In the 100 days leading up to signing day 2015, RecruitingNation will be looking back at our ESPN recruiting rankings from 2006 to the present and counting down the best player of the past 10 years at each ranking position, No. 100 to No. 1.

Jaylon Smith, No. 7 in 2013 class

Smith was the most heavily recruited linebacker in the country in the 2013 class coming out Bishop Luers High in Fort Wayne, Indiana. While his brother Rod Smith was a running back at Ohio State, Smith was more partial to in-state schools and chose Notre Dame in June 2012. He headlined a Fighting Irish class that included Tarean Folston, Max Redfield, Cole Luke, William Fuller and several others, including current UCLA defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes, who was released from his letter of intent.

Smith was a star from Day 1 in South Bend. He started all 13 games at outside linebacker as a freshman in 2013, making 67 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one interception, earning several Freshman All-America honors following the season. His 67 tackles were the third most ever by a freshman by a Notre Dame player.

If Smith’s freshman campaign wasn’t impressive enough, his sophomore season in 2014 could be tabbed as dominant. In 13 starts, he made a team-leading 112 tackles with nine tackles for loss, seven quarterback hurries and 3.5 sacks, earning AP second-team All-America honors.

Headed into his junior season, he is virtual lock to be on every major All-America preseason list, as well as several preseason college football awards lists.

He’s already considered a near-lock to be a first-round selection in the 2016 NFL draft.

Honorable mention: Robert Woods, No. 7 in 2010 class. Woods picked USC coming out of Junipero Serra High in Los Angeles. After an All-Pac-12 and All-America three-year career for the Trojans, Woods entered the 2013 NFL draft and was selected in the second round (No. 41 overall) by the Buffalo Bills. He has 105 catches and eight touchdowns in two seasons.