USC was showing interest in the Los Angeles-area product before all of them. When he's done traveling around getting the royal treatment, he'll come back home to the Trojans.
3. CB Tyson Campbell
8 of 10
Measurables: 6'2 ½", 180 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami (Fla.), Ohio State
Best attribute
A converted wide receiver, Tyson Campbell possesses tremendous ball skills that will work just as well on the defensive side. That includes great footwork and quickness, which might make him work best as a nickel corner who is playing center field and can hunt down the ball.
Prediction
The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native has been in contact with Miami for a long time, and the Hurricanes try to keep the best players from South Florida from leaving. They have already signed four strong defensive backs from the area, and Campbell will help tie the group together.
2. OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
9 of 10
Measurables: 6'6", 272 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State
Best attribute
Nicholas Petit-Frere is on the small side for an offensive tackle when it comes to his weight, but that's nothing a college strength program can't fix. It's important his packing on extra pounds and muscle doesn't affect his great flexibility, which makes him effective slowing down pass-rushers and clearing paths for ball-carriers.
Prediction
The top-rated offensive tackle in the 2018 class has plenty of blue bloods on his tail, but only one turned his high school in Tampa, Florida, into a college practice facility last month. Michigan, in preparation for the Outback Bowl, practiced at Berkeley Prep. It's one of those tricks Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh loves to pull, like when he had a sleepover with a kicker prospect he ended up signing, and it often gets the job done.
1. CB Patrick Surtain Jr.
10 of 10
Measurables: 6'1 ¼", 199 lbs
Schools in the running: Alabama, LSU
Best attribute
It's important for cover corners to have good instincts—to be able to gauge where a receiver will go or where a quarterback intends to throw. Patrick Surtain Jr., the No. 6 overall player in the 2018 class, inherited that from his father, Patrick Sr., who played 11 NFL seasons and had 37 career interceptions after the Miami Dolphins selected him in the second round of the draft in 1998.
Prediction
LSU has been Surtain's unofficial leader for a long time, though he gave both the Tigers and Alabama a shot to sell him during official visits in January. Both schools will provide an opportunity to play right away. The Tigers don't have as many standout players waiting in the wings, however, so Surtain should be able to step in and start immediately.
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