As we move into spring for the 2019 recruiting class, more and more prospects are starting to come off the board. Some of the top recruits have already made their college decisions, but there are still plenty of top-ranked players who are uncommitted.
Here is a look at the best available recruit at each position group and where he is in the process.
Defensive end
Best available: Kayvon Thibodeaux (Westlake Village, California) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 1, ESPN Jr. 300 defensive ends: 39, ESPN Jr. 300 defensive ends committed: 7
His recruitment: The No. 1 overall prospect and No. 1 defensive end, Thibodeaux came out with a top 12 of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. He recently visited Florida and is visiting Alabama on Saturday, Florida State on April 14 and Oregon on April 21. Originally Thibodeaux was planning to take a few official visits in the spring, but he changed his mind and is now going to save all five for during the season. Those unofficial visits in April are the only visits he is planning to take until he schedules his officials in the fall. Ideally he would like to make his commitment after he takes all of his officials but before December.
Early prediction: USC
Dual-threat quarterback
Best available: Michael Johnson Jr. (Eugene, Oregon) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 83, ESPN Jr. 300 dual-threat quarterbacks: 10, ESPN Jr. 300 DT quarterbacks committed: 5
His recruitment: Johnson is the No. 3-ranked dual-threat quarterback in this class, with No. 1-ranked Spencer Rattler committed to Oklahoma and No. 2 Roschon Johnson committed to Texas. Michael Johnson Jr. is the son of Oregon wide receivers coach Michael Johnson, and the Ducks are considered one of the favorites to land him.
He recently took visits to Alabama, Ole Miss and Miami and is also planning to visit Arizona State, Nebraska and Penn State. He doesn't have a top list yet but would like to make his decision before his season starts in the fall.
Early prediction: Oregon
Pocket-passing quarterback
Best available: Grant Gunnell (Houston) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 71, ESPN Jr. 300 pocket-passing quarterbacks: 8, ESPN Jr. 300 PP quarterbacks committed: 3
His recruitment: Bo Nix is the No. 1 pocket passer and is committed to Auburn. Gunnell is next in line, and while he was committed to Texas A&M at one point, he recently backed off that commitment and is now uncommitted.
His spring will consist of visits to Cal, Oklahoma State, Arizona and LSU, and he is looking to get to Ohio State and Oregon in the summer. He isn't planning on coming out with a top list, but a few schools that have stood out to him include Oklahoma State, Oregon, LSU, Cal, TCU, Ohio State and Arizona. He doesn't have an offer from Stanford, but he is also interested in the Cardinal.
The Buckeyes have made quite the impression, and while Gunnell wants to commit in early summer, there is still opportunity for schools to win him over.
Early prediction: Ohio State
Athlete
Best available: Daxton Hill (Tulsa, Oklahoma) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 18, ESPN Jr. 300 athletes: 22, ESPN Jr. 300 athletes committed: 3
His recruitment: Hill is the No. 2-ranked athlete in the class, with Jordan Whittington at No. 1 and committed to Texas. Hill has recently visited Michigan and took a trip to Oklahoma State in January. His current top list includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Stanford, TCU and Tennessee.
Early prediction: Oklahoma
Defensive tackle
Best available: Ishmael Sopsher (Amite, Louisiana) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 8, ESPN Jr. 300 defensive tackles: 24, ESPN Jr. 300 defensive tackles committed: 6
His recruitment: Sopsher, the No. 1-ranked defensive tackle in the class, has a top list of Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin. He is going to try to take unofficial visits to Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Clemson, Alabama and Texas but doesn't have anything planned yet. His recruitment is still up in the air, especially concerning when he wants to make his final decision. He hasn't decided yet whether he will sign early but is leaning toward taking his signing out until February.
Early prediction: LSU
Offensive tackle
Best available: Kenyon Green (Humble, Texas) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 5, ESPN Jr. 300 offensive tackles: 27, ESPN Jr. 300 offensive tackles committed: 9
His recruitment: Green is the No. 1-ranked tackle in the class out of Texas and has nearly every program coming after him. He had been committed to LSU but decommitted from the Tigers back in December. He came out with a top 10 in mid-March that consists of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M. Since he is from Texas, he has been able to visit Texas and Texas A&M in February and March, but he will likely get out to a few more schools before the season.
Early prediction: Texas A&M
Interior offensive line
Best available: Clay Webb (Oxford, Alabama) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 15, ESPN Jr. 300 interior linemen: 21, ESPN Jr. 300 interior linemen committed: 6
His recruitment: Webb is the No. 1-ranked interior lineman in the class. He is taking visits to Alabama on Saturday and April 14, followed by Georgia on April 21. He's planning to visit Clemson in April as well but doesn't have the date set yet. He would also like to camp at Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi State and potentially Clemson.
While he doesn't have his top list yet, Webb says that Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and Michigan are some of the programs currently sticking out. The biggest factor for him are the relationships with the coaches -- and at those schools listed above, Webb feels as though he has a good relationship with each coaching staff.
Early prediction: Alabama
Running back
Best available: Trey Sanders (Bradenton, Florida) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 17, ESPN Jr. 300 running backs: 18, ESPN Jr. 300 running backs committed: 3
His recruitment: Sanders is the No. 1-ranked running back in the class, and he decommitted from Alabama in January. While he decommitted, he still lists Alabama as one of his favorites and a school that is still very much in the mix. Sanders says he doesn't necessarily have a top list yet, but the Tide, Georgia, Florida and Miami are a few schools that have been coming after him hard. He plans to release an official top 10 in May, and he is also going to take one of his five official visits in the spring but hasn't decided which school will get the visit.
Early prediction: Alabama
Wide receiver
Best available: Marcus Washington (St. Louis) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 11, ESPN Jr. 300 wide receivers: 48, ESPN Jr. 300 wide receivers committed: 10
His recruitment: Georgia has the top two receivers committed in Jadon Haselwood and Dominick Blaylock, but Washington is the highest-ranked uncommitted receiver at No. 3 within the position group. Washington came out with a top 10 that consists of Alabama, Florida State, Iowa State, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Texas and USC. He said he will likely narrow that down in the near future. While he doesn't know who will make up the entire top six, it is very likely that Alabama, Ohio State and Oregon will make the cut. Washington is planning an unofficial visit to Ohio State in April and will then look at potential official visits as well.
Early prediction: Alabama
Defensive back
Best available: Joshua Sanguinetti (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 26, ESPN Jr. 300 defensive backs: 50, ESPN Jr. 30 defensive backs committed: 11
His recruitment: Sanguinetti is the No. 2 safety in the class and is currently uncommitted. Brian Williams is the top safety, ranked No. 13 overall and committed to Texas A&M. Maurice Hampton is the top-ranked cornerback in the class, ranked No. 21 overall and committed to LSU. Sanguinetti is next in line as the No. 2-ranked safety in the class. He recently visited Stanford and Miami and is planning to visit Oregon and Oklahoma in the near future. Academics are a big part of his decision, and he has already been out to Stanford twice. The Hurricanes have emphasized academics on his visits to Coral Gables as well, so it could be a tight race, with others still able to get in the mix. He says he is planning to make a top 10 or 15 after the spring, but for now, schools including Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon and Florida are some that stick out.
Early prediction: Miami
Tight end
Best available: Keon Zipperer (Lakeland, Florida) ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 46, ESPN Jr. 300 tight ends: 10, ESPN Jr. 300 tight ends committed: 4
His recruitment: Zipperer is the No. 1-ranked tight end-H prospect with Austin Stogner ranked as the No. 1 tight end-Y and sitting at No. 42 overall. Stogner is committed to Oklahoma, and the other top-50 tight end in the class, Hudson Henry (ranked No. 50 overall), is uncommitted. Zipperer visited Miami and Florida in March, and it seems as though Florida sticks out along with Alabama, Clemson and Miami among others. Zipperer is visiting Alabama on Friday, so the Tide will have an opportunity to impress the top tight end.
Early prediction: Florida
Linebacker
Best available: Owen Pappoe (Loganville, Georgia), ESPN Jr. 300 ranking: 4, ESPN Jr. 300 linebackers: 24, ESPN Jr. 300 linebackers committed: 3
His recruitment: Pappoe is the No. 4-ranked prospect overall and the No. 1 outside linebacker in the class. He has a top two of Georgia and Auburn and could still take visits to Penn State and LSU in April before announcing his commitment in May. Georgia and Auburn made the final cut because Pappoe says those are the two schools he is most comfortable around; he fits well in both defenses and he'll have an opportunity to play early on at either program.
Early prediction: Georgia