National Signing Day 2019: The most important recruit for every Top 25 team
With National Signing Day upon us, each team has their recruits for the upcoming season, but which recruits are the most valuable for the top teams of 2019?
The biggest college football day until mid-April when teams play their annual spring games has arrived with National Signing Day. Despite the advent of the early signing period last year that sees the majority of recruits sign their letters of intent in December, there is still plenty of drama and intrigue on the standard first Wednesday in February.
Several freshmen will come in and compete for starting jobs for teams competing for a berth in the College Football Playoff. Last year it was Trevor Lawrence who came to Clemson as the No. 1 recruit in the nation before winning the starting job after a few weeks and leading the Tigers to the national championship.
Will there be a recruit who does the same as Lawrence last year? That’s a tall task, but there will be recruits who make immediate impacts for contending teams.
Here’s the most important recruit for the Top 25 teams that made up the FanSided Way-too-Early Top 25.
25. Michigan State: Devontae Dobbs, OG
The Spartans ranked 114th in rushing offense in 2018, averaging just 124 yards per game. The 6’ 4”, 304-pound Dobbs (Belleville, MI) should add a little stability to the interior of the offensive line and is one of the lone bright spots in a weak recruiting class, which ranks seventh in the Big Ten.
24. Syracuse: Lee Kpogba, OLB/Mikel Jones, OLB
This one’s a tie. Both outside linebackers are three-star recruits and stand at 6’ 2”, 210 pounds. Syracuse had an impressive 2018, even stunning West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl. However, in the games they lost, the Orange failed to stop the run. Bringing in a couple of athletic linebackers like Kpogba (Winston-Salem, NC) and Jones (IMG Academy, FL) to set the edge should help them in 2019.
23. Wisconsin: Graham Mertz, QB
It seems that quarterback Alex Hornibrook isn’t the saving grace in Madison. In nine games in 2018, Hornibrook tossed 11 interceptions and a completion percentage of 59.5%. Not ideal. Mertz (Leawood, KS) is a four-star stud who shows signs of professional potential and was even selected for the Elite 11 competition. Mertz might not start right away, but he could be the face of Wisconsin football for years to come.
22. Northwestern: Genson Hooper-Price, WR
After a dismal 1-3 start with losses to Duke and Akron, Northwestern got their act together and appeared in their first Big Ten Championship game. The Wildcats still only managed 17 passing touchdowns all season (58th), due in part to not having a go-to target. In fact, their leading receiver was tight end Cameron Green, who had four touchdowns all season. Hooper-Price (Houston, TX) stands 6’ 4.5” tall and should provide a big frame to target in the red zone.
21. Washington State: Gunner Cruz, QB
Flash-in-the-pan-legend Gardner Minshew and his mustache are headed for the NFL draft, leaving the Cougars devoid of 42 touchdowns. RS Junior quarterback Trey Tinsley only attempted nine passes in 2018, leaving the starting spot open for competition. Cruz (Queen Creek, AZ) is a big body with a rocket arm and is surprisingly agile. He should be able to stretch the field in Pullman, something Minshew (7.22 yards per attempt) did not do.