Appalachian State
QB Daniel Davis, 6-1, 187 – The Mountaineers are getting some nice prospects for the receiving corps and the secondary, but David is the one who eventually has to lead the offense and could be the one guy remembered from this class. He’s not big, he doesn’t have all of the right skills, but he’s a read-option baller who finds was to move an offense. Others might have liked him as a defensive back, but ASU is going to make him its quarterback. 

Arkansas State
LB Griffin Riggs, 6-3, 222 – The quarterback battle between D.J. Pearson and Tajhea Chambers will eventually be fun, and the O line is getting a few great tackles, but Riggs was a really, really nice get with enough physical ability to work inside or on the line, and the speed and athleticism to be a pass rushing outside linebacker. Auburn and Cincinnati were a part of the process, but he’s right for ASU and committed late last summer. 

Georgia Southern
OT Jeremiah Culbreth, 6-4, 285 – The secondary is getting some very, very talented prospects, and the class is spread out nicely, but it’s hard to find big bodies who can move and run like Georgia Southern O linemen need to. He can play on the defensive front if the coaching staff wants to keep put him inside, but he’s an offensive tackle with good feet and the talent to make Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Syracuse want him. 

Georgia State
RB Jaleen Thomas, 6-0, 207 – Is he going to be the workhorse for the ground game? Texas State went really, really hard after him, and he’s good enough to have Florida State and Mississippi State show an interest in him at some position, but he’s going to be the main man for a program that needs to build up the star level, and Thomas can do just that. He’s the best player in the Georgia State class by far. 

Idaho 
LB Denzal Brantley, 6-1, 203 – Defense, defense, defense. Idaho hasn’t had one in several years, and this class is loading up to try to change that. Brantley is the key to the class with safety size and linebacker ability, able to move well enough to become a fixture on the outside and with the toughness to hold his on the inside. He needs to get bigger, but he should one day be a stat-sheet filler as both a tackler and a pass rusher who gets sent into the backfield – he was a huge get for the program. 

Louisiana-Lafayette
QB Dion Ray, 6-1, 207 – Is he going to stay at quarterback? He’s a dual-threat option with a good passing arm and good skills, but he has too much speed to not see the field right away somewhere. One of the best all-around athletes in the state of Louisiana, he has sub-4.4 wheels that made Florida, Ole Miss, Kansas State, Arizona State and Ole Miss want him. No matter where he plays for the Ragin’ Cajuns, he’ll be one of the Sun Belt’s most dangerous players. 

New Mexico State
RB Deunte Chatman, 6-1, 215 – Brandyn Leonard is another interesting back, and Anthony McMeans is a great option for somewhere in the offensive interior, but it’s Chatman who has the biggest upside for the offense with 6-1, 215-pound size and workhorse ability. The Houston native had a little interest from some big places like Texas, Notre Dame and Texas A&M to move around and work wherever needed, but he should be the key to the Aggie offense early on. 

South Alabama
OT Troy Thingstad, 6-5, 270 – JUCO transfer Quinton Lane will be an instant fill-in at corner, and Jalen Thompson will be a future fixture in the secondary, but it’s Thingstad who’s the key pickup after originally looking at much bigger places. Minnesota and South Carolina each wanted him, but it was Louisville who seemed to have him all locked up during the football season. Instead, he flipped to USA and should be the star of the O line once he adds a little bulk. 

Texas State
QB L.G. Williams, 5-10, 190 – He fits what the Bobcats like to do with cut-on-a-dime quickness as the ideal option quarterback. Army and Navy each wanted him to run their respective offenses, and there was a wee bit of interest from the bigger Texas schools to move him to another position, but when he gets his chance, he’ll become a rushing star who can also throw a little. 

Troy
QB Gardner Minshwer, 6-1, 215 – The linebacking corps is getting the most help in a shaky class, but the new coaching staff needs Gardner Minshew to eventually be the one who takes the program out of the doldrums. His lack of size kept him from being a bigger recruit overall, but he’s the type of talent who has all the skills and rocks in all the drills. He made it around the SEC camp circuit, but it was only between Akron and Troy for his services – he should put up huge numbers. 

ULM
DT Jaylen Vesley, 6-1, 265 – The Warhawks are loading up on options for the passing game in a strength-in-numbers sort of way, but it’s the defensive side that’s getting the star of the show in Veasley, and undersized athlete who gets off the ball in a hurry and can be used in a variety of different ways up front. While he was mainly wanted by some good FCS schools, he could become ULM’s most dangerous interior pass rusher.