10 CFB Programs That Are Screwed in Class of 2019 Signing Window
This year's national signing day is quickly approaching as February 6 nears. Most of the top-rated recruits have already sent in their letters of intent or given their verbal commitment to the school of their choice, leaving much of the recruiting cycle decided.
The nation's top prospects bring promise and upside for programs, but not every school was able to turn its history of success or various advantages into a quality haul. Some schools benefit from their location, coaching staff, NFL representatives, traditions or on-field success, but they can still fall short of expected recruiting success.
Ten college football programs will invariably be screwed by their 2019 recruiting classes. Some may see the instant effects of their disappointing efforts, while others may not for several years. But each of these 10 programs won't be able to point to this signing window as its building block.
10. Colorado Buffaloes
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After a hot start to the 2018 season, the Colorado Buffaloes fell apart as they proceeded deeper into the Pac-12 schedule. Firing Mike MacIntyre and replacing him with Mel Tucker may prove to be the perfect hiring decision, but CU was left with a disappointing recruiting haul for signing day.
Producing a class ranking 46th overall and eighth in the Pac-12 won't lead to the Buffaloes making Boulder an intimidating trip for visitors anytime soon. The team has found success with recent running back and receiving recruits, and having quarterback Steven Montez back for his senior season should help it finish 2019 stronger than last year (5-7 overall, 2-7 in conference).
The Buffaloes adequately addressed the offensive and defensive front seven, adding four linebackers and six down linemen. The overall class lacks ready-made playmakers, though.
Their top returning runner, Beau Bisharat, had only 21 carries last year. Adding 3-star backs Joshia Davis (180 pounds) and Jaren Mangham (a 214-pounder who runs a 4.63-second 40-yard dash) doesn't look promising for an offense that needs playmakers.
9. UCF Knights
2 of 10
The UCF Knights managed an incredible 25-1 run over the last two seasons, but their success on the recruiting trail has been slow. Maybe it was the 0-12 2015 season that made people forget their 77-49 stretch from 2005 to 2014 under George O'Leary. But ranking 56th in the nation after dominating college football debates for more than a year isn't encouraging for their upside.
Head coach Josh Heupel did well to grab 13 Floridians in the class, which is a well-rounded group in terms of addressing positional needs. Heupel was able to add multiple bodies at critical positions. However, the concern is whether a class of 21 with no prospects higher than a 3-star will garner the respect that UCF needs to be a more serious College Football Playoff contender.
The Knights' 2017 finish of 55th and 2018 finish of 62nd in recruiting did nothing to relieve other concerns with their weak schedules, so repeating that level of recruiting performance may screw them in the future if they just continue to dominate the AAC. Their next signing day must be considerably stronger for them to become consistent playoff threats.
8. Florida State Seminoles
3 of 10
The Florida State Seminoles are trying to rebuild their roster on the fly as they pump in more young talent with Willie Taggart in charge, but the star power just hasn't come yet. Their 2019 class is ranked 16th, which is down five spots from last year. The lack of any 5-star and offensive difference-makers doesn't bode well for this team to break out after going 5-7 last season.
The offensive line woes have been nearly unprecedented at this caliber of football program, and the unit must stay healthier if only due to unsustainable luck. Landing grad Ryan Roberts should help in addition to the two other line recruits to this point.
But where the staff has thus far missed is the higher-end talent to revamp the offense in 2019.
Their quarterback situation with Deondre Francois and James Blackman is uninspiring, even if the line becomes average. They'll also be relying on wide receiver Tamorrion Terry and running back Cam Akers to carry a unit filled with unproven underclassmen.
At best, the 2019 Seminoles will resemble the 2017 Miami Hurricanes, who relied on a solid defense and some timely breaks that kept their offense above water. It's risky since turnovers are so luck-based. The Seminoles sorely needed an offensive playmaker from this class to carry the weight of the offense beyond Akers (a former 5-star) and Terry, but the staff was unable to land a single 5- or 4-star offensive playmaker.
7. Virginia Tech Hokies
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The 2018 Virginia Tech Hokies endured their worst season since 1992 as they dipped to 6-7. Head coach Justin Fuente also saw former quarterback Josh Jackson transfer after being replaced by Ryan Willis. The last thing he needed was a mediocre recruiting class after a tough season.
Fuente and his staff failed to keep the momentum he began two years ago by finishing 30th with only five 4-star recruits. The ranking is consistent with previous seasons, but the class is heavier on receivers than weaker positions. A whopping five commitments could play receiver if those marked as "athletes" stay at their primary positions.
The lack of balance within the recruiting class combined with the fact that the Hokies didn't get a headlining star doesn't project well for the future of the team. Depth is good, but it's easy to see a scenario where the Hokies are left without the requisite playmakers on both sides of the ball if 2017 4-star quarterback Hendon Hooker isn't ready for the starting job in 2020. Fuente will need his recruits from prior years to perform in a big way this year to help create more optimism.
6. West Virginia Mountaineers
5 of 10
Usually losing a coach-quarterback tandem of Dana Holgorsen and Will Grier in the same month would cripple a program, but West Virginia recovered well. New head coach Neal Brown was a terrific hire, and the graduate transfer acquisition of Austin Kendall from Oklahoma was an unexpected boost for this offense.
However, Holgorsen left Brown with a lesser recruiting class than he usually produces. Holgorsen had the Mountaineers in the 30s in rankings in six of his eight seasons, but it shouldn't have regressed in his final campaign with the school since it's been a competitive program with a national profile and had Grier at the head of an explosive offense.
Boasting only two 4-star recruits, the Mountaineers are 53rd in the nation and seventh in the Big 12. That puts them in the same range as Wake Forest, Utah and Illinois despite being a much more prominent program in recent years.
Brown may not utilize many of the recruits from this class as he's able to reshape the roster in his image in coming years.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Fresh off an undefeated regular season and appearance in the College Football Playoff, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are in a good place overall as a program. Head coach Brian Kelly was able to solidify his job security with the 12-1 campaign, but the breakout year didn't translate to a huge recruiting haul that will give this roster what it needs.
The Irish's lack of explosiveness and were exposed against Clemson, and the game was out of hand by halftime. Though the program has to overcome stricter academic requirements than others, its 14th-ranked recruiting class won't provide the athletic boost it'll need to beat similar teams in the future.
Eight of 10 enrollees are either offensive linemen, defensive linemen or linebackers. Boosting trench play is an important step to reaching the elite level of on-field product, but this team was severely lacking in speed and individual playmaking on the biggest stage of its season, and it's not likely to get more help by signing day.
Adding two 4-star safeties and two 4-star corners is a good start to improving the defense, but Notre Dame's best offensive playmakers in this class are lacking. Neither 4-star running back Kyren Williams nor 3-star receiver Cam Hart tested overwhelmingly well in explosion drills in the offseason.
4. USC Trojans
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Clay Helton surprisingly survived as the head coach of USC after going 5-7 with one of the youngest teams in the country. His giant buyout likely played a part in why the program didn't opt for an upgrade, but the decision to not chase a bigger name with more exciting credentials and stick with the uninspiring Helton surely cost them a recruiting class to be remembered.
The Trojans stacked the fourth-best class in 2018 thanks to four 5-star signings and 13 4-stars. That class could save Helton's job if he can turn potential into production in 2019. But this year's class lacks the same upside and slipped to 17th overall and second in the conference.
Unlike many others on this list, the Trojans identified weaknesses on their roster and were able to add depth on both sides of the ball. Only getting 10 4-stars and striking out on 5-stars is a significant downturn on the recruiting trail, though. Helton must hope his second- and third-year players play well this season because it's not a promising core of freshmen compared to the standard the school has set.
3. Michigan State Spartans
8 of 10
The Michigan State program has remained steady over the years under Mark Dantonio's stewardship. His staff usually squeezes the most out of 3-star talent and has been a quarterback away from breaking through as one of the best teams in the nation in several years. While the Spartans have accumulated just 20 wins in the last three years, they're a team few opponents enjoy playing due to their style.
That being said, this is a program going nowhere as the Big Ten gets stronger around it. Penn State and Michigan have become hotbed recruiting programs again, and Ohio State has continued to land high-caliber prospects with Ryan Day. All of this has hurt the Spartans.
Even with the 27th-best class in the country, Dantonio's bunch ranked seventh in the conference. This is another slide for the Spartans, as they finished sixth in both 2018 and 2017 and third in 2016 and 2015.
Signing only two 4-star prospects—a guard and a cornerback, no less—doesn't add enough playmaking to become a reliable 10-win program again.
2. Miami Hurricanes
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There may not have been a team with a rougher year than the Miami Hurricanes. The Mark Richt era failed miserably as he couldn't identify a quality quarterback to build an offense around, and their recruiting class dipped from eighth to 36th this year. New head coach Manny Diaz looks like a progressive hire who could be the breath of fresh air they have needed for years.
Unfortunately, Diaz walked back into a situation he helped create as far as a cooled recruiting class. The Hurricanes finished sixth in the ACC with a mediocre .877 rating per recruit. Barring the unexpected emergence of transcendent playmakers from this class, this cannot be the new normal for Diaz and the Hurricanes.
With the loss of seven starters to graduation on top of the coaching change, there's playing time to be earned by this freshman class. The injection of defensive talent looks healthy, but there are still roles that weren't addressed.
Adding two 3-star offensive tackles, a 3-star quarterback and just one 4-star receiver to an anemic offense won't be enough to rebuild around in 2019 and beyond. It's possible none of these players plays an integral role in the future.
The Hurricanes may return to prominence eventually, but this class won't help them reach it.
1. UCLA Bruins
10 of 10
Like Notre Dame, UCLA has to overcome more stringent academic standards that sometimes dictate the recruits it pursues. However, the limiting criteria that Chip Kelly has implemented with the particular athletes he chases led the Bruins to a notably poor class. UCLA is sitting at 44th after ranking 19th in 2018.
Kelly added significant offensive line depth and numerous athletes, but where some of the athletes fit is a big weakness of this class. The Bruins added four receivers and two running backs in 2018, meaning both depth charts will be tight as those units are filled with scholarship players. Digging into the caliber of players signed isn't encouraging, though.
Three-star athletes Hayden Harris and Kain Medrano look to be products of Kelly's unique demands. Maybe Kelly will prove to be smarter than everyone else, but Harris only had offers from Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Redlands and Simon Fraser. The 6'4", 205-pound receiver/safety Medrano was slightly more heralded with offers from Colorado State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming.
While Kelly has proved before that he's a football genius and will maximize talent, he'll have to show he's not gone mad scientist by developing these stones into gems. The Bruins were destroyed in the trenches while also lacking the speed they needed on the perimeter throughout their 3-9 season. This group will need to prove many wrong for the Bruins to enjoy more than a handful of wins in 2019.
All recruiting rankings via 247Sports.
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