CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team
The 2019 class is officially on the clock and with the early Signing Period just about nine months away and the first opportunity for prospects to take official visits coming this spring, it’s time for recruiting fans from across the country to start familiarizing themselves with the class of 2019.
We at Rivals.com are here to help. Over the next two weeks, we will introduce the top five players at each position in the class. Today we take a look at athlete.
MEET THE 2019 CLASS: PQB | DTQB | AP RB | RB | WR | TE | OL | SDE | DT | DE | OLB
Early contenders: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, South Carolina, among others.
Breakdown: The nation’s top overall player regardless of positions, Crouch has a litany of options, both in terms of his future school and his future position. Depending on the school, Crouch is being recruited as a running back and/or a linebacker and his personal preference on a position might have a big impact on his college decision. He recently praised Clemson and Tennessee following visits to both schools, while South Carolina has been a steady precense in his recruitment as well. The more visits Crouch is able to take the more things will come into focus, but expect him to take his time while weighing several factors.
Early contenders: Stanford, USC, UCLA, Oregon, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Washington, Florida, Ole Miss, California, among others.
Breakdown: McCoy has been upfront about his plans to let his recruitment play out over a long period of time, with no plans to take official visits in the spring and no plans to decide until late in the year. The obvious favorite in his recruitment is USC, with his former quarterback J.T. Daniels headed to play for the Trojans next year along with his former teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. Could the trio reunite, or will one of the national contenders steal him away? Only time will tell and the unofficial visits McCoy takes over the next few months could be a good clue as to which schools he’s really serious about considering.
Early contenders: Texas (committed), UCLA, Texas A&M
Breakdown: Whittington just put an end to his recruitment, pledging to Texas on Saturday over the Bruins and the Aggies. After a recent visit to Los Angeles, some thought the Bruins might have momentum, but Whittington quickly put that notion to rest with his decision. So shortly after a decision it’s tough to think about any other schools being a factor, but don’t expect other programs to stop trying to get him on campus for a visit. However, Texas fans should feel very good about the timing of Whittington’s decision and the likelihood of him staying in the fold for good.
Early contenders: Missouri, Illinois, Notre Dame, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, among others.
Breakdown: Williams recruitment is still really just getting started in earnest as he has yet to take many visits and is planning quite a few trips over the next few months. However, Illinois seems to be in a good early position for Williams, hosting him for a visit in the fall and then again at a junior day last month. Like most prospects from the St. Louis area, Missouri is likely to be a factor as well, while Oklahoma and Michigan are both making Williams a priority as well.
Early contenders: LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, among others.
Breakdown: As a Louisiana native, most people assume that Palmer will end up at LSU. For now that’s a safe assumption as Palmer has been a regular on campus in Baton Rouge and isn’t shy about his affinity for the Tigers coaches. But schools like Alabama and Texas A&M aren’t giving up and both continue to work to get Palmer on campus. It’s going to be an uphill battle to lure him away from the Tigers and out of his home state, but the right program with the right opportunity might be able to draw his attention. Palmer has said he plans on visiting several schools this spring, including the Seminoles, Tide, Wolverines and Aggies so if and when he takes those trips will be worth following.
