Class of 2018 team rankings: Key storylines
It has been just over a month since the 2017 recruiting cycle finished but many of the nation’s elite college football programs have been hard at work on their 2018 recruiting classes since early in the 2016 football season. With the newest update to the 2018 rankings being released this week, take a look at the major storylines unfolding in the team rankings.
MORE: Updated 2018 position rankings | Rivals250 | New five-stars
1. PENN STATE'S BLISTERING PACE
Coming off a Big Ten championship in a year that James Franklin was supposedly on the hot seat going into the season, Penn State has jumped out to an early lead in the team rankings. Of Penn State’s five commitments since the calendar flipped to 2017, three of them are four-star prospects and two of them (Ricky Slade and Nick Tarburton) are in the Rivals100. Keeping some major commitments in the fold will be a tall order as the recruiting process moves forward.
Micah Parsons, the lone five-star Penn State commit, has been taking some recent visits to Ohio State and Georgia with more visits on the horizon. Four-star linebacker commitment Jesse Luketa has been adding offers by the truckload. Rivals100 tight end Patrick Freiermuth and Chris Bleich, the only offensive lineman in Penn State’s 2018 class, are drawing a lot of attention as well.
2. THE RETURN OF THE U?
With a nine-win season in their rearview mirror, it’s hard to say “The U” is back but the Hurricanes are certainly recruiting like the juggernauts they used to be. Six commitments since the beginning of February brought ridiculous offensive firepower to Coral Gables in the form of five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard and Rivals100 prospects Camron Davis, Artur Sitkowski and Brian Hightower.
Mark Richt and his staff have always been known as very good recruiters and it seems as if they have found their groove on South Beach. Already holding 13 verbal commitments, Miami needs just one more commitment to surpass Penn State for the top spot in the team rankings.
3. LUCK OF THE IRISH?
A horrendous 2016 season and wholesale coaching staff changes strangely seem to have helped Notre Dame get off to a very strong start in the 2018 class. Currently sitting third in the team rankings, the Fighting Irish are averaging a very impressive 3.73 stars per commitment and only hold 11 verbal commitments. Although there is some strong offensive talent in this recruiting class (Rivals100 quarterback Phil Jurkovec and Rivals250 prospect Micah Jones and Markese Stepp), Brian Kelly and his staff have assembled an outstanding core group of defensive players that seem to be leading the charge on the recruiting trail.
The Ademilola brothers from New Jersey along with linebacker Ovie Oghoufo are very vocal and almost a constant presence on social media as they try to bring more talents prospects into the fold. Derrik Allen and Kalon Gervin, the pair of Rivals100 defensive back commitments, are currently the crown jewel of this recruiting class.
4. JAYHAWKS MAKING NOISE
Do any of these numbers ring a bell – 56, 85, 68, 55, 45, and 80? These are the final team rankings for Kansas over the last six recruiting cycles. So how in the heck are the Jayhawks in the top 10 right now?
That ranking is due in large part to Rivals100 teammates Devonta Jason and Corione Harris out of New Orleans (La.) Landry-Walker. Both are special talents with impressive physical gifts that should take them far but many people have been quietly wondering how much longer they will remain committed to David Beaty’s football team. Kansas’ four other commitments are all three-star prospects but two of them, defensive back Aaron Brule and running back Anthony Williams, both hail from ‘the boot’ just like Jason and Harris. Kansas clearly understands how talented the players from Louisiana can be.
5. WHERE IS THE SEC?
In recent years the SEC has owned the top 10 of the team rankings but right now there are some familiar names missing. Only LSU and Texas A&M are currently ranked in the top 10 of the team rankings even though the SEC has finished with at least four teams in the top 10 every year since the 2012 recruiting cycle.
Alabama, the 2017 recruiting champion, is sitting at No. 14 with only three four-star commitments. At No. 18, Tennessee has been battling changes to its own coaching staff but do hold verbal commitments from five-star offensive lineman Cade Mays and Rivals250 athlete Alontae Taylor.
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are just inside the top 25. They only hold three commitments that average 3.67 stars per commitment. The Georgia faithful have set high standards for Smart and they already are playing from behind if they hope to beat Alabama on the recruiting trail.