Most of the top talent in the 2018 recruiting class has been secured by blue-blood college football programs. Where will the top 10 remaining recruits land?
The beginning of the new year signals two things for college football fans: the end of the college football season and the heating up of recruiting season. This year’s recruiting season was different from previous years as the new early signing period was introduced. The rule appeared to help some of the middle tier teams in Power 5 conferences as the blue bloods had less time to sweep in at last second and steal their top recruits away.
That doesn’t mean that the blue bloods still didn’t get their regular share of talent. Many of the top players did commit and sign before the early signing period was up. The biggest winner so far is Georgia, who has signed a mind-boggling six, five-star recruits in their 2018 class, a huge victory for Kirby Smart and company entering their third season, fresh off an appearance in the national championship game.
With all of this said, who are some of the best remaining prospects left and where will they end up? Here’s the remaining list.
1. Patrick Surtain Jr., CB, 6′ 1.25″, 199 lbs
The five-star cornerback from Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the fifth-rated prospect in the entire country according to 247 Sports and the number one corner in the nation. Surtain participated in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was named to USA Today’s 2016 All-USA Second Team as a junior in high school. The corner has been sought after commodity for many SEC schools and a couple of outsiders.
Surtain had narrowed down his list to five schools: Ohio State, Florida, Clemson, Alabama and LSU. It appears that LSU is the odds on favorite to land the five-star as 247’s recruiting predictor has him at a 96% chance of committing to Ed Orgeron and LSU. The video linked shows a one on one, non-contact drill that showcases Surtain’s ability to breakdown his feet and quickly read the direction where the ballcarrier is going, something that is extremely important to have as a defensive back.
Prediction: LSU
Surtain will fit in very well with LSU’s defensive scheme and has a chance to contribute right away as he is a very talented cornerback. Surtain has the potential to be apart of a great defensive back lineage that LSU has with past players such as Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne.