On3's top classes at each position in the 2022 cycle

The 2022 cycle is in the rearview mirror as National Signing Day comes to a close. Even though the vast majority of prospects signed in December, we still saw several blue-chip recruits come off the board on Wednesday.

Now that much of the dust has settled, lets take a look at the top hauls at each position.

Quarterback – Penn State

Penn State’s two-man quarterback class of Drew Allar (No. 27) and Beau Pribula (No. 451) gets the nod as the nation’s top haul at the position. Allar is the top arm talent in the class. The five-star signal caller is the highest-rated quarterback signee of the James Franklin era and has the potential to be a true difference-maker behind center for the Nittany Lions. At 6-foot-4.5, 230 pounds, Allar has the ability to throw with velocity and touch from multiple arm slots. Pribula is a dual-threat with his ability to pick up yards on the ground. He accounted for 5,667 yards and 89 touchdowns in his final two years of high school football.

Honorable Mention: Ohio State. While a few other schools signed multi-quarterback classes, we’re going with Ohio State here, due to the quality that Devin Brown (No. 29) provides to the Buckeye quarterback room. We’re higher on Brown at On3 with the Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon signal caller ranking as our No. 1 overall prospect. Ohio State needed to add another top arm to their quarterback room with Quinn Ewers‘ transfer to Texas. Ryan Day and company hit big in landing the well-rounded and talented Brown.

Running Back – Penn State

Penn State inked two of the nation’s top eight running back prospects in Nick Singleton (No. 24) and Kaytron Allen (No. 136). Singleton ranks as an On3 Consensus five-star prospect and as the No. 1 running back in the cycle. The 6-foot, 215-pounder was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior after rushing for 2,690 yards and 41 touchdowns on 276 carries (9.7 yards per carry) at Reading (Pa.) Governor Mifflin. Singleton has a high-end combination of outstanding initial burst, power and breakaway speed. Allen is a bruising runner at 5-foot-11, 225 pounds who excels as a tackle-breaker with his ability to run through contact.

Honorable Mention: Alabama, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State. Each of these programs signed a pair of four-star backs. Alabama added Jamarion Miller (No. 83) and athlete/running back Emmanuel Henderson (No. 89) to the fold. Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray hauled in fellow Las Vegas native Jovantae Barnes (No. 112) and Gavin Sawchuk (No. 132) out of Denver. North Carolina is looking to replenish its running back room and signed one of the better pass-catching backs in George Pettaway (No. 139) along with Omarion Hampton (No. 144), a bruising and prolific high school rusher. Oklahoma State has a similar “thunder and lightning” combo in Ollie Gordon (No. 213) and CJ Brown (No. 295).

Wide Receiver – Alabama

The Crimson Tide added four to five prospects who will go a long way in restocking what has traditionally been among the sport’s best receiver rooms in recent years. Aaron Anderson (No. 35), Isaiah Bond (No. 60) and Kobe Prentice (No. 73) bring top end speed and playmaking ability to the table. Each runs under 10.8 seconds in the 100 meters. Anderson is a cat-quick slot receiver with strong hands. He doubles as one of the best return men in the cycle. Bond may be the best deep threat in the cycle and is a state champion sprinter. Prentice has elite change of direction skills with the ability to make cuts at full speed in addition to plus ball skills. Shazz Preston (No. 46) is a sure-handed possession receiver. Kendrick Law (No. 96) ranks as an athlete and could get a look at receiver or safety in Tuscaloosa.

Honorable Mention: Texas A&M, Tennessee, Clemson, TCU. The Aggies landed two On3 Consensus five-star receivers in Evan Stewart (No. 5) and Chris Marshall (No. 19) along with Noah Thomas (No. 366). We’re higher than the industry at On3 when it comes to Tennessee’s haul with Kaleb Webb, Marquarius White, and Chas Nimrod all checking in as On300 prospects. The same can be said for TCU’s class. On3 rates Jordan Hudson as a five-star along with Major Everhart and DJ Allen in the On300. Clemson’s in-state duo of Antonio Williams (No. 82) and Adam Randall (No. 99) could be primed to make an impact as early as next fall.

Tight End – Alabama

The race for the top tight end class was a close one. Compelling cases could be made for a few different programs here. Ultimately we’re going with the Crimson Tide adding Danny Lewis (No. 574) on Wednesday to go along with Amari Niblack (No. 87) and Elijah Brown (No. 249). At On3, we view Niblack as a five-star as as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the cycle due to his ability as a three level threat. He’s advanced in the route, catch and after catch phases. Brown is a well-rounded tight end who could play in-line or split out. Lewis is a former Cincinnati commit who saw his recruitment take off down the stretch. The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder has a large catch radius along with a strong multi-sport profile.

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame, Texas A&M. Notre Dame may have signed the best true tight end duo in Eli Raridon (No. 128) and Holden Staes (No. 224). Texas A&M made noise in the Early Signing Period in adding long-time LSU commit Jake Johnson (No. 72) to a group that already included Donovan Green (No. 149) and Theo Melin Ohrstrom (No. 287). Johnson has the best ball skills among tight ends in the 2022 cycle, in our opinion.

Offensive Line – Texas

The Longhorns more than likely wrapped this one up with their strong finish down the stretch heading into the Early Signing Period. Texas erased any doubt on Wednesday by adding On3 Consensus five-star interior offensive lineman Devon Campbell to the nation’s top offensive line class. The seven man group features both quality and depth that accounts for every position on the line.

Campbell joins the group that is headlined by On3 Consensus five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, top 100 interior offensive lineman Neto Umeozulu and On3 top 100 offensive tackle Cameron Williams. Interior offensive lineman Connor Robertson is rated as a four-star according to On3 while Cole Hutson and Malik Agbo rate as a four-star in the On3 Consensus.

Steve Sarkisian and Texas offensive line coach Kyle Flood have made no secret of their desire to upgrade the size and overall quality of the offensive line in Austin. They took advantage of a banner cycle at the position in-state (all signees but Agbo are from Texas) and some turnover in the coaching carousel among recruiting rivals like Oregon and Oklahoma.

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame. Fighting Irish landed three offensive linemen who rank inside the top 100 of On3’s rankings – five-star offensive tackle Aamil Wagner and interior offensive linemen Joey Tanona and Billy Schrauth. Notre Dame also added Ashton Craig who is rated as a four-star by On3 and Ty Chan, who is rated as a four-star by the On3 Consensus.

Defensive Line – Texas A&M

Texas A&M not only signed the best defensive line class this cycle, it’s arguably the best group on paper we’ve seen at the position in recent history. The Aggies added their third On3 Consensus five-star defensive lineman on Wednesday with Shemar Stewart (No. 3) jumping into the fold. Stewart is joined by fellow On3 Consensus five-stars Walter Nolen (No. 2) and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (No. 11). Anthony Lucas (No. 40) is the fourth highest-rated defensive line prospect in the class and is a top 50 prospect. The fifth defensive line signee Jadon Scarlett (No. 346) also rates as four-star prospect.

The group gives Texas A&M a plethora of disruptive players along the defensive front. Nolen is among the more dominant pass rushers in the cycle at 325 pounds. Brownlow-Dindy is a twitched-up prospect who one of the more athletic defensive linemen in the last few cycles. Stewart is a big, fast and powerful defender who can play inside or on the edge. Lucas also has some of the highest physical upside of defensive linemen nationally.

Honorable Mention: Georgia and Alabama. The Bulldogs added Christen Miller (No. 144) on Wednesday to a group that’s headlined by five-star Mykel Williams (No. 10) and Bear Alexander (No. 50) along Shone Washington (No. 611).

Alabama continues to reload upfront as they typically do, signing prolific in-state prospect Khurtiss Perry (No. 65), a massive nose tackle in Jaheim Oatis (No. 79) and high upside Canada native Isaiah Hastings (No. 142).

EDGE – Alabama

The Crimson Tide landed the top pass rushing duo in the 2022 cycle in five-stars Jihaad Campbell (No. 15) and Jeremiah Alexander (No. 13). Campbell, who ranks as On3’s No. 3 overall prospect was a long-time Clemson commit prior to joining Alabama’s class in the Early Signing Period. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder pairs high-end athleticism (4.52 40-yard dash) with an elite motor and outstanding versatility. We saw Campbell rush the passer and cover receivers as a cornerback during the fall at IMG Academy. Alexander is a highly accomplished high school player at one of the top programs in the state of Alabama. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder totaled 402 tackles, 101 tackles for loss and 34 sacks in his four seasons at Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson while leading the Warriors to three-straight state titles.

Honorable Mention: Tennessee, Stanford, Georgia. Tennessee landed a huge steal back in December in convincing James Pearce (No. 120) to sign early. The Charlotte Chambers product is dynamic off the edge and the top pure pass rushing talent in the cycle, in my opinion. Pearce pairs with Joshua Josephs (No. 188) an athletic and extraordinarily long (36-inch arms) developmental prospect. Stanford was able to keep Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei pass rusher David Bailey (No. 67) in-state and went into Texas to land Ernest Cooper IV (No. 143). Georgia added five-star Marvin Jones Jr. (No. 23) to the fold alongside Darris Smith (No. 113). Jones is a NFL legacy with advanced bend and curvilinear movement skills. Smith may have one of the highest upsides among EDGE prospects in the cycle with his combination of size (6-foot-5, 225), length (35-inch arms) and athleticism.

Linebacker – Ohio State

New Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will have some nice young pieces on his defense. Five-Star Plus+ prospect Sonny Styles (No. 4) is ranked as an athlete, but we’ll consider him a linebacker for these purposes. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder has a unique blend of size and athleticism. He’s a high school safety with the on-field and combine athleticism of a top defensive back along with the size of a potential edge rusher. Styles was initially a 2023 prospect before reclassifying to the 2022 cycle prior to the Early Signing Period. C.J. Hicks (No. 14) is a well-rounded linebacker with good athleticism and a multi-positional track record at the high school level. Gabe Powers (No. 117) is one of the bigger top linebacker prospects nationally at 6-foot-4, 230-pounds and like Hicks, doubled as a dangerous player on offense.

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish linebacker class is headlined by five-star Jaylen Sneed (No. 32). The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder is a twitched-up athlete who excels in space and plays with a high effort level. Sneed is joined by Joshua Burnham (No. 107), Niuafe Tuihalamaka (No. 207), Nolan Ziegler (No. 269). Burnham is a big, multi-positional high school standout from Michigan. Tuihalamaka is a traditional downhill inside linebacker while Ziegler is a high school safety/athlete who is likely to grow into a linebacker.

Defensive Back – Georgia

The reigning national champions are bringing in a very strong defensive back class that features three On3 Consensus five-stars: safety Malaki Starks (No. 6), Jaheim Singletary (No. 30) and Daylen Everette (No. 33). Starks is one of the best overall athletes in the cycle. He was a standout option quarterback at Jefferson (Ga.) High and is also a top sprinter at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. Singletary is one of the taller cornerbacks in the cycle, checking in at over 6-foot-2. Everette was a one-time Clemson pledge prior to joining the Bulldog class. The Virginia native has plus size and length for the position.

The group also includes one of the fastest defensive backs nationally in Julian Humphrey (No. 81) and safety JaCorey Thomas (No. 345).

Honorable Mention: Clemson, Texas, Oregon, Michigan. Clemson sustained a few decommitments and still landed one of the top defensive back groups nationally. Jeadyn Lukus (No. 38) and Toriano Pride (No. 66) comprise one of the top corner duos and Sherrod Covil (No. 199) is a hard-hitting safety. Texas’ six-man defensive back class includes four prospects who are On3 Consensus four-stars: cornerback Terrance Brooks (No. 53), safety Bryan Allen Jr. (No. 123), cornerback Jaylon Guilbeau (No. 150) and safety Austin Jordan (No. 216). Oregon’s corner signees Jalil Tucker (No. 101), Jahlil Florence (No. 110) and Khamari Terrell (No. 345) are arguably the top corner trio to sign with one program. Michigan may be in flux with Jim Harbaugh interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings, but the Wolverines brought in a top defensive back class that includes five-star corner Will Johnson (No. 17), safety, Keon Sabb (No. 88), safety Zeke Berry (No. 145) and corner Kody Jones (No. 272).