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National Signing Day: Which Group of Five teams fared the best?

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Georgia captured its second consecutive Rivals.com Recruiting National Championship, but as we’ve seen in recent years with teams from the Group of Five, it’s not just about the traditional powers.

Today, we take a look at the top Group of Five recruiting classes and where they shake out nationally.

MORE NSD: Georgia crowned team champion | Mind of Mike | Winners and Losers | Ranking the flips | Live blog | Announcement Guide


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UCF

Dillion Gabriel
Dillion Gabriel

National Rank: 55

Top Signee: QB Dillion Gabriel, 3-star, No. 15 DQB

Rundown: The Knights saw their 25-game winning streak come to an end in the Fiesta Bowl but they are still having success on the recruiting trail and will finish as the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the nation. The class is headlined by Gabriel, the Hawaiian quarterback who took official visits to both USC and Georgia before choosing the Knights during the Early Signing Period.

UCF might have been ranked even higher nationally if it took more than 22 commits, but the Knights have also been active in the transfer market. The Knights' class was good enough for the American Athletic Conference recruiting title.

MORE UCF: UCFSports.com

*****

FAU

Latrell Jean
Latrell Jean (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

National Rank: 56

Top Signee: Latrell Jean, 3-star, No 45 SDE

Rundown: Lane Kiffin's program took a step back on the field in year two but things on the the recruiting trail continue to go well. In addition to landing Jean on National Signing Day, the Owls had already signed former Miami commit and high three-star Diamante Howard in December. FAU also signed one of the nation's biggest classes, announcing 31 total signees. The Owls class was good enough for the Conference USA recruiting title.

MORE FAU: OwlsBurrow.com

*****

MEMPHIS

Ja’Len Sims
Ja’Len Sims (Rivals.com)

National Rank: 58

Top Signee: LB Ja’Len Sims, 3-star, No. 32 ILB

Rundown: Memphis, which has gone toe-to-toe with the Knights in the last two American Conference Championship games, nearly caught UCF for the conference recruiting crown this year as well. With a class loaded with in-state talent, the Tigers landed three more signatures on signing day, including former Louisville defensive back Rodney Owens, who flipped to Memphis from Middle Tennessee.

MORE MEMPHIS: TigerSportsReport.com

*****

BOISE STATE

Hank Bachmeier
Hank Bachmeier (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

National Rank: 62

Top Signee: QB Hank Bachmeier, No. 194 overall prospect

Rundown: Boise State has been a fixture on the national scene for more than a decade and continues to recruit like a Power Five team, finishing 2019 with two four-star signees. Obviously Bachmeier is the headliner, but four-star athlete Casey Kline is also worth celebrating. The Broncos didn’t land any new names on Wednesday, but did close strong by picking up high three-star Lolani Langi in late January. The Broncos' class is good enough for the Mountain West Conference recruiting title.

MORE BOISE STATE: Blue-Turf.com

*****

MARSHALL

National Rank: 63

Top Signee: DT Dante Walker, No. 35 WDE

Rundown: Marshall usually finds a way to surprise by landing one big-name prospect and 2019 was no different as the Thundering Herd added one-time Arkansas commit Dante Walker late last month and officially signed him on Wednesday. With offers from Tennessee, South Carolina and several others, the Herd could have a future star in Walker. He’s joined in the class by his high school teammate Tworn Seals, another long, rangy defensive end who had power offers such as Baylor and Syracuse. The Herd’s class was good enough for second in Conference USA.

MORE MARSHALL: HerdNation.com

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USF

McArthur Burnett
McArthur Burnett

National Rank: T-65

Top Signee: DB McArthur Burnett, No. 35 overall JUCO recruit

Rundown: The Bulls would be higher on this list had they signed more than 19 recruits but much like their rivals UCF, USF is leaving room to pursue transfers this offseason. Burnett, who signed with Florida out of high school in 2016, is exactly the type of player USF is hoping to plug-and-play next season. In terms of high school recruiting, USF kept its focus on the state of Florida, with 13 of the schools 19 signees being Sunshine State prospects.

MORE USF: RunningTheBulls.com

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