Ten can't-miss prospects that are expected to sign early
The early signing period is less than a week away. Here are 10 can’t-miss prospects, some who are already committed, some who are not, who are expected to finally close out their recruitment in the coming days.
MORE ON THE EARLY PERIOD: Mike Farrell weighs in | Five things to know
There still seems to be a question of whether the five-star quarterback and top-ranked prospect in the 2018 class will sign or if he just intends to enroll early at Clemson, but one thing is near certain: He’s going to play for the Tigers. Lawrence has special abilities, unique physical skills and he could be a superstar as Clemson looks to regularly stay in the College Football Playoff hunt. The Tigers have become a national powerhouse and there’s no better prospect in the country than Lawrence to lead them in the coming years.
If Lawrence is the key to Clemson’s offense then Thomas could be the lynchpin to the Tigers’ defense and he could continue an impressive run of phenomenal, NFL-caliber defensive linemen there. The five-star defensive end is one of the most aggressive and violent players on the field, constantly attacking and he seems like a perfect fit in Brent Venables’ defense. South Carolina was a major player in his recruitment, but Thomas said all along it’s a business decision and that’s why he picked the Tigers. He’s all business and could be a star.
Georgia fans know all about excellent running backs. The next in line could be White, the top-ranked running back in the class who rushed for more than 5,000 yards and 85 touchdowns in his illustrious high school career. Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’Andre Swift were the three-headed monster for the Bulldogs this season and it helped lead them to the SEC Championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. White and fellow Georgia commit James Cook, Dalvin’s brother, could be even more special - if that’s even fathomable.
Spiker has emerged as one of the nation’s top wide receivers and along the way set the California state record for career touchdown receptions. He doesn’t talk much and he’s drama-free with an early commitment to Washington that has stuck the entire time - just what coach Chris Petersen is looking for. The athletic and long Spiker finished his senior season with 83 catches for 1,490 yards and 27 touchdowns. Everybody knew the ball was being thrown Spiker’s way and nobody could stop him.
The longtime Tennessee commit from Knoxville reopened his recruitment as the Butch Jones era came to an end and the coaching search debacle happened with the Volunteers. Earlier this week, Mays told Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell that Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State are his final three and he does plan to sign early. But there are some whispers that Mays could still be looking at Tennessee as new coach Jeremy Pruitt assembles his staff. Has the five-star offensive tackle who plays with a mean streak really moved on from the Vols? Or could an early Signing Day surprise be in store?
Foster made a big statement in June by committing to Texas before Tom Herman even coached a game in Austin and he’s stuck with his pledge to the Longhorns. Herman and his staff have done a phenomenal job recruiting top in-state prospects and to date he’s the highest-ranked player from the state to pick Texas (everyone is waiting on word from five-star Anthony Cook). Foster is long and athletic and picked Texas over Ohio State, Michigan and pretty much everyone else. If Herman can keep top prospects like Foster and others from leaving, the Longhorns could be building a national contender.
If The U is back - which means a perennial ACC contender - then Lingard could be a humongous contributor in the Hurricanes’ backfield in the coming years. Miami also has commitments from four-star RB Camron Davis and three-star RB Realus George but Lingard is the star of this recruiting class and he has the chance to be dominant in the Miami rushing attack. The ‘Canes know running backs because they’ve pumped them out for years, and Lingard fits that mold.
Five of the top prospects in the state of Texas have already committed to the Longhorns, something that Herman has made a priority and something former coach Charlie Strong never had any success with. The biggest fish left is Cook, who was to commit earlier this season but decided to hold off. Ohio State seemed like the team to beat then, but it could be Texas now and that would be huge for many reasons. Cook is an absolute shutdown defensive back who could see the field from Day 1. It also means Texas would land the top player in its own state for the first time since 2011.
Ohio State went to Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity International for five-star DB Shaun Wade in its 2017 recruiting class and returned to the same school to recently snag five-star DB Tyreke Johnson. The Buckeyes have had tremendous success dipping into Florida and the Southeast in general for top prospects and Johnson is another one. He’s long, athletic and tough - just what coach Urban Meyer likes. More importantly, the Buckeyes beat out Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Miami, UCLA and others for Johnson’s services.
If Xavier Thomas is the physical specimen at defensive end in Clemson’s recruiting class then Henry would be the athletic, long prospect who could provide another issue for offensive lines to deal with when playing the Tigers. That’s if the five-star picks Clemson over Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia Tech, his other finalists. Henry can overpower offensive linemen, too, but he’s best using his length to get to the edge and to pressure quarterbacks. With him and Thomas on opposite ends, Clemson’s defensive line should continue to be elite.