10 FBS Recruiting Classes Beyond the Power 5 Worth Watching
The National Signing Day dust has settled for the college football recruiting class of 2021, with Alabama taking home the recruiting national title after the on-field feat last month.
There was a lot of movement with Power 5 programs, even some winners and losers, but there were some banner Group of 5 and Independent classes finalized in their own right, too.
SI All-American highlights 10 programs outside the Power 5 whose hauls are worth watching as early as this fall.
Memphis
25 Commitments
Top Talent: Roc Taylor was a big National Signing Day addition for the Tigers on many fronts, just 24 hours after Tennessee pulled his scholarship offer. The hybrid pass-catcher, who could project as a wide receiver or tight end given the situation, helped Oxford (Ala.) High to a state title in 2019 and followed it up with a 17-touchdown campaign in 2020. Taylor is a big, physical body who can win in the air and especially at the catch point.
Sleeper to Track: Jared Nedd is one of the most physically impressive prospects one could meet, face to face, relative to his position. He's a compact linebacker with bend and flexibility to challenge for three-down responsibility at the next level. Nedd, who had four sacks in one game this fall, was honorable mention Class 6A All-State in Georgia as a senior.
Cincinnati
24 Commitments
Top Talent: Offensive tackle Luke Collinsworth picked UC over multiple Big Ten programs at 6-foot-6, 300 pounds with power and grit at the point of contact. Check his footwork, too, evidenced by a longstanding basketball career at the prep level in basketball-crazy Indiana no less. Collinsworth has the makings of a multi-year bookend tackle for the Bearcats.
Sleeper to Track: Running back Myles Montgomery was the Jacksonville-area player of the year as a junior with more than 2,000 yards rushing. In 2020 his program had its season cut short due to COVID-19, but not before 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns in just eight games. Montgomery has ideal size, great vision and can gap defenders in the open field with his speed.
San Diego State
24 Commitments
Top Talent: The Aztecs brought in a transfer QB (Jalen Mayden) but the arm of the future is Arizona native William Haskell. A tall and lean talent, he has a snap release and a live arm that can lead to accuracy at all three levels. In 2020, he was also efficient, completing 66.9% of his passes over eight games. Haskell threw for 22 scores against just six interceptions and also found the end zone seven times as a runner, where he averaged 11.3 yards per carry. Yardage, completion percentage and touchdowns were all up as a senior despite nearly identical attempts in 2019 (168) and 2020 (169).
Sleeper to Track: Sure, he's small but running back Cam Davis flashes the ability to play big. The Texan averaged better than 10 yards per carry through a three-year varsity career, with nearly 3,000 yards and 35 rushing touchdowns along the way. Davis is quicker than he is fast, but he's fast, too -- with track times to back it up. He'll be fun to watch out West.
USF
21 Commitments
Top Talent: Jarren Williams has considerable college experience dating back to his days at Miami and he's re-tooled, and re-charged to lead the South Florida offense as soon as possible. The Bulls brought in several high-profile transfers but the quarterback is always the hyper focus, something the balanced and precise Williams is already embracing as an enrollee.
Sleeper to Track: He was technically a sleeper until recently, but looking into Jimmy Horn's late rise and it's even a bigger win for USF to have kept him from the Power 5 ranks. The Sanford (Fla.) Seminole receiver was banged up in 2019 but helped the program to an undefeated state playoff crown in 2020 as an offensive play maker, scoring a touchdown in the final game just a week after signing with the Bulls. Horn scored as a receiver, runner and return man in 2020. Just listen to Jeff Scott talk about him.
UCF
21 Commitments
Top Talent: Anthony Hundley, the in-state defensive tackle, was previously committed to LSU and Miami and SIAA got the chance to see him emerge and develop over the years. In 2020, at IMG Academy, he was among the leaders along the defensive front of the nation's top prep program. The last time we saw him live he flashed great punch, extension and quickness on the interior, with the redirection ability to control the run game.
Sleeper to Track: Chad Brown may be ready to aid the UCF secondary soon after his arrival. The Knights have quietly developed secondary prospects well (watch the NFL Draft this spring for more) and Brown's instincts may translate to cornerback or safety responsibility going forward. He is extremely comfortable in his pedal, moves with fluidity and comes off the hash with the football on his mind. Brown tangibly proved he was a ball hawk, logging six interceptions as a freshman at Fresno City College.
Louisiana
18 Commitments
Top Talent: One-time Florida commitment George Jackson was one of the most dominant prospects we saw live at the Florida-Georgia All-Star Game, many thanks to his trim frame and newfound swiftness. The tackle plays with an urgency to get to the point of attack and can finish. There is a guard floor, too, depending on how his body develops while in a college strength and nutrition program.
Sleeper to Track: His last name will ring a bell in a football fan's brain, and it should. KC Ossai, whose brother Joseph is about to be a very high NFL Draft pick, deserves love in his own right. The younger Texan notched 93 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2020. He is well put together at 6-foot-1, 223 pounds and may be able to contribute early on in Lafayette.
SMU
17 Commitments
Top Talent: Preston Stone is the sole G5 prospect in the final SI99 rankings, checking in at No. 72 overall and as a top 10 quarterback. Few prep passers have put up the numbers he has over a four-year span, in which he ranks top 10 in Texas High School football history in passing yards (13,168), passing touchdowns (145) and total touchdowns (179). Stone is a legit dual-threat but not a risky one, tossing just 23 interceptions in more than 900 career pass attempts.
Sleeper to Track: How about Stone's teammate at local program Parish Episcopal? Defensive end Jayden Jones was a busy prep prospect in playing football, basketball and participating in track as well. Once he's focused on getting after the passer, watch out. Jones combined for 21 sacks as an upperclassman.
BYU
17 Commitments
Top Talent: Logan Fano may have had as much or more Power 5 interest as any prospect named in this feature, and for good reason. The in-state star from Timpview High School has front seven versatility to attack and offense as a pass rusher and potentially play in space if need be. Fano shows elite awareness in pursuit of the passer and changes direction much better than one would expect at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds.
[Get to Know the 2021 BYU Football Signees]
Sleeper to Track: Dylan Rollins, who flashed dominance as a varsity upperclassmen in Montana, was an SI All-American finalist as a lengthy tackle prospect who has put on good weight. He's up to about 6-foot-6, just under 300 pounds and took the next step from a technical perspective as a senior in helping Sentinel High to a state championship run.
Houston
14 Commitments
Top Talent: Maddox Kopp was a top target for several programs this summer, opting for local Houston over Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and others. A solid basketball player in his own right, it's his big frame (6-5, 210 pounds) and big arm that made him the talk of Day 1 at the Elite 11 Finals in late June. Kopp followed it up with a 30-touchdown 2020 season in just nine games. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard passing mark as both a junior and senior, but cut his interceptions down dramatically (14 to 4) in the process.
Sleeper to Track: Offensive lineman Almarion Crim broke out about a year ago at the DexPreps camp before committing to Duke. He would back off and wind up at Houston in the end, expected to contribute anywhere along the offensive interior. Crim plays with confidence and an edge, as he expects to contribute early once in town for good.
Liberty
14 Commitments
Top Talent: Pass rusher Kristian Zachary picked Liberty over Power 5 options and his 2020 campaign in Georgia reemphasized how big of a get this was for Hugh Freeze and company. The senior says he registered a staggering 21 sacks and 32 tackles for loss at Carrollton (Ga.) High School, showcasing great quickness in short areas in pursuing the passer from the interior or edge. Zachary even flashed the ability to penetrate from the second level, providing a sample of versatility to be utilized throughout the Flames' front seven.
Sleeper to Track: It's hard to peg a quarterback as a sleeper, but Nate Hampton didn't play football in 2020 because he resides in North Carolina. The three-year varsity starter at Mocksville (N.C.) Davie High School is a threat with his arm and his legs. As a junior, he accounted for 31 touchdowns (22 passing) and nearly 300 yards from scrimmage per game on a big 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame.
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