Position recruiting rankings: Defense

Rivals.com has broken down how the teams did overall on National Signing Day, and here's a look at which teams fared best, position-by-position, on defense and at the athlete position.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

TennesseeClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Kahlil McKenzie headlines Tennessee's impressive defensive tackle class.

Rivals00 standout Kahlil McKenzie is the top-rated defensive tackle in the 0 class after a dominating performance at the Army game. He missed his senior season but is a phenomenal five-star recruit. Shy Tuttle is ranked No. 8 at his position and had good practice days at the Under Armour AllAmerican

Game. Keeping three-star Quay Picou since the summer is another nice addition.

ClemsonClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Christian Wilkins earned his fifth star after absolutely dominating at the Under Armour

Game all week. He picked Clemson a few days later and it was a huge pickup for the Tigers. Albert Huggins is the nation's No. 0 defensive tackle by Rivals.com and could have an immediate impact. Sterling Johnson and Gage Cervenka are three-star prospects that round out an impressive group.

USCClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Noah Jefferson was a known commodity heading into all-star season, but he really excelled at the Semper Fidelis

All-American Bowl and moved way up in the rankings. He's now sixth at the position and nearly a top 0 player in the class. Jacob Daniel has been racked with injuries but delivered at the Army game. Kevin Scott was a late addition to the class and is a three-star prospect but has a tremendous amount of upside.

OklahomaClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Neville Gallimore picked the Sooners at the

U.S. Army All-American Bowl and it was a major pickup since he's already 6-foot-, 0 pounds and is a top 0 defensive tackle in this class. Oklahoma beat out Florida State and Ohio State for the Canadian prospect. Marquise Overton is a Rivals0 prospect who is a top three player in the state by Rivals.com. There are only two defensive tackles in this class but both are four-star prospects.

Notre DameClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Jerry Tillery played both ways in high school and was projected to play on the offensive line until recently. Notre Dame likes him as a defensive tackle and he's the highest-rated player at that position in the Irish class. Micah Dew-Treadway, Elijah Taylor and Brandon Tiassum are all three-star prospects, all one step away from a four-star ranking. Dew-Treadway might have the most impressive physical tools of them all.

DEFENSIVE END

GeorgiaClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Natrez Patrick is the highest-ranked player in Georgia's top-rated defensive end class.

Georgia loaded up with six commitments at defensive end led by Natrez Patrick (No. overall) and Jonathan Ledbetter (No. 68 overall), who was at point committed to Alabama. Those two are the biggest names but Chauncey Rivers and D'Andre Walker are also outstanding prospects who are mid-level four stars. Michael Barnett is also a four-star and Justin Young has been committed since March. This is the top defensive end class in the country.

AuburnClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Byron Cowart is the No. prospect in the 0 class by Rivals.com and he picked Auburn over Florida. It was a huge pickup for the Tigers since Cowart has dominated for a long time and has all the physical tools to make an immediate impact. Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. is a physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and pounds and has excellent film but remains a little bit of an unknown commodity.

TennesseeClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Kyle Phillips earned his fifth-star after a dominant week at the Army

Bowl where he had five tackles and a sack in the all-star event. He's one of two five-star prospects along the defensive line, joining with McKenzie at defensive tackle. Andrew Butcher and Darrell Taylor are both Rivals0 recruits who add needed depth at defensive end.

UCLAClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

UCLA only landed two defensive ends and they're much different players but both are big-time pickups for the Bruins. Keisean Lucier-South, a five-star prospect who shined at the Army

Bowl, is very much like former UCLA star Anthony Barr in that he could play defensive end or outside linebacker. Rick Wade is a physical specimen who uses his power on the outside but also has nice speed.

Ohio StateClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Jashon Cornell was coveted by many programs but he picked Ohio State in the summer and stuck with the Buckeyes. He was trimmed up and looked good at the Under Armour

Game and is the top prospect at this position in Ohio State's class. Dre'Mont Jones is another four-star prospect in the Rivals0 and is ranked as the top defensive end in Ohio by Rivals.com. Rashod Berry is a three-star prospect to round out the class.

LINEBACKER

USCClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Porter Gustin was one of two five-star linebackers to ink with the Trojans.

The Trojans loaded up at linebacker by getting five-star Porter Gustin the day before Signing Day and then five-star John Houston on Signing Day itself. Those two are the headliners but high four-star Osa Masina is a standout recruit and four-star Cameron Smith is a tough, hard-nosed inside linebacker. USC finished with the Nos. and outside linebackers and the top-rated inside linebacker. That's a pretty good day.

TexasClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Five-star Malik Jefferson is the gem in Texas' class because he's the top-rated outside linebacker in the class and for a long time it was thought Texas A&M was his leader. Instead, he picked the Longhorns in mid-December. Texas also did a great job landing Anthony Wheeler at the Under Armour

Game after it was thought Oklahoma looked strong in his recruitment. Cecil Cherry is a five-star 'backer from Florida, an important state where

Charlie Strong has a lot of ties. Three-star linebacker Cameron Townsend and two-star Breckyn Hager round out the class.

Ohio StateClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Jerome Baker is the No. 0 prospect in the 0 class by Rivals.com and Justin Hilliard is No. , which speaks to the outstanding job Ohio State did with its linebackers. Hilliard is the third-best inside linebacker and Baker is fifth in the outside LB rankings. Those are the two marquee prospects but Nick Conner is not far behind. He's a hard-nosed hitter who fits Ohio State's system well.

Mississippi StateClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Leo Lewis had been committed to Ole Miss but was considering LSU and Mississippi State all the way up until signing day when he picked the Bulldogs. The high four-star was outstanding at the Under Armour

Game and has the physical ability to start right away. Jamal Peters is also a phenomenal addition. The 6-foot-, 00-pound recruit is rated as the seventh-best outside linebacker and No. 86 overall. Three-star prospects Timothy Washington and Traver Jung round out the class.

AuburnClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Darrell Williams is the top linebacker in Auburn's class -- he's rated as the eighth-best outside

linebacker and No. 99 player overall -- and he's a playmaker who had two interceptions in the Under Armour

Game. Then there is Richard McBryde, who is a Rivals0 prospect who had considered Florida late in his recruitment. Jeffery Holland is a super athletic prospect who is also a nice four-star addition. Three-star Montavious Atkinson picked the Tigers last March over offers from several other SEC programs.

DEFENSIVE BACK

Florida StateClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

The nation's top 0 safety, Derwin James, signed with the Seminoles.

Two five-stars is a great foundation to the Seminoles' class, as Derwin James at safety and Tarvarus McFadden at cornerback have proven to be phenomenal players. McFadden was especially impressive at the Army game and James backed up his ranking at

the Under Armour Game. Then the Seminoles landed Marcus Lewis late when everybody thought he was headed to Miami or Kentucky. The other two defensive backs in Florida State's class are also of the four-star variety: A.J. Westbrook and Calvin Brewton. This is a loaded class of defensive backs.

AlabamaClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Alabama loaded up at cornerback and safety and the Crimson Tide simply just keep reloading. Kendall Sheffield is the fourth-best cornerback and Minkah Fitzpatrick is the nation's No. safety prospect, though he's capable of playing either safety or cornerback. Deionte Thompson is an athletic, rangy safety who moved down a little but is still the No. safety in the class.

Shawn Burgess-Becker and Ronnie Harrison are four-star safeties.

LSUClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Kevin Toliver II has been committed to LSU since November 0, and stuck with the Tigers all the way. That's huge news because he's a five-star corner and rated third at his position. He's the star on defense but fellow corner Donte Jackson isn't far away since he's ranked No. in the nation among cornerbacks, and No. 8 overall. Jeremy Cutrer and Xavier Lewis are four-star safeties who add depth for the Tigers.

USCClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Iman Marshall kept USC fans on pins and needles all the way up until National Signing Day but he picked the Trojans and has the ability to immediately see the field. The top-rated cornerback in the class, Marshall could start on the other side of Adoree' Jackson and that's impressive. Isaiah Langley is athletic and rangy and Marvell Tell is a four-star safety who really covers well. USC had the No. class in the country and defensive backs were a big reason why.

TexasClick Here to view this Link.Click Here to view this Link.

Texas received excellent news leading up to signing day when Holton Hill and Kris Boyd committed to the Longhorns in late January. And then on Wednesday, James Locke flipped from Oregon to Texas. The UT coaching staff went into South Florida to land four-star DaVante Davis in January and then DeShon Elliott moved to four-stars after impressing at the Under Armour

Game.

ATHLETE

GeorgiaClick 1Here to view this Link.Click 1Here to view this Link.

Georgia bested stiff competition to land dynamic playmaker Terry Godwin.

Terry Godwin has the potential to be a superstar. The five-star is the No. 1 athlete in the 01 class by Rivals.com and he's absolutely electric with the ball in his hands. Just throw him the ball and let him work his magic down the field. Godwin is a fantastic get because many others were pursuing him. Then, on Signing Day, Coral Gables, Fla., three-star Shaquery Wilson picked the Bulldogs as well.

AuburnClick 2Here to view this Link.Click 2Here to view this Link.

Darius Slayton made big news the day before Signing Day when he flipped from Georgia, and it was definitely a big move. He's one of three four-star athlete commitments in this class, which ranked sixth in the Rivals.com team rankings. Javarius Davis was a signing day addition and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said Jason Smith is going to start out playing quarterback.

UCLAClick 3Here to view this Link.Click 3Here to view this Link.

Dechaun Holiday will probably start out playing cornerback or safety

-- that has been his most regular position in high school -- but the four-star can also play wide receiver and that could be his best position long term. Stephen Johnson III is a phenomenal athlete who could contribute all over the field. The UCLA coaches love the four-star on offense, defense and special teams.

Penn StateClick 4Here to view this Link.Click 4Here to view this Link.

Penn State coach James Franklin likes Daiquan Kelly at outside linebacker even though he mainly played safety and wide receiver in high school. The Nittany Lions like physical linebackers and Kelly could definitely become one of those in Happy Valley. At first thought, Kamonte Carter was slated for outside linebacker, but it's likely the four-star will play defensive end.

MichiganClick 5Here to view this Link.Click 5Here to view this Link.

Brian Cole heard from many other programs leading up to signing day but he stuck with the Wolverines and can definitely be an asset because of his athletic ability. Only Ohio State signee Mike Weber was rated higher by Rivals.com among high school prospects from the state of Michigan. The Wolverines went to Prattville, Ala., to land three-star Keith Washington on Signing Day.