We are days away from the end of the 2018 recruiting cycle, but this year is different than years past. Because of an early signing period that took the majority of FBS recruits off the market, January for college coaches became more about evaluating for the 2019 class than finishing out 2018. At 247Sports, our month has had a similar dual focus.

Today we bring you the updated Top247 for the class of 2019. This is a total reset for the class. We haven’t produced a full overhaul on the ranking since its release following sophomore seasons and there was a lot of work to be done. So the reset also represents a starting point. This month, camps, combines and 7on7s begin in earnest. As our team of analysts hit the road and directs its focus towards the new cycle, we will be making updates and adjustments to this on a weekly and, sometimes, on a daily basis.

A new No. 1

We’re not overthinking it at No. 1. The new title goes to the biggest freak in this class, Zach Harrison out of Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange. In a great year for defensive ends, Harrison separates with his unique frame (6-foot-6, 245 pounds), freakish athleticism (verified 4.62 40-yard-dash, 36-inch vertical), and film to match. He’s still raw and there is a lot of room for growth as a player but we’re happy to bet on someone with those physical traits.

Early in his recruitment, Harrison looks likely to stay in Big Ten country with Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State pacing as his top schools. He has taken visits to Penn State and Ohio State this fall but a national offer list will give him plenty to think about. If you want to read more about our No. 1 player, my colleague Steve Wiltfong went in-depth on Harrison.

California defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was previously No. 1.

The new 5-star prospects

We only added two new names to the five-star ranks in this update, bringing our five-star total up to five. The new additions were IMG Academy defensive end Nolan Smith and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei athlete Bru McCoy.

Smith was a guy that probably could have been added to the five-star tier well before his junior season. He proved himself as a sophomore and in the camp circuit where he was one of the best in attendance at The Opening Finals as an underclassman. He continued that success as a junior when he led IMG Academy in sacks and was second on the team in tackles. He’s committed to Georgia.

While playing on the best team in high school football last fall, Bru McCoy did a little bit of everything. He had 770 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns but we think he may actually be better at linebacker where he had 23 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, McCoy is just a rare athlete that has a ton of positional versatility. McCoy has Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma and Washington among his early favorites.

The new additions

There were 61 new names added to this Top247 list. No new addition debuted higher than Andrew Booth out of Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer. Booth checks in at No. 36 overall as a playmaking defensive back that is emerging as a major priority for Clemson, Georgia and the rest of the SEC.

The second highest debut comes from a Rhode Island native in Xavier Truss out of Bishop Hendrickson. At 6-foot-7, 325 pounds, Truss is massive, looked impressive at the Army Combine in January and has impressive junior tape. Michigan, Penn State and Ohio State have zeroed in on the offensive tackle that arrives in the rankings at No. 63 overall.

At No. 69, Nick Heinrich jumps off the screen on film as a physical, active linebacker. He’s out of Omaha (Neb.) Burke and is actually joined by his teammate, Chris Hickman, an athletic upside tight end on the list.

Out of Louisiana, Ray Parker is another new name on the list as a guy we feel like we’re taking a measured shot on. He plays tight end for his high school in northern Louisiana but as an offensive tackle we feel like the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder has a lot of upside. LSU has already made him a major priority.

LSU hasn’t yet made a priority out of Christian Harris from Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab but we saw enough of him on film and at the Army All-American Combine that we’re comfortable putting him in the Top100 at No. 86. Harris reminds me some of Tyre McCants at USF who has 1,200 yards receiving through three seasons in Tampa. Harris though is actually bigger and has the ability to project to defense too.

Still waiting on the quarterbacks

We are taking our time in determining the pecking order of this quarterback class. Whether it’s competition level, size, productivity or simply lack of early information, this quarterback class has a lot of question marks — especially after the former top arm JT Daniels reclassified to the 2018 class. With that in mind, no quarterback is currently ranked inside the top 80. We’ve given them all room to grow into that elite tier.

As evidence of just how much we are still learning and still shaping our opinion of this quarterback class, among the 13 quarterbacks in our Top247, eight are new additions to the list. Among the top four quarterbacks in the country, three are new Top247 members. The only player mentioned below previously in the Top247 is Gunnell.

The list starts with Sam Howell. His ability as a thrower has garnered offers this winter from the likes of Nebraska, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Georgia and many others. Like a lot of the quarterbacks in this class though, Howell has some size limitations at 6-foot-1.

The No. 2 quarterback has no such size limitations. The upside is definitely there for Taisun Phommachanh to be the top quarterback in this class but we’ve not seen the Connecticut native up close much and given his competition level, his performances in camps this spring and summer will be telling. Already he’s become a high priority for the likes of Michigan, TCU, Maryland and Indiana.

Texas A&M commit Grant Gunnell is a safe bet in this class. Checking in at No. 90, he’s got the size at around 6-foot-6. He’s been incredibly productive, albeit against a low competition level, and he’s gotten all of the major offers that you would expect from a top tier passer. Already in the Army All-American Bowl, he’ll have plenty of opportunity to finish as the nation’s best QB in this class.

Out of California, where video-game offensive numbers are the norm, Jayden Daniels has stepped forward as the name to know. He threw for 5,139 yards and 62 touchdowns to only five interceptions in his junior season. He also rushed for 1,292 yards on the ground. At 6-foot-2, with that kind of production, Daniels has got some serious potential to keep climbing in our rankings. Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Nebraska and Florida State are among the long list of early offers.

Another familiar name added to the rankings was Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of national championship game savior Tua Tagovailoa. The younger Tagovailoa may not have quite the upside of Tua but he’s got some of the same traits. Playing in his first year at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Ala., Taulia threw for over 3,800 yards and 36 touchdowns, earning first team All-State honors in Class 7A and offers from the likes of Alabama, Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Florida and Tennessee.

Other new quarterbacks on the list include Washington commit Dylan Morris and Notre Dame commit Cade McNamara. Both are guys with film worth watching, showcasing big-time confidence in their arm and the ability to throw it from all kinds of different platforms and arm angles.

Like many of the quarterbacks in this class, Morris and McNamara are on the list despite limited size. That’s not the case for Paul Tyson and Ryan Hillinski. Tyson — the great grandson of Bear Bryant — is a big, strong-armed, 6-foot-4 passer that threw for nearly 3,400 yards and 36 touchdowns in his first year as a starter. Hillinski at 6-foot-4, made huge strides as a junior, throwing for nearly 3,800 yards, earning him the coveted No. 247 spot in our rankings. He's the younger brother of Tyler Hillinksi, the late Washington State quarterback.