We're one week removed from the late national signing period opening up, and the recruiting classes of the Missouri Valley Football Conference have come into better focus. The MVFC is loaded with outstanding incoming high school prospects, and this conference will figure prominently into our national rankings next Wednesday.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
2018 FCS RECRUITING: HERO Sports ranked the Top 25 recruits
2017 FCS RECRUITING: HERO Sports ranked the Top 250 recruits
2017 FCS RECRUITING: HERO Sports ranked the Top 50 teams
Here are a couple of things to know:
- HERO Sports will publish an FCS national Top 50 classes piece and a FCS Top 250 incoming freshmen piece on Feb. 21. Leading up to that, we'll be breaking down each conference — all 13 — from an "top individuals" standpoint.
- How did we come up with our ranking list below? Simple — it's subjective, but all recruiting rankings are that way. We combined 247Sports, Rivals, the players' offer lists and our own thoughts to come up with our version of the FCS recruiting rankings. We provide some of their other top offers in the charts. This is our third year doing this.
- We don't include junior college or 4-year school transfers in any of this work. This is strictly incoming high school graduates.
So below are the rankings for the MVFC.
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QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE MFVC: It goes without saying that North Dakota State had quite the haul with this recruiting class, and most of the work was done back in December during the early signing period — before the Bison had even won the national championship yet. An impressive use of the new national signing period. They brought in clearly the top class in the MVFC, and truly that is saying something special. Some MVFC fans may be surprised to see Southern Illinois' class mentioned in the same tier with NDSU's, but it should be, as should South Dakota's class. Both signed large and talented groups — top to bottom. The truth is though, there is no bad class in the MVFC this year. The usual suspects like Illinois State, Youngstown State, Northern Iowa and South Dakota State all wrapped up nice groups, among others, and every class had a gem or two.
[divider]Swipe left to right on mobile devices to see "other offers":
THE MVFC CONFERENCE TOP 40
| RK | FCS CHOICE | POS | PROSPECT | HOMETOWN | HGT | WGT | OTHER OFFERS |
| 1 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | ATH | Saybein Clark | Sioux City, IA | 6'1" | 195 | Iowa, Iowa State, UNI, USD, SDSU |
| 2 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | QB | Trey Lance | Marshall, MN | 6'4" | 195 | No. Ill., West. Mich, Air Force – 10 offers |
| 3 | ILLINOIS STATE | S | Mike Gardner | DeSoto, TX | 5'11" | 180 | Indiana, Fresno St., Nevada |
| 4 | MISSOURI STATE | OL | Landon Bebee | Webb City, MO | 6'3" | 295 | 5 FBS offers – 16 total |
| 5 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | DL | Miguel Rodriguez | Viera, FL | 6'3" | 225 | Purdue, FAU, USD, NCCU, Beth-Cookman |
| 6 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | WR | Phoenix Sproles | Robbinsdale, MN | 6'0" | 175 | Valleys and Ivys, Mont St, Air Force, NIU |
| 7 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | DE | Samuel Moore | Verndale, MN | 6'5" | 230 | Iowa |
| 8 | SOUTH DAKOTA | RB | Canaan Brooks | St. Louis, MO | 5'11" | 195 | Illinois, Ball State – 7 offers |
| 9 | WESTERN ILLINOIS | WR | Broc Thompson | Indianapolis, IN | 6'2" | 175 | Ball St decommit – Utah St offer |
| 10 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | WR | Rico Payton | Saint Louis, MO | 6'2" | 180 | Ball St., Wyoming, USD, Tenn-Mart, Ind. St, Mo St, UND |
| 11 | NORTHERN IOWA | DT | Khristian Boyd | Blue Springs, MO | 6'4" | 305 | Kansas, UCF, Ark. State |
| 12 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | RB | Tremayne Lee | Springfield, IL | 5'10" | 195 | WestMich, CentMich, Illinois St, IndSt |
| 13 | SOUTH DAKOTA | WR | Marquis Majors | O'Fallon, MO | 6'1" | 175 | 6 FBS offers, 19 total offers |
| 14 | NORTHERN IOWA | ATH | Eric Mooney | Huntley, IL | 6'1" | 190 | 13 FCS offers |
| 15 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | DT | Brendan Cook | Libertyville, IL | 6'4" | 235 | Navy, SDSU, UNI, Cornell, Dayton |
| 16 | SOUTH DAKOTA | QB | Tyler Foote | St. Louis, MO | 6'3" | 205 | 10 FCS offers |
| 17 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | DB | Mitchell Kartes | Albertville, MN | 6'0" | 185 | Montana St., UNI, USD, Ind St., Ivy, HC |
| 18 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | WR | Zach Mathis | Tampa, FL | 6'6" | 195 | Boston College – 7 offers |
| 19 | MISSOURI STATE | DT | Arian Bhat | Denton, TX | 6'2" | 280 | Air Force, Army, Navy – 9 offers |
| 20 | ILLINOIS STATE | QB | Bryce Jefferson | Indianapolis, IN | 6'3" | 185 | Indiana State, Western Illinois |
| 21 | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | ATH | Myles McHaney | Macomb, MI | 6'3" | 200 | Central Michigan |
| 22 | WESTERN ILLINOIS | LB | Jack Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 6'2" | 215 | Navy, Air Force, Army |
| 23 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | WR | Destin Talbert | Hinsdale, IL | 6'1" | 165 | Navy, Ohio U, most of MVFC, Ivys |
| 24 | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | DB | Nick Garlisch | St. Charles, IL | 5'11" | 190 | NDSU, UNI, UND, SIU |
| 25 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | OL | Beau Branyan | Decatur, IL | 6'5" | 265 | PWO Illinois & Iowa; SEMO, Morehead St. |
| 26 | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE | QB | J'Bore Gibbs | Chicago, IL | 6'3" | 200 | Eastern Michigan |
| 27 | SOUTH DAKOTA | OL | Trevor Shohoney | Franklin, WI | 6'4" | 275 | Buffalo, Army, Illinois State, WIU, UNI |
| 28 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | WR | Kenneth Channelle | Jacksonville, FL | 5'10" | 165 | Central Michigan – 9 offers |
| 29 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | OT | Jalen Sundell | Maryville, MO | 6'5" | 250 | Cent. Mich, WIU |
| 30 | ILLINOIS STATE | S | Kenton Wilhoit | Oak Grove, MO | 6'2" | 205 | SDSU, UNI |
| 31 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | DE | Tony Pierce | Auburndale, FL | 6'2" | 220 | UTSA, JSU, MontSt., TennSt, SIU |
| 32 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | LB | Jayden Price | Mulvane, KS | 6'0" | 175 | Tulane, Illinois State, SDSU, |
| 33 | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | DE | Will Henry | Lakewood, OH | 6'5" | 245 | Cincinnati, Kent State PWO |
| 34 | INDIANA STATE | DB | Dwayne Thompson | Bloomfield Hills, MI | 6'1" | 165 | 7 FCS offers |
| 35 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | DB | Chance Bush | Apopka, FL | 5'10" | 175 | Navy |
| 36 | YOUNGSTOWN STATE | WR | Markel Toney | Cleveland, OH | 6'4" | 205 | Marshall |
| 37 | NORTHERN IOWA | LB | Jevon Brekke | Minneapolis, MN | 6'3" | 185 | Navy, Indiana State |
| 38 | SOUTHERN ILLINOIS | TE | Brody Parker | Blue Springs, MO | 6'6" | 235 | Army, Tenn-Martin |
| 39 | NORTH DAKOTA STATE | ATH | Jackson Enz | Walworth, WI | 6'1" | 185 | UND, Valleys |
| 40 | WESTERN ILLINOIS | OL | Brandon Malkow | Beloit, WI | 6'5" | 285 | SDSU, Columbia |
