Top 10 safety recruiting classes for 2017

Rivals.com has spent the last two weeks breaking down each position to see which school did the best on National Signing Day 2017.

Today, we take a look at the programs that finished the cycle with the best hauls at safety.

TOP 10 CLASSES BY POSITION: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DT | DE | LB | CB

Signees: JaCoby Stevens (five-star), Grant Delpit (four-star), Todd Harris (four-star)

Analysis: LSU’s class has it all. Stevens was the No. 2 safety in the class, but the more impressive thing is the depth the Tigers landed at a position that isn’t usually in high demand when it comes to numbers. Delpit gives the Tigers a second Rivals100 safety in the class, while Harris is a Rivals250 member that would be the top safety in the classes signed by a number of other major programs.

Signees: Jeffrey Okudah (five-star), Isaiah Pryor (four-star)

Analysis: When it comes to safeties, Ohio State landed the class’ top prize in top-ranked Okudah, a five-star prospect. The fact that the Buckeyes pulled Okudah out of talent-rich Texas makes the class even more impressive. Urban Myer added another Rivals100 player in Pryor, who hails from the Southeast. Ohio State’s impressive safety class is a microcosm of its national brand and far-reaching recruiting pull.

Signees: Xavier McKinney (four-star), Daniel Wright (four-star), Kyriq McDonald (four-star)

Analysis: McKinney’s ranking and skillset make him the headliner of the group, but what it did to land Wright may be a touch more impressive. Flipping Wright, a Florida product, from in-state Florida State was no easy task, but Nick Saban got it done with time to spare in the cycle. McDonald, another four-star prospect, adds depth to a safety group that packs plenty of star power.

Signees: Hamsah Nasirildeen (four-star), Cyrus Fagan (four-star)

Analysis: FSU’s safeties don’t lack for size. Fagan and Nasirildeen are two of the more impressive looking safeties in the class from a sheer body standpoint, but each is more than an impressive physical specimen. Both Fagan and Nasirildeen are ranked inside the Rivals100 and each was a major recruiting win because of wide-ranging demand. FSU landed Fagan early in the cycle and held his commitment down the stretch, while the Seminoles grabbed Nasirildeen late in the process, pulling him out of his native North Carolina.

Signees: Deon Jones (four-star), Markquese Bell (four-star)

Analysis: Maryland’s safety class doesn’t include a Rivals100 prospect, but it does feature a formidable duo of Rivals250 prospects with length. Jones and Bell check in at 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3 respectively and chose Maryland over long lists of other schools. The two safeties are part of the foundation of a surprisingly impressive class.

Signees: Brian Edwards (four-star), Brad Stewart (four-star), Donovan Stiner (three-star)

Analysis: Edwards is a massive win for Florida because of how close he was to choosing Miami. The Gators did impressive work with the Rivals250 product down the stretch and were rewarded with a Rivals250 commitment. Stewart, a Louisiana, product is also a Rivals250 prospect who spurned a number of schools to sign with the Gators.

Signees: Jonathan Sutherland (four-star), Tariq Castro-Fields (four-star)

Analysis: Penn State boasts a pair of safety commits that reside just outside the Rivals250. And while neither is the type of player capable of leading an entire class, the depth of talent at the spot is what lands Penn State on this list. Sutherland and Castro-Fields are the type of players that could play early in their careers.

Signees: Devon Hunter (four-star), Devante Smith (three-star)

Analysis: There might not be a wealth of depth in Virginia Tech’s safety class, but that matters little when you land the No. 4 prospect at the position. Hunter gives the Hokies an elite and versatile athlete that can make a difference early in his career.

Signees: Kaleb Oliver (four-star), Gentry Bonds (four-star), Avery Showell (three-star), Tariq Carpenter (two-star)

Analysis: Oliver and Bonds are two of the cornerstones of Tech’s class and give Paul Johnson’s team a pair of headliners in the secondary. Both members of the duo are capable of seeing the field early if need be. Carpenter and Showell provide solid depth and could contribute down the road

Signees: Derrick Tucker (four-star), Myles Jones (four-star)

Analysis: A&M checks in due to landing Rivals100 Tucker. The Aggies landed Tucker’s commitment early in the process and held on for nearly year despite a sometimes-turbulent season on the field. In a year where many of Texas’ top prospects left the state, keeping a player like Tucker home was no small feat.