American Athletic East Star of the Class 

Cincinnati
LB Marquise Copeland, 6-3, 220 – The Bearcats stepped up bringing in the linebackers, but Copeland is a part defensive end, part outside linebacker, and part prospect to take over inside if he can add a little bit of bulk. He had his shot to go to Louisville, Kentucky and Illinois, and he got a push from several Big Ten schools, but he should be a versatile, athletic star of the defensive front early on. 

Connecticut
DE Kirk Livingstone, 6-4, 235 – Is he going to be turned into an offensive lineman, or is he going to end up on the defensive side? He has the frame to turn into a good blocker if he gets a few years at the training table and in the weight room, but the bigger upside might be on the defensive side as a rock-solid 6-4, 250-pound defensive end, or even a hybrid. Vanderbilt wanted him, and he got a little bit of interest from Florida State, Syracuse, and other Power 5 schools, but he made the call on UConn – it just might take a few years before he turns into a factor. 

East Carolina
QB James Summers, 6-3, 220 – Corner Nhyre Quinerly was a great get, and the secondary will be helped in a big way by getting Colby Gore, but Summers is the key to the class. The JUCO transfer was seen at some places as a receiver – he has that type of size and athleticism – but with a little time and effort, he could be a whale of a quarterback. ECU wants him under center, while Louisville was pushing for him to play wide receiver. Kansas State and Ole Miss were also on the radar. 

Temple
DT Greg Webb, 6-1, 312 – CB Kareem Ali is a great get and he should end up one day being the star of the secondary, but Webb is going to be the anchor. He’s short and he’s not going to get behind the line, but he’s strong and built for the nose. He’s the type of player who can sit in the middle of the line and stuff things up right away. A JUCO transfer from Hutchinson JC, he turned down Rutgers to go to Temple. 

UCF
QB Bo Schneider, 6-4, 217 – C Luke Hiers will end up being the anchor of the O line once he bulks up a bit, and Tristan Payton is going to become a go-to target, but running the show is Schneider, who with a little time in the weight room could blossom into UCF’s next great passer. A bomber, the Texas native a good passer who had his opportunity at several Group of 5 schools, and was wanted by Oregon State, but in time, look out. 

USF
WR Jarvis Baxter, 5-11, 165 – While he’s coming off a knee injury, the receiving star of Trinity Valley JC is a speedster who could be the No. 1 receiver the program has been waiting for. A Group of 5-caliber recruit, he might not have high-end skills, but he’s lightning quick and should be a used in a variety of ways. Also watch out for DE Marlon Gonzalez, a 6-4, 260-pound pass rusher who had his pick of several top schools with Louisville, Arizona and Florida State interested. 

American Athletic West Star of the Class 

Houston
RB Tyreik Gray, 5-11, 180 – While he’s not all that big, and he’s not a blazer, he can do a variety of things with good quickness and great cutting ability between the tackles. Can he be a workhorse? He won’t need to be, but he could turn into a key part of the attack and also develop into a receiver. Arizona State, Georgia, Arkansas and Baylor all made a push and wanted to potentially move him, but he’ll be a running back for the Cougars. 

Memphis
QB Brady Davis, 6-3, 190 – JUCO transfer Mike Edwards should make an immediate impact, and Jared Gentry is another great get for the defensive interior, but Davis was a Mississippi high school star with sharp passing skills and the ability to spread the ball all over the field. While he wasn’t wanted by the Power 5 schools, with a few years of development he should turn into the team’s main man for the offense. 

Navy
G Andrew Wood, 6-5, 286 – The Midshipmen are bringing in a little bit of size across the board with 6-4, 270-pound Nick Czar eventually going to be a big presence on the defensive line, but the star of the class should be for the offensive front. There were offers from Purdue, California and Mississippi State, but Wood chose Navy and should be the exact type of devastating blocker who can bring the power on the interior. He can hover around 300 pounds, but he might play lighter to get on the move and do what Navy likes. 

SMU
WR Kevin Thomas, 6-1, 175 – QB Ben Hicks is going to need to someday by the leader of this class, TE Hunter Herndon could become a dangerous target, and James Proche is a high-end receiver prospect, but Proche’s De Soto High teammate, Thomas, is built to someday by the No. 1 receiver in the Mustang attack. He might not be a blazer, but he’s tough for his size and he’ll battle for midrange plays and should be a go-to guy. 

Tulane
DT John Washington, 6-3, 290 – The offense is getting a running back to eventually work around in Nigel Anderson, and Keeyon Smart and Leeward Brown are great prospects for the O line, but the defensive front needs bodies for the interior, and Washington might be a huge part of the rotation. There were some thoughts that he might end up at an SEC school, but Tulane was the one. There’s anchor talent and potential. 

Tulsa
QB Chad President, 6-3, 190 – Tulsa came up with some nice recruits for the new coaching staff with McKinley Whitfield and Trevis Gipson both too-thin, undersized playmakers for somewhere in the defensive back seven, but the class needs President to dominate. While he might need some tweaking and he might not be mechanically sound, he can make things happen on the move – he’s a baller. However, he could be a receiver if needed – Texas, Baylor and Texas Tech all were looking at him as a possible target.