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 strong side defensive end.

MEET THE 2019 CLASS: PQBs | DTQBs | AP RBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OL

Early contenders: Michigan (committed), Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State

Breakdown: Hinton took his name off the market back in August 2017, electing to commit to Michigan over a host of other options. He’s remained loyal to the Wolverines and vocal in his efforts to recruit other prospects to join him in Ann Arbor, but that hasn’t stopped other programs from thinking they have a shot with the five-star prospect. Odds are he stays in the fold with Michigan, but Georgia is always a threat for in-state prospects as Wolverines fans can attest after the Signing Day flip of 2018 Rivals100 linebacker Otis Reese. Hinton recently helped his team to the state basketball final as its starting center.

Early contenders: Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, among others

Breakdown: An elite pass rusher from the Midwest, Harrison has his pick of programs all over the country. Ohio State is the early favorite and Harrison most recently took a trip to Columbus early last month. But other Big Ten programs, including Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame aren’t going down without a fight and Harrison is expected to take several visits over the next few months. As usual, Alabama is working to poach an elite defensive lineman from out of the Midwest and could be a wildcard if Harrison takes a visit to Tuscaloosa.

Early contenders: Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame, among others.

Breakdown: An elite prospect from the Palmetto State who lives within a stone’s throw of Clemson’s campus, Pickens continues to see his stock rise and new offers roll in on a near weekly basis. Like most elite talents from South Carolina, it’s shaping up to be a battle between the Tigers and the Gamecocks to land Pickens commitment. But several out of state schools, most prominently Georgia, are trying to lure Pickens out of state.

Early contenders: Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, South Carolina, Michigan, among others.

Breakdown: Walker has been a name to know in the state of Georgia for nearly two years and in that time he’s quickly become a priority for the home-state Bulldogs. Most think he will eventually end up playing in Athens, but Clemson has also been a factor in his recruitment. Other schools like South Carolina and Michigan are also pulling out all the stops in their pursuit of Walker, who figures to be one of the more intriguing recruits to follow at any position in the 2019 class.

Early contenders: Notre Dame, USC, BYU, UCLA, Florida State, among others.

Breakdown: A multi-sport athlete who also stars as a rugby player, Funa could also translate to multiple positions at the next level thanks to his athleticism. BYU has been a fixture in his recruitment from the early going and was at one point his favorite. The Cougars are still very much in the mix but have been joined by several big-time programs, including USC and UCLA. Expect Funa to take his time to explore his options while he juggles a busy schedule between multiple sports.