National signing day 2017 marked the official end of the recruiting cycle with a flurry of commitments making their college choices. Lineman dominated the recruiting spotlight with a number of five-star players signing from both sides of the football over the weekend. Meanwhile, USC landed the top class on NSD but a pair of College Football Playoff teams were right there behind them including the defending national champion Clemson Tigers. Here is a look at what we learned on the recruiting trail and national signing day 2017.
The Lineman Ruled The Day
While the skill position players will continue to dominate the highlight reels, the lineman dominated the headlines once again on national signing day. Six of the eight five-star players that announced their commitments were offensive or defensive linemen including the prized prospect Marvin Wilson, who committed to Florida State as the nation’s highest-ranked remaining talent entering NSD. Florida landed offensive guard Tedarrell Slaton, Michigan finally signed Aubrey Solomon and USC made a tremendous splash with offensive tackle Austin Jackson and defensive tackle Jay Tufele as linemen ruled the day.
It’s not a huge surprise as we see time and time again what makes the Alabama Crimson Tide so strong: the lines of scrimmage. On offense, they’re able to protect their quarterbacks while they develop and open up plenty of lanes for whoever is toting the ball. On defense, they maul opponents with their defensive line and constantly get pressure. Other teams see that strategy working out and that’s why there is such a battle over the best high school offensive linemen.
Defending Champs Clemson Reload
The Tigers had pretty much wrapped up their recruiting class by the time that national signing day arrived and while it wasn’t the most skilled group they did bring in 11 four-star prospects that should provide a boost. The quarterback-wide receiver combination of Hunter Johnson and Tee Higgins is incredible intriguing while the top defensive signees include safety A.J. Terrell and linebacker Justin Foster. Clemson turned a number of heads with their national championship run this past season and after completing an impressive recruiting class they have a chance to become a force for years to come.
USC Landed The Top Class
While a number of programs secured quality recruiting classes, USC landed the top class with a trio of five-stars and three more four-stars. Wide receiver Joseph Lewis joined Jackson and Tufele as the five-star commits that the Trojans landed while four-star linebacker Levi Jones, tight end Josh Falo and ATH Greg Johnson rounded out their impressive list of signees. Clay Helton and his staff clearly did an excellent job and after finishing the 2016 season with nine straight wins and a top-five recruiting class it’s clear USC is on the rise again heading in to 2017.
2016 was a big turning point for the Trojans. Early on, they had a very challenging schedule and they failed almost every test. Remember, they started the season with losses in three of their first four games. Then there were rumblings as to whether Helton was the right man for the job. However, they finished the year strong, put forth a great show in the Rose Bowl when they came back against Penn State (on a nationally televised game, no less) and now hit a home run on the recruiting trail. USC isn’t back yet but it’s definitely on the path.
Don’t Forget The Buckeyes
While the Trojans enjoyed the best NSD, it’s impossible to forget Ohio State after they finished the recruiting cycle with a very impressive class. The Buckeyes signed six five-star players and 13 top-125 high school prospects including a pair of five-star players in the secondary in Jeffrey Okudah and former Alabama signee Kendall Sheffield. Just two teams boasted a class with an average of four-star players and Ohio State was one of them with an unbelievable 4.19 mark that reminded us not to forget their performance this offseason. The Buckeyes ended their 2016 style with a brutal playoff loss but a strong recruiting class should provide a higher level of optimism surrounding the program moving forward.
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