Feb 2, 20176 min read

CFB: 2017 NSD

Even though the college football season is over, after No. 2 Clemson captured the title in an instant classic over No. 1 Alabama, we are already to the first week of February, which means one thing — National Signing Day is here and in full effect.

I will present some storylines that you should keep an eye on, my top-10 classes, to go along with their highest recruit, and a way-too-early top-25, with in-depth descriptions of my top-10. Also, check out my 2016 National Signing Day article and Looking Forward to 2017-18.

Florida State Gets the Best Player Remaining:

Marvin Wilson, the No. 4 overall player in the ESPN 300 and the best defensive tackle in the nation, committed to Florida State earlier today. He was the best remaining player as the No. 1-3 players had previously signed with Tennessee, Georgia, and UCLA, respectively. Wilson is 6'4", 332 pounds, out of Texas, and will be an impact player to watch in the ACC over the next three or four seasons.

USC Has An Incredible Day:

The Trojans closed strong on National Signing Day, similarly to the Texas Longhorns from last season, as they jump into the top-6 of the recruiting classes. USC finished with 17 overall recruits, 8 ESPN 300 recruits, and 10 4-stars, including No. 1 WR Joseph Lewis, No. 3 RB Stephen Carr, and No. 4 OLB Levi Jones. USC's class is the best in the Pac-12, and continues their huge momentum heading into the 2017-18 campaign.

Georgia and Ohio State Stay Strong:

Both the Bulldogs and Buckeyes were in great position, coming into the day with top-5 recruiting classes, and they didn't have to do a lot today in order to stave off the teams behind them. Georgia already had No. 2 Isaiah Wilson, No. 10 DeAngelo Gibbs, No. 12 Richard LeCounte III, No. 15 Robert Beal, and much more. While Ohio State signed No. 6 Shaun Wade, No. 7 Jeffrey Okudah, and 14 other ESPN 300 recruits. Neither team needed to overly impress on signing day because they were already in a solid spot.

Michigan Is 5-Star-Less and In A Great Spot:

The Wolverines did not do much on National Signing Day, as they only made one big splash today with the signing of Aubrey Solomon, a 300-pound No. 5 defensive tackle out of the state of Georgia, however, they are still sitting pretty heading into the fall. Jim Harbaugh has once again signed a great recruiting class, consisting of No. 4 WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, No. 1 C Cesar Ruiz, Solomon, No. 6 DE Luiji Vilain, and No. 6 QB-PP Dylan McCaffrey. A total of 17 ESPN 300 recruits will be going to Ann Arbor next season, and because of that, the Wolverines will be a team to keep an eye on again.

Alabama Out-Duels Everyone, Once Again:

Sigh. Isn't it kind of boring when the same team is either at or near the top every single year? Well, Alabama doesn't think so. Nick Saban and Co. have signed the No. 1 recruiting class, for the fifth time since Saban came to Tuscaloosa. Alabama's star recruit, or biggest star I should say, is the No. 1 ATH Dylan Moses, out of IMG Academy, the same school that produced Bo Scarbrough.. The Tide finish the day with 21 ESPN 300 recruits, 26 total players coming in, including 3 5-stars, and 21 4-stars, headlined by the No. 2 RB Najee Harris.

Top-10 2017 Class Rankings:

1. Alabama (Top Recruit: No. 5 Dylan Moses - ATH)

2. Georgia (Top Recruit: No. 2 Isaiah Wilson - OT)

3. Michigan (Top Recruit: No. 22 Donovan Peoples-Jones - WR)

4. Ohio State (Top Recruit: No. 6 Shaun Wade - CB)

5. Florida State (Top Recruit: No. 4 Marvin Wilson - DT)

6. USC (Top Recruit: No. 16 Joseph Lewis - WR)

7. Clemson (Top Recruit: No. 18 Tee Higgins - WR)

8. Oklahoma (Top Recruit: No. 46 Justin Broiles - CB)

9. Auburn (Top Recruit: No. 32 Calvin Ashley - OT)

10. LSU (Top Recruit: No. 19 Austin Deculus - OT)

Way-Too-Early Top 10:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide are bringing back their most important players on the offensive side; QB Jalen Hurts, RB Bo Scarbrough, RB Damien Harris, and WR Calvin Ridley. Not to mention, the No. 1 player in high school football according to 247 Sports, Najee Harris. Nick Saban, Steve Sarkisian, and Jeremy Pruitt will have talent at every spot and should be near everyone's top slot.

2. Ohio State: Urban Meyer's team is going to be good, like they have been every season since he took over, but with a little more experience than 2016-17. QB J.T. Barrett is returning for his senior season, RB Mike Weber will be back after struggling against Clemson in the CFP, and DL Nick Bosa and Tyquan Lewis will be forces to be reckoned with. Even though WR Curtis Samuel is heading to the NFL, the Buckeyes will likely open as Big Ten favorites.

3. USC: The Trojans are back to the big time after defeating Penn State in the Rose Bowl and ending the season on a nine-game winning streak. QB Sam Darnold is back for his sophomore year, and will be high on a lot of potential Heisman lists. USC will have a ton of speed and talent as usual, highlighted by RB Ronald Jones III and WR Deontay Burnett. Clay Helton's team will have high expectations heading into 2017-18.

4. Michigan: Jim Harbaugh's third season at San Diego resulted in an 11-1 record, his third season at Stanford was 8-5, and with San Francisco it was 12-4. After back-to-back 10-win seasons with Michigan, his third season is expected to take the next step at Michigan. With QB Wilton Speight, RB Chris Evans, WR Eddie McDoom, and DL Rashan Gary set to go, the Wolverines are going to be nearly impossible to defeat (especially with their schedule).

5. Oklahoma: Bob Stoops' 19th season should start in a familiar place, the top-5, as he brings back QB Baker Mayfield, RB Abdul Adams, WR Mark Andrews, S Will Sunderland, and possibly S Steven Parker and CB Jordan Thomas. The Sooners also have the No. 6 recruiting class, to go along with a 10-game winning streak. Week 3 is going to be a measuring mark as Oklahoma visits Ohio State.

6. Florida State: The Seminoles were heavy contenders going into 2016-17, but because of injuries, a depleted secondary, and an inexperienced offensive line, Jimbo Fisher's crew slipped to a "down" 10-3 year. RB Dalvin Cook is gone which will hurt more than anything, but QB Deondre Francois has improved greatly in a matter of months and will be returning. If RB Cam Akers can make an impact as a freshman, the 'Noles will be fine.

7. Washington: Chris Petersen, just a handful of days after losing to Alabama in the CFP, has already lost three of his best defenders in Budda Baker, Sidney Jones, and Elijah Qualls. However, with QB Jake Browning, star WR Dante Pettis, and potentially RB Myles Gaskin all coming back for another go around, Petersen will have his team ready to go in a mediocre Pac-12.

8. Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy and Co. are going to be quiet College Football Playoff contenders, mainly because of two guys who have announced they are returning: Mason Rudolph and James Washington. They are one of the best QB-WR duos in the country, and have their eyes set on competing for a Big 12 title (and more). I wouldn't be surprised if Bedlam vs. Oklahoma was the Big 12 championship for the third straight year.

9. Clemson: The Tigers will have a lot of questions heading into 2017-18, because QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, and WR Mike Williams are all departing for the NFL. Even with a top-10 recruiting class, it is going to be difficult to remain successful with so much talent leaving. A lot of weight will be placed on the new starting quarterback, whether it is Kelly Bryant, Hunter Johnson, a graduate transfer, or someone else.

10. LSU: Ed Orgeron's team, who ended 2016-17 with a dominant performance against Lamar Jackson and Louisville, will have a lot of it's core returning. QB Danny Etling and RB Derrius Guice showed that they are more than enough to propel a solid offense, and Orgeron and Dave Aranda will have the defense playing up to LSU's potential. Week 1 against BYU will tell us a lot about this team.

Rest of the Top-25:

11. Penn State

12. Wisconsin

13. Stanford

14. Louisville

15. Georgia

16. Auburn

17. Florida

18. Colorado

19. South Florida

20. Boise State

21. West Virginia