5. Will any Group of Five team land a top-50 class this year?
While the Power Five powerhouses battle to see who will finish No. 1 in the entire nation, there is another race within the recruiting race that increases the intrigue. The quest to become the next national contender out of the Group of Five always begins with recruiting. National Signing Day is thus a critical first opportunity to bolster chances in the new year. For the Group of Five, that means landing the top mid-major class and trying to vault up into the top 50 hauls in the nation.
Coming out of the early signing day in December, Cincinnati was the top-rated Group of Five team at No. 53 in the 247sports team composite rankings. Luke Fickell has already secured the signatures of 21 three-star recruits heading into National Signing Day. The big haul of talent could set the Bearcats up to contend in the near future, and they might not be done yet.
Close behind is Boise State at No. 57 in the composite rankings. The Broncos have locked up 23 players so far, including four-star all-purpose athlete Khalil Shakir. Shoring up a few more recruits could also push Boise State up into the top 50.
Next: 10 strangest National Signing Day moments
Other teams with an outside shot to climb into the top 50 of the team composite rankings on National Signing Day include South Florida (No. 61), Toledo (No. 64), FIU (No. 67), Houston (No. 69), and UCF (No. 70). The Knights still have plenty of space to move up the rankings, as they have only signed 18 players so far after Scott Frost left to take over at Nebraska.