College Football Teams Having the Most Success on the 2018 Recruiting Trail
It's very early in the 2019 recruiting class, but with 11 months left the 247Sports composite rankings for this cycle look a whole lot like the last set.
Georgia is all alone at the top, and nobody is really close.
Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart's mug should be next to the word "hot" in the dictionary. It's hard to get more sizzling than UGA is on the recruiting trail right now.
But the Dawgs aren't the only team that are looking strong at the opening gates of the '19 class. New Florida State coach Willie Taggart already has a couple of massive pickups, and Miami's class is already 11 deep.
Oklahoma looks like it has its star quarterback of the future, and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is off to a nice start in his recruiting efforts this year, too.
Volume isn't everything, but several teams have star players and plenty more to shoot up the rankings. There is still a lot of time remaining for teams to play catch-up, but let's take a look at the college football teams who are sitting pretty at the start of this year's recruiting cycle.
With the early signing period now in full effect, you can't discount the early decisions of prospects around the nation.
Georgia Bulldogs
1 of 8
Georgia needs to win a championship or five before it can call itself the new Alabama (especially when the Crimson Tide are rolling right along as the defending champions). But with the way Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart is recruiting it may not be long until UGA is at the same level.
After all, the Dawgs led UA 13-0 in January's College Football Playoff National Championship before falling 26-23 in overtime.
Even so, Smart landed the nation's third-ranked recruiting class in 2017, ran away from the pack with the top overall haul in this past cycle and has a huge head start on the field this year.
With all that talent in Athens, Smart is having a good time with the elite prospects already on campus.
"I enjoy coaching them," Smart told DawgNation's Chip Towers. "They're like sponges; they absorb. So far, they have the eagerness that you'd like to have."
More are coming. Of Georgia's eight commits thus far, three are 5-star prospects, and the other five are 4-stars. The group is led by the nation's second-ranked overall prospect in Ellenwood, Georgia, receiver Jadon Haselwood. Another 5-star receiver, Dominick Blaylock, is from nearby Marietta.
It helps the Dawgs immensely to be sitting on a talent hotbed, and Smart is keeping them home.
UGA also has a pledge from IMG Academy defensive end Nolan Smith, who is technically a Peach State product from Savannah.
A couple of weeks ago, the Dawgs got a pledge from 4-star defensive end Bill Norton of Memphis, who had just come off a visit to home-state Tennessee. Other stars include cornerback Jalen Perry, tight end Ryland Goede, outside linebacker J.D. Bertrand and offensive tackle Luke Griffin.
All but Norton are from Georgia, too.
Florida State Seminoles
2 of 8
Florida State sputtered right along in recruiting during the transition from Jimbo Fisher to Willie Taggart, but the former Oregon coach heated up toward national signing day and closed with a flurry.
The momentum has carried into the 2019 cycle as well.
Akeem Dent, the nation's top-ranked cornerback, decommitted from Miami and gave Taggart the jewel of his first full recruiting class. He was the centerpiece of the Hurricanes' haul, which was shaping up to be elite. Now, Dent gives the Seminoles a major puzzle piece.
Taggart needed to get commitments from at least three corners in this cycle, and the 5'11", 176-pound Palm Beach defensive back gives him a perfect start.
Though the 'Noles don't have a ton of commitments, Dent is as good as anybody in the country. They also have a pair of 4-star defensive ends pledged in Mike Morris and Quashon Fuller. At 250 pounds and 277 pounds, respectively, both are versatile, strong-side ends who can play a number of spots on the defensive front.
Joining Dent is 3-star cornerback Travis Jay from Madison, Florida, who doesn't have the offer sheet of a 3-star. A lot of top programs wanted him, but he chose to stay near home and play for FSU. That's two good-looking defensive backs who should carry on the tradition at the position.
Defensive tackle Tru Thompson of Loganville, Georgia, rounds out FSU's haul, and the 6'0", 338-pound cog could anchor the middle of the defensive line for years to come.
FSU's class is ranked 11th right now, but it's only the beginning, and all the Seminoles need are numbers to shoot up the rankings.
LSU Tigers
3 of 8
LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has plenty of question marks surrounding his tenure at his home-state program, but if he stays as the top Tiger for a long time, it's because some of his top recruits panned out.
Last year's recruiting class wasn't as good as what LSU is used to, but the 2019 cycle is off to a much better start. The Tigers are seventh nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings, bolstered by 5-star offensive lineman Kardell Thomas of Baton Rouge.
The 6'4", 320-pound lineman just got finished dominating The Opening regionals in Atlanta, and he's proving he's an elite player. If the Tigers can pair him with fellow 5-star Louisiana defensive lineman Ishmael Sopsher, that would be massive.
The Tigers also went into the Bluff City and pulled Tennessee's No. 2 overall prospect out of Memphis in Maurice Hampton. The Vols, Alabama and many others are trying to lure him away, but right now, he seems firm to Coach O and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda.
"I've always been committed to LSU. I'm 100-percent committed," Hampton told SEC Country's Sam Spiegelman. "Whenever I committed, I was 100 percent. There are always schools trying to flip me and I've got relationships with other staffs, but my relationship with LSU is the strongest. I'm not going anywhere."
That's huge for the Tigers, who also have commitments from 4-star running back Tyrion Davis, 3-star inside linebacker Zach Edwards of Starkville, Mississippi, offensive tackle Thomas Perry and others.
It's a great start to what looks like it could be a quality class.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Miami Hurricanes
4 of 8
Losing Akeem Dent was a crushing blow to a class that looked like it was primed to keep Miami trending in the right direction, but he wasn't the only potential star in the Hurricanes class.
Coach Mark Richt and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz became a great national story a year ago, and they are helping put together a nice haul in Coral Gables.
The two best players on the commitment list so far are a duo of wide receivers, which is a position of desperate need for the 'Canes in the '19 class. Jeremiah Payton is a 6'0.5", 186-pound pass-catcher, and Brieon Fuller is a 6'1" target.
Neither of those guys are the biggest, most physical receivers, but they can both make things happen with the ball in their hands.
Beyond those two, the other nine players committed to the U are 3-star players, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. However, that doesn't mean they are mediocre prospects.
Offensive tackle Brandon Cunningham had offers from Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and others. Fellow offensive tackle Renato Brown had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Penn State and others. They could anchor the exterior of Miami's line for years to come.
Cameron Williams and Denzel Daxon are potential stalwarts on the other side of the line, and the 'Canes have a running back in Marcus Crowley as well.
Though Diamante Howard decommitted from the 'Canes just this week, Miami still has a quality class. It just needs to stop losing guys.
Miami Diehards' David Wilson wrote that Miami's class is just beginning, despite the big number:
"Despite holding the largest class in the country, Miami's class should more than double in size during the next year," Wilson wrote. "The Hurricanes need to load up on the offensive line, defensive line, at linebacker and in the secondary."
Oklahoma Sooners
5 of 8
With Baker Mayfield gone to the NFL, and the battle between Kyler Murray and Austin Kendall to replace him for the Sooners, the present appears in good hands.
But the future doesn't look bad, either.
OU has a pledge from Arizona signal-caller Spencer Rattler out of Phoenix, who looks like he has the kind of talent to step in and be a great player for coach Lincoln Riley. The 6'2", 180-pound quarterback needs to add some weight, but he has the arm strength to light up the Big 12.
ESPN.com's Tom Luginbill compared him recently to Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois.
"This comparison is primarily due to both players’ effortless release of the football—a smooth, loose and compact stroke that jumps off their hand. Rattler is a slightly better runner than Francois, which is an ideal fit for Oklahoma's offense," he wrote.
There aren't too many commitments in the Sooners' class (only five), but they have the nation's eighth-ranked class and the top haul in the Big 12 because of quality. Trejan Bridges is a speedy receiver who could be Rattler's top target in the future.
Tight end Austin Stogner is a 4-star prospect who hopes to be the kind of weapon that Mark Andrews was during his career in Norman. Isaiah Spiller is a 4-star all-purpose running back who gives Riley another offensive weapon.
The only 3-star prospect in the group is also the only defender in strong-side defensive end Kori Roberson.
Michigan Wolverines
6 of 8
Everybody is talking about Georgia keeping the best players home for a good reason. That's why Kirby Smart is killing it in recruiting lately.
But Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh won a battle in the Peach State a couple of cycles ago in luring Aubrey Solomon, and he may just do it again. Chris Hinton is a 5-star defensive end with offers from virtually everybody, and the 6'4", 265-pound prospect from Greater Atlanta Christian is pledged to the Wolverines.
He committed way back in August 2017, and he hasn't wavered since.
Hinton joins Stephen Herron Jr., another defensive end from Louisville, Kentucky, who can help anchor the line for the future and continue the Wolverines' run of outstanding defensive linemen who are game-changers. Trente Jones is a 4-star offensive tackle in this class.
Four-star offensive guard Nolan Rumler is a player Harbaugh plucked from Ohio, and Cade McNamara will soon join the fray to be the Wolverines next quarterback. That position is making big headlines in Ann Arbor currently due to the questionable eligibility of Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, and Harbaugh has a lot of talent to choose from in the future as well.
Finally, Charles Thomas is a 3-star inside linebacker from the powerhouse of IMG Academy.
Three of those players (including Thomas) are from Georgia, where Michigan continues to have a strong presence, despite losing out on linebacker Otis Reese to the Bulldogs.
Southeast recruiting coordinator for the Under Armour All-American Game Kenyatta Watson Sr. told Landof10.com's Kevin Goheen that Michigan is winning its share of battles in the Peach State:
"I would say that the Otis Reese situation happens at every program. I know a lot of Michigan fans are scared of coming back to Georgia because of that but it was just the year before that Aubrey Solomon was a top player in the country and Michigan came down here and stole him from Georgia, stole him from the SEC, period. You win some, you lose some, but to me, Michigan is a great place. Quality education and I know several players who played there."
Texas A&M Aggies
7 of 8
Texas A&M didn't have quite the finish it wanted to in the 2018 cycle after trading coach Kevin Sumlin for Jimbo Fisher, but the Aggies grabbed some late pledges to finish 17th nationally and sixth in the SEC.
With all those resources in College Station and a rich history of quality recruiting, Fisher should fare much better in the 2019 recruiting class.
They already have a fantastic start with the commitment of 5-star safety Brian Williams, who plays at a position of need as former defensive coordinator Mike Elko tries to rebuild the Aggies defense. After Texas' incredible defensive back haul in the '18 cycle, this was a nice win for Fisher.
"Just Jimbo and Elko, and everyone made it the perfect fit, and they have an amazing engineering program as well," Williams told 247Sports Steve Wiltfong.
Fellow safety Demani Richardson could team with Williams to provide an impressive tandem at the back end of the Aggies defense in the future.
With Christian Kirk gone, the Aggies have a massive void at pass-catcher, and 4-star receiver Kam Brown has the potential to be the next do-it-all receiver. The 6'0", 170-pound target needs to add some weight but can be dynamic.
Josh Ellison is a 3-star defensive tackle, and A.J. Orebo is a 6'6", 3-star outside linebacker who is an impressive athlete who will be an intriguing prospect once he adds some weight as well. The Aggies also have a kicker in Caden Davis, so that important part of the game is covered.
A&M may only have the third-ranked class in the SEC right now, but that's good enough for sixth nationally.
Wisconsin Badgers
8 of 8
It's rare to see Wisconsin near the top of the recruiting rankings, but coach Paul Chryst has placed the Badgers in the national picture the past two years, and it's beginning to pay off in living rooms across the nation.
Wisconsin was undefeated before losing to Ohio State in last year's Big Ten Championship Game, but the Badgers rebounded with a win over Miami in the Orange Bowl. Recruits are paying attention.
The Badgers have the third-ranked recruiting class in the nation and the top-ranked group in the Big Ten. That group is led by 6'6", 285-pound offensive tackle Logan Brown of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He possibly will be protecting the blind side of 4-star signal-caller Graham Mertz, a 6'4", 205-pound prospect who could replace Alex Hornibrook in a couple of years.
"Just the way he's turned that program to be such a successful, credible and high-character kind of program, you never hear anything negative about what he's doing and what the Badgers program is all about," Graham Mertz's father, Ron told Landof10's Jesse Temple. "So the reputation has been there."
The Badgers' other six commitments are 3-star prospects, but they are all high-upside players, led by tight end Hayden Rucci, athlete Leo Chenal (who could play linebacker, safety or running back at Wisconsin) and running back Julius Davis.
Though some recruiting analysts and writers such as SI.com's Joan Niesen don't expect Wisconsin's torrid recruiting start to translate into a high ranking, this is a higher-caliber recruiting class that Chryst is getting.
What will he do with this kind of talent given the way he's already winning big with the players he has right now?
Unless otherwise noted, stats are courtesy of Sports Reference and CFBStats.com, and recruiting data is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
Brad Shepard covers college football for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter at @Brad_Shepard.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
