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 lot at tight ends.
Early contenders: Arkansas, Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt, among others
Breakdown: The younger brother of former Arkansas standout tight end Hunter Henry, Hudson’s ties to the Hawgs program run deep. His father also played at the school as an offensive lineman, and his other brother Hayden is currently a linebacker in Fayetteville. So he’s a shoo-in for the in-state school, right? That seems like the case but that hasn’t stopped several programs from recruiting him and trying to get him on campus. Notre Dame seems like the stiffest competition, but Clemson is also in the mix and several other programs are expected to host him for visits before he makes a decision.
Early contenders: Oklahoma (committed), Texas A&M, Ohio State
Breakdown: Stogner has been committed to Oklahoma since last summer and despite taking few visits, hasn’t really swayed from his pledge. He’s talked about taking visits and Texas A&M continues to work on him but until those trips materialize (or if they do at all) it’s safe to say he will remain loyal to Oklahoma.
Early contenders: Notre Dame, UCLA, USC, Arizona State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, among others
Breakdown: Rae doesn’t talk much about his recruitment and he’s kept a relatively low profile in terms of visits. But one school that did receive a visit last month was Arizona State and the Sun Devils appear to be in a nice early position for Rae. After missing his junior season with a knee injury, Rae is fully healthy and many teams will likely want to take one more look at him in person during camp season.
Early contenders: Minnesota, Iowa State, Purdue, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan
Breakdown: Billingsley’s recruitment has really taken off over the past two months, with several new programs entering the mix. Prior to those new offers rolling in, Minnesota had already been entrenched as one of his favorites and the Gophers figure to continue to be a factor going forward. Michigan is one of those schools to recently join Billinglsley’s list and he’s set to take a visit later this month. Penn State is also a school to watch and once he starts getting more serious about visits it will easier to identify the serious contenders to land his commitment.
Early contenders: Georgia (committed), North Carolina, Auburn, Michigan, among others.
Breakdown: A fixture on the national recruiting scene from very early in his high school career, Goede decided to take his name off the market when he committed to Georgia last month. But with several months until he can make his commitment official, several schools are still trying to get him to re-consider his choice. Auburn was the runner-up when he made his commitment to Georgia and will continue to work on him, but it’s highly unlikely he doesn’t end up in Athens.
