The FCS recruiting picture is going from foggy to a tad bit more in focus, and we at HERO Sports figured we'd begin taking a look at the classes around the leagues. Many of the Patriot League schools receive their high school commitments later, as a collective, but some have already been very active. Every program is different in its recruiting philosophy.
Below, we have team rankings based on we've seen as of Nov. 4, and a Top 25 ranking of the Patriot League recruits. Next up? Other conferences, and then the national rankings before/around the week of Nov. 18 … oh, and the five conferences we've already published? They're linked below the Patriot League's rankings.
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Ah yes, the team rankings. So what is this "top half of the Patriot League" team ranking based on so far? First, numbers of recruits on board, plus what other offers did these recruits have before they committed? Now … this is still early in the process, and there are several programs that recruit "later" in the cycle because their hotbeds are a bit different. Prospects can sign for the first time in December during the early period, or they can wait until February. Every program is different in its approach.
As of right now? Holy Cross isn't just winning the recruiting battle, the Crusaders are running away with it with 17 early commitments — and these kids are quite coveted. Six of them hold FBS offers and all but two of them hold other Division I offers. Behind the Crusaders, Bucknell is a solid second and then Colgate's depth edges out Fordham and Georgetown's small-class quality at this point. Lehigh and Lafayette also have their 2020 class highlights and have room to grow their groups quite a bit before the two signing days.
PATRIOT LEAGUE TEAM RANKING (as of Nov. 4)
1. Holy Cross
2. Bucknell
3. Colgate
4. Fordham/Georgetown (tie)[divider]
PATRIOT LEAGUE TOP 25 RECRUITS (as of Nov. 4)
NOTE: These high school recruits are ranked by how many other college options these commitments had, and who those offers came from. This is NOT using the star system from any of the recruiting services (never will). (***) — Hunter Helms decommitted from Holy Cross hours after this ranking was released.
| RK | FCS TEAM | POS | PROSPECT | HOMETOWN | OTHER D-1 OPTIONS |
| 1 | HOLY CROSS | DB | Terrence Spence | Ringwood, NJ | 5 FBS, 12 FCS offers |
| 2 | BUCKNELL | DB | Ivan Yates | Roswell, GA | 4 FBS, 10 FCS |
| 3 | BUCKNELL | QB | Tyler Beverett | Scottsdale, AZ | Indiana, New Mex, 6 FCS |
| 4 | FORDHAM | DB | Kyle Jacob | Paramus, NJ | Air Force, 11 FCS offers |
| 5 | COLGATE | S | Owen Goss | Hinsdale, IL | Air Force, 10 FCS offers |
| 6 | FORDHAM | OL | Cody Johnson | The Woodlands, TX | North Tex., New Mex., 7 FCS |
| 7 | GEORGETOWN | OL | Luke Popma | West Linn, OR | Air Force, Idaho, 5 FCS |
| 8 | HOLY CROSS | QB | Hunter Helms*** | Los Angeles, CA | Liberty, Troy, 7 FCS offers |
| 9 | HOLY CROSS | ATH | Quinton Gregory | Virginia Beach, VA | 4 FBS, 3 FCS |
| 10 | GEORGETOWN | OL | Jack Mills | Medfield, MA | UMass, 5 FCS offers |
| 11 | GEORGETOWN | LB | David Ealey | Miami, FL | Southern Miss, 5 FCS |
| 12 | LEHIGH | DE | Christian Joblonski | Pittsburgh, PA | 8 FCS offers |
| 13 | HOLY CROSS | OL | Eric Schon | Barrie, Canada | 7 FCS offers |
| 14 | BUCKNELL | OL | Ethan Pitzel | Solon, OH | 7 FCS offers |
| 15 | HOLY CROSS | OL | Luke Newman | Bloomfield Hills, MI | Lafayette, Navy, Valpo, WIU |
| 16 | HOLY CROSS | LB | Phoenix Dickson | Linden, MI | Air Force, Valpo, Cornell |
| 17 | HOLY CROSS | WR | Hunter Lane | Georgetown, MA | UNH, Maine, Fordham, Bryant |
| 18 | FORDHAM | QB | Dan Villari | Massapequa, NY | Buffalo, CCSU, Albany, Umass |
| 19 | LAFAYETTE | QB | Rent Montie | Clearwater, FL | Southern Miss, Morehead St. |
| 20 | HOLY CROSS | LB | Joe Rivers | Malden, MA | UNH, Bryant, Brown, Gtown |
| 21 | HOLY CROSS | LB | Dante Bolden | Springfield, MA | UNH, SHU, CCSU, Bryant |
| 22 | COLGATE | OL | Matthew McGeary | Philadelphia, PA | 5 FCS offers |
| 23 | HOLY CROSS | RB | Will Ezema | Flemington, NJ | George., Lafay., Buck., Marist |
| 24 | LEHIGH | DB | Mike DeNucci | Sparta, NJ | UNH, Robt Morris, HC |
| 25 | COLGATE | WR | Jake Ryan | Massillon, OH | Fordham, Youngstown St |
(***) — Hunter Helms decommitted from Holy Cross hours after this ranking was released.
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- RANKINGS: CAA Recruiing Rankings (Sept. 2019)
- RANKINGS: MVFC Recruiting Rankings (Sept. 2019)
- RANKINGS: OVC Recruiting Rankings (Oct. 2019)
- RANKINGS: Big Sky Recruiing Rankings (Oct. 2019)
- RANKINGS: SoCon Recruiting Rankings (Oct. 2019)
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