2016 National Signing Day Football Picks and Predictions

So, the 2016 National Signing Day is signed, sealed and delivered. The usual suspects down south have landed themselves a new batch of blue-chip recruits for the upcoming season, while a certain team in maize and blue reinserted themselves as a recruiting power.

As the ink dries from all those letters of intent, let’s take a complete look back at where all the top 20 recruits according to ESPN landed. We’ll then pick a handful of players who could turn out to be impact freshmen during the upcoming college football season.

Speaking of college, check out some of the best college hoops game on tap this week right here.

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2016 National Signing Day Football Picks and Predictions

The Top 20 Recruits

RANK | PLAYER | POSITION | HOMETOWN | SCHOOL
1 | Rashan Gary | DT | Paramus, NJ | Michigan
2 | Gregory Little | OT | Allen TX | Ole Miss
3 | Nick Bosa | DE | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Ohio State
4 | Ed Oliver | DT | Houston, TX | Houston
5 | Levonta Taylor | CB | Virginia Beach, VA | Florida State
6 | Dexter Lawrence | DT | Wake Forest, NC | Clemson
7 | Benito Jones | DT | Waynesbro, MS | Ole Miss
8 | Isaac Nauta | TE | Brandenton, FL | Georgia
9 | Derrick Brown | DT | Sugar Hill, GA | Auburn
10 | Antonneous Clayton | DE | Vienna, GA | Florida
11 | McTelvin Agim | DE | Hope, AR | Arkansas
12 | Rashard Lawrence | DT | Monroe, LA | LSU
13 | Jacob Eason | QB | Lake Stevens, WA | Georgia
14 | Shane Simmons | DE | Hyattsville, MD | Penn State
15 | Shea Patterson | QB | Bradenton, FL | Ole Miss
16 | Willie Allen | OT | New Orleans, LA | LSU
17 | Malik Henry | QB | Long Beach, CA | Florida State
18 | Trayvon Mullen | CB | Coconut Creek, FL | Clemson
19 | K.J. Costello | QB | Coto de Caza, CA | Staford
20 | Antwuan Jackson Jr. | DT | Ellenwood, GA | Auburn

Jim Harbaugh pulled out all the stops in his first recruiting cycle for Michigan, from sleeping over in recruits’ houses to bringing out “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Tom Brady on their National Signing Day party. His methods turned out to be pretty effective, as he lured a top-five class that includes top overall recruit Rashan Gary to Ann Arbor.

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However, Harbaugh still couldn’t top Florida State’s great signing day. The Noles landed two of the top 20 recruits to headline a class which some have as the No. 1 in the nation, ahead of even mighty Alabama. Florida State, like Michigan, is priced at +1,500 to win the national title.

Not to be outdone, Ole Miss had yet another star-studded signing day with Hugh Freeze hauling in not one, not two, but three of the top 15 recruits in the country. That includes No. 2 overall prospect Greg Little, who is expected to fill the enormous boots of outgoing stud left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Top 5 Impact Makers

1. Rashan Gary (Michigan)

Expectations are always sky-high when you’re the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country, and Gary will experience that first-hand this year. However, Michigan will be pretty deep at tackle next season, so Gary won’t be asked to carry too big a load in his first year. Still, he’s going to get playing time and should make a big impact on a defense that was so dominant early last season but faded a bit down the stretch.

2. Ed Oliver (Houston)

Things are definitely looking up for Houston these days. Not only did in-demand head coach Tom Herman decide to stay another year, he also brought a top defensive recruit in Ed Oliver into the program. Oliver will instantly improve a defensive line that wasn’t Houston’s strength last season, and should be a handful to stop with the less than imposing opposition in the AAC.

3. Greg Little (Ole Miss)

As mentioned earlier, Tunsil’s spot in the O-line has been earmarked for Little, who has a chance to be just as good as Tunsil. He’ll get his chance to show what he’s got on the field this season protecting the blindside of senior quarterback Chad Kelly.

4. Jacob Eason (Georgia)

The Greyson Lambert experiment failed for the Bulldogs last season as subpar quarterback play let down a pretty talented team. Eason, the No. 1-ranked quarterback in his class, is widely tipped to win the starting job right away for new coach Kirby Smart. He’ll also have the advantage of being an early enrollee, which will give him some added time to learn the team’s new offense.

5. Trayvon Mullen (Clemson)

Losing out on Gary was a significant blow for Clemson, but the losing national championship finalists can console themselves with a couple top-20 recruits, including the No. 18 overall prospect in cornerback Trayvon Mullen. The four-star corner could turn out to be a big-time player in the secondary that lost stud Mackensie Alexander as the Tigers look to defend their ACC crown against a potentially resurgent Florida State.

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