As the final days tick down to National Signing Day 2018, we look back at how five-star prospects from the 2017 recruiting class fared as freshmen.
Because of the early signing period, National Signing Day looks a little different in 2018 than it did in previous years, but it’s still one of the most important days of the annual college football calendar.
Each February, high school prospects all over the country make their college decisions. Among them is a special group of players — a little more than two dozen of the thousands that put pen to paper for FBS programs — which do so as five-star recruits. Because they are the bluest of the blue chippers, and most are expected to have an immediate impact on their respective programs, the five-stars receive the most attention.
Some five-star recruits become Day 1 starters. Others become key contributors as reserves or carve out a role on special teams. Some choose to sign with blue blood programs, and are therefore slotted behind several other former top prospects on the depth chart, and either redshirt or play sparingly in blowouts. One might even prove too talented to stay on the sidelines and eventually throw a perfect strike for the winning touchdown in the national championship game.
With National Signing Day just around the corner, we take a quick look back at each of the 33 players given five-star status in the 2017 247Sports Composite to see how each fared as true freshmen.
Though Jake Fromm made the biggest immediate impact among Georgia true freshman in 2017, D’Andre Swift was a close second. The final five-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite and No. 4 running back recruit in the nation, Swift was too talented to stay off the field.
After working himself into the talented Georgia running back rotation, Swift gained 618 rushing yards and three touchdowns (including the nail in the coffin for Auburn in the SEC Championship) on 81 carries – an impressive 7.6-yard average. He also tallied 17 receptions for 153 yards and another score. With Nick Chubb and Sony Michel graduating, Swift is likely to get the bulk of the carries for the Bulldogs in 2018. As a result, he’s already been mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.
Tua Tagovailoa arrived in Alabama from Hawaii as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the nation and quickly became one of the most popular men on campus. Though Jalen Hurts led the Crimson Tide to within seconds of a national title as a true freshman, Tagovailoa quickly became a fan favorite and Alabama message boards debated whether or not the lefty should start.
Tagovailoa played sparingly in the regular season, and though he never officially jumped above Hurts on the depth chart, Tagovailoa enters the 2018 offseason with the inside track after replacing Hurts in the second half of the College Football National Championship Game and leading Alabama to an incredible come-from-behind victory. He finished his freshman campaign 49-for-77 passing for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns and two interceptions and added 133 rushing yards and three scores on 27 carries.
Joseph Lewis didn’t have quite the impact as the two players ranked just below him on the list, but he did see the field for the Trojans in 2017. Lewis was targeted seven times and made four catches for 39 yards. With Deontay Burnett off to the NFL a year early and Steven Mitchell, Jr. out of eligibility, it’s safe to assume Lewis will have a bigger role next season.
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