by Chris Paschal
Only one month separated from college football, and I desperately need it back. Sure my brother, Brendan, and I have decided to become the biggest Irish Rugby fans this side of the Atlantic… but it’s just not the same. Alas, National Signing Day (Part 2) came and went.
In this post, I will identify who y’all need to know at each position, and more importantly, who is the top prospect at each position. I’ll start off with some names that just missed the list, but need to be talked about.
This was a huge pickup for the Hogs. Burks was considered one of, if not the top recruit in the state of Arkansas. With Burks heading to Fayetteville along with Hudson Henry, another top in-state prospect, Arkansas was able to keep its top prospects at home and put together a Top 25 class.
This is kind of a weird category because I could have put in a whole host of different prospects, but I am set on Crouch. After sitting out his senior year in high school due to injury, Crouch fell from his lofty, elite status and finished without a fifth star. But don’t be deceived, the Charlotte native is big (6-1, 235), athletic, and motivated to prove his worth. Crouch enrolled early in Knoxville, and could see a ton of snaps for the Vols.
Smith has the skills and size needed to have an instant impact at the cornerback position, but with Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu returning, Smith will likely split reps and work more at the nickel position. Give him some time with Will Muschamp though and this kid will be an All-American. Watching his workouts at the All-American Bowl made me fall in love with Smith’s athleticism and physical mentality. This secondary is going to quickly improve.
I love this kid. He comes from small-town-Alabama (Wetumpka) and has little tape of him. But what I have seen has really impressed me. He is raw, but with some proper coaching he could become a stud. He has a great motor, top-end power, and athleticism needed to rush from the three- technique.
Bo Nix (Auburn) is going to be a stud, don’t get me wrong, but Ryan Hilinski has everything you are looking for in a quarterback. He has tremendous size (6-4, 235), a live arm, leadership skills, and can make all the throws. During the All-American Bowl workouts, Hilinski performed at a high level, and was considered one of the top two or three quarterbacks in the country. He should have a huge career in Columbia.
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