We're one week removed from the late national signing period opening up, and the recruiting classes of the Southland Conference have come into better focus. The Southland 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 Southland Conference.
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QUICK THOUGHTS ON THE SOUTHLAND: As dominant as Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas have been in the Southland Conference the past few years, it's no big shock that both the Bearkats and the Bears had very nice recruiting hauls this cycle. Sam Houston State's ability to attract offensive talent is well known, but this class really did well with defensive talent — specifically on the defensive line. As for UCA, it really did well in — of all places — Florida. Central Arkansas wins the Southland Conference recruiting battle, in my opinion, with Sam Houston State, Stephen F. Austin and Houston Baptist right behind the Bears. UCA's recruiting victory in the Southland is a testament to the job first-year head coach Nathan Brown and his staff did, even with a coaching change. In all, every program landed a gem.
[divider]Swipe left to right on mobile devices to see "other offers":
THE SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOP 30
| RK | FCS CHOICE | POS | PROSPECT | HOMETOWN | HGT | WGT | OTHER OFFERS |
| 1 | SAM HOUSTON STATE | DE | Jeremy Fowler | Manor, TX | 6'2" | 225 | Tulsa, Tulane, La Tech, North Texas |
| 2 | STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | WR | Braison Rudd | New Braunfels, TX | 6'3" | 175 | Incarnate Word – committed early |
| 3 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | DB | Imani Partlow | Orlando, FL | 5'11" | 180 | South Carolina – 8 total offers |
| 4 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | TE | Donavon Foley | Quitman, AR | 6'2" | 225 | Committed early |
| 5 | SE LOUISIANA | DT | Dante Carter | New Orleans, LA | 5'11" | 320 | Texas St., Idaho, Ark. St., McNeese, 14 total |
| 6 | SAM HOUSTON STATE | DE | Randell Turner | Corona, CA | 6'3" | 240 | Idaho, Montana State, Howard |
| 7 | STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | QB | Cam Arnold | Cypress, TX | 6'1" | 200 | 5 offers |
| 8 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | DT | Alejandro Ramirez | Springdale, AR | 6'2" | 280 | Navy, Army, Ark. State, SDSU, SFA |
| 9 | INCARNATE WORD | LB | Tyler Jackson | DeSoto, TX | 6'1" | 220 | 5 offers |
| 10 | HOUSTON BAPTIST | RB | Ean Beek | Katy, TX | 5'9" | 175 | Army – 4 offers |
| 11 | HOUSTON BAPTIST | ATH | Jerreth Sterns | Waxahachie, TX | 5'8" | 185 | Navy, Army, Ivys |
| 12 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | RB | Cameron Myers | Plant City, FL | 6'1" | 175 | South Florida — 5 FBS offers |
| 13 | INCARNATE WORD | DE | Kelechi Anyalebechi | Pearland, TX | 5'11" | 235 | Toledo – 9 total offers |
| 14 | NORTHWESTERN ST. | LB | Jalen Angelle | Lafayette, LA | 6'1" | 205 | La-Lafayette – 4 offers |
| 15 | MCNEESE | DB | Jordan Bullard | Houston, TX | 6'2" | 170 | UTSA, New Mexico – 8 total offers |
| 16 | STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | TE | Barclay Ford | Forney, TX | 6'3" | 225 | 7 FCS offers |
| 17 | HOUSTON BAPTIST | OL | Parker Cupp | Cedar Hill, TX | 6'3" | 285 | Southern Miss, 6 total offers |
| 18 | NORTHWESTERN ST. | LB | Jomard Valsin | Port Arthur, TX | 6'2" | 240 | New Mexico State – 7 total offers |
| 19 | ABILENE CHRISTIAN | WR | Javorian Miller | Odessa, TX | 6'2" | 190 | 6 FBS offers |
| 20 | HOUSTON BAPTIST | WR | Vernon Harrell | Missouri City, TX | 6'4" | 200 | Brigham Young, Army |
| 21 | LAMAR | DL | Hunter Adams | Houston, TX | 6'1" | 280 | Air Force – 5 total offers |
| 22 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | LB | Demauryon Holmes | Mansfield, TX | 6'2" | 200 | 3 FBS offers, 10 total |
| 23 | STEPHEN F. AUSTIN | DB | Daryan Williams | Nacogdoches, TX | 5'11" | 200 | Tulane, Texas State |
| 24 | SE LOUISIANA | DE | Joshua Carr | Houston, TX | 6'3" | 210 | Tulane, La-Monroe, SE Louisiana |
| 25 | MCNEESE | LB | Tahj Samuel | Ruston, LA | 5'11" | 235 | Navy – 8 offers |
| 26 | LAMAR | QB | Marcellus Johnson | Killeen, TX | 6'3" | 200 | La-Monroe |
| 27 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | DE | Logan Jessup | Wynne, AR | 6'3" | 255 | 3 FBS offers, 7 total |
| 28 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | DT | Jon Campbell | Spring, TX | 6'1" | 285 | Air Force, Army – 8 total offers |
| 29 | CENTRAL ARKANSAS | QB | Besean McCray | Orlando, FL | 6'0" | 170 | Kent St., Ga. Southern, UAB |
| 30 | SAM HOUSTON STATE | OL | Peyton Fifield | The Woodlands, TX | 6'4" | 260 | Texas State decommit – 6 FBS offers |
