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 course of two weeks, we will introduce the top five players at each position in the class. Today we take a look at cornerbacks.
MEET THE 2019 CLASS: PQB | DTQB | AP RB | RB | WR | TE | OL | SDE | DT | DE | OLB
| ILB
Early contenders: LSU, Alabama, Stanford, Texas, Notre Dame, Clemson, among others.
Breakdown: The nation’s No. 1 cornerback is obviously a hot commodity on the recruiting trail and the one-time LSU commit is of major importance to the hometown Tigers. Many believe the battle for his signature will come down to an LSU-Alabama showdown, and so far those programs seem to be in pretty good position. However, Texas also likes its chances as a dark horse and Stanford offers unmatched academic opportunities in addition to football, something that appeals to Stingley and his family.
Early contenders: USC, Texas A&M, Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma, Miami, among others.
Breakdown: The one-time UCLA commit has been pretty open since backing off his pledge to the Bruins, taking several visits with many more on his schedule. A trip to Texas A&M put the Aggies solidly in the mix and Miami has quietly been building a relationship with Steele behind the scenes. But this battle could come down to USC vs. Oregon. Steele hasn’t been shy in his praise of Oregon assistant coach Donte Williams and the Trojans have been working on him for quite some time. Expect his recruitment to take several twists and turns, especially if he’s serious about exploring options outside the West Coast.
Early contenders: Florida State (committed), Florida, Miami, Alabama, LSU, Clemson, among others.
Breakdown: Dent’s recruitment has already had several notable moments, first a commitment to Miami followed by a decommitment and then a commitment to Florida State followed by a Seminoles coaching change. Now word is Dent is considering several other programs while he continues to feel out the new staff in Tallahassee. He recently took a visit to Miami and is working on setting up several other trips, with Alabama, LSU and Clemson likely to come by the end of the summer. Could he make another commitment or two before signing day? Anything is possible heading into the spring.
Early contenders: Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, USC, Oklahoma, Alabama, among others.
Breakdown: Young recently trimmed his list to 10 and even hinted at a top five, saying that Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are schools that are expected to make his next cut. He recently visited both the Longhorns and the Sooners and came away raving about each trip. All signs point to a battle between the Red River rivals and the Aggies, especially considering his visit patterns during his recruitment. But USC and LSU are both working to get him on campus for official visits and truly enter his top group so it will be interesting to watch how things shake out.
Early contenders: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, South Carolina, among others.
Breakdown: Booth’s stock is sky high, with several new programs entering the mix over the past few months. He’s wasted no time taking visits to several programs, with recent trips to South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson all under his belt in 2018. Right now it appears Booth’s recruitment is shaping up to be an ACC battle, with Clemson and Florida State out to good starts in their pursuit. But the Gamecocks have done a great job recruiting defensive backs in Atlanta and can’t be counted out. Neither can the Tide or several other SEC programs.
