It's that time of year again — signing day.

This Wednesday, Nov. 8, marks the first day of the early signing period for prospective student-athletes to sign their National Letters of Intent (NLI) to the schools of their choice.

Signing day is significant not only for the high schoolers scribbling their John Hancock on a few sheets of paper but also for everyone who has made an impact on their journey — parents, coaches, and teammates, among many others.

Thus, the FloSwimming crew decided to whip up a top 10 recruiting rankings list for the class of 2022.

Note: There were several factors that went into deciding this list. First and foremost, we valued depth above all else — the number of top recruits a school has committed. In NCAA swimming, depth kills. Secondly, we valued the swimmer's best times. Numbers don't lie — plain and simple. Lastly, we valued where and how they would plug holes for a team's loss in graduating seniors.

1.) Stanford

Key 2018 Losses: Simone Manuel, Janet Hu, Ally Howe, & Lindsey Engel

Rationale

Anytime a team loses a combined 19 NCAA titles in a single year, one would imagine they have some serious rebuilding to do. Not Stanford. Greg Meehan filled all of the holes he needed to with the 2018 class. Lose Simone Manuel? Gain five (5) 22-mid to 22-low sprint freestylers. Lose 100 fly/100 back superstar Janet Hu? Gain a pair of 52 100 backstrokers and and 52 100 flier. Need a breaststroker? No problem, you get two sub-1:00 and sub-2:10 talents.

The dynasty being built in Palo Alto, CA, is extraordinarily impressive. The Cardinal's No. 1 recruit, Taylor Ruck, already has a pair of Olympic medals to her name. All in all, incoming Stanford freshmen amassed 14 medals at this past summer's FINA World Junior Championships in Indianapolis. There's no debate Stanford has the No. 1 recruiting class.

2.) Georgia

Key 2018 Losses: Chelsea Britt, Megan Kingsley, Stephanie Peters, Meaghan Raab, & Kylie Stewart

Rationale

Georgia might be preparing to lose some big-time NCAA scorers, but the Bulldogs are gaining more than adequate replacements. Just about every single incoming freshman has already posted times that would qualify for NCAAs.

This class has the markings of a Jack Bauerle team — versatility and mid-D specialists who are capable of swimming down to the 50/100 for relay purposes. Eva Merrell might be UGA's No. 1 recruit, but Dakota Luther is coming off a huge summer qualifying for the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

3.) Texas

Key 2018 Losses: Rebecca Millard

Rationale

Head coach Carol Capitani is doing big things in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns' biggest upcoming loss is 21/47 freestyler Rebecca Millard. But, what's the best thing that can happen when a team loses a talent like that? Grab commitments from two swimmers who are capable of picking up the slack. Julia Cook has already been 22.3 and 48.4. Grace Ariola has already been 22.2 and 48.9. As long as Capitani can continue to develop talent at an increasing rate, this Texas team will continue to fight for top three finishes at NCAAs.

4.) Cal

Key 2018 Losses: Valerie Hull, Maija Roses, & Noemie Thomas

Rationale

The biggest upcoming loss for Teri McKeever's squad is certainly Noemie Thomas. At NCAAs last year, Thomas was fifth in the 100 fly, 10th in the 200 fly, and a major key on Cal's relays. The good news for the Golden Bears? They pick up Cassidy Bayer and Elise Garcia — two studs who have both been 52 in the 100 fly and 1:55 and 1:56, respectively, in the 200. Not to be forgotten, Kathleen Baker picks up a serious training partner in 1:52 backstroker Alex Sumner.

5.) NC State

Key 2018 Losses: Krista Duffield & Hannah Moore

Rationale

The Wolfpack might be losing dominant distance ace Hannah Moore and relay staple Krista Duffield, but they are picking up some huge pieces to the puzzle.

After losing Kayla Brumbaum in 2017, Braden Holloway is gaining Swedish Olympian Sophie Hansson. She does not have any short course yards experience, but she has already been 1:07 in the 100m breast long course, thus making her a big favorite for that second leg on the NC State medley relays. On top of that, the Wolfpack pick up two extremely versatile studs in Emma Muzzy and Kylee Lyons.

6.) Florida

Key 2018 Losses: Amelia Maughan

Rationale

The Florida women have struggled recently — failing to score even a single point at NCAAs in 2017. The Gators' only upcoming loss is Amelia Maughan, who anchored UF's 21st-place 800 freestyle relay.

The focus here for head coach Gregg Troy is potential moving forward. The ace in the deck is certainly Vanessa Pearl, who can throw down a 1:00 low 100 breast and has range up to a 4:06 400 IM. Throw a 2:08 200 breast in there and Pearl is almost certain to score at NCAAs in her freshman year. Florida also gets distance stud Leah Braswell and a pair international swimmers in Mabel Zavaros and Layla Black who can contribute immediately.

7.) Virginia

Key 2018 Losses: Caitlin Cooper, Jen Marrkand, & Dina Rommel

Rationale

In Todd DeSorbo's first season as head coach in Charlottesville, VA, he made a huge push on the recruiting trail. The gem of his class is certainly Julia Menkhaus — a versatile swimmer who can practically swim anything between 100 and 400 yards at an elite level.

While the Hoos plan to lose NCAA scorers Jen Marrkand, Caitlin Cooper, and Dina Rommel, they stand to gain quality recruits in Menkhaus, butterfly stud Jessie Nava, breaststroker Kaki Christensen, and versatile Sophie Skinner. Not too bad for only a couple months of work from the UVA coaching staff.

8.) Texas A&M

Key 2018 Losses: Lisa Bratton, Jorie Caneta, Bethany Galat, Beryl Gastaldello, Esther Gonzalez, & Kristin Malone

Rationale

Steve Bultman and the Aggies get absolutely crushed by graduation in 2018. All six of the women on the list above are NCAA scorers — both individually and on relays. Three of the four legs from their runner-up 200 and 400 medley relays in 2017 graduate in 2018. On an individual basis, the six combined for nine appearances in NCAA finals last season.

But not all hope is lost for Texas A&M next year. The Aggies pick up a pair of swimmers in Gabrielle Kopinski and Kylie Powers who are capable of scoring at NCAAs in their freshman year in multiple events. If she can make improvements, Emma Carlton will be a relay threat as well. 

9.) Tennessee

Key 2018 Losses: Micah Bohon & Alex Cleveland

Rationale

The Vols will lose NCAA relay scorer Alex Cleveland and lead backstroker Micah Bohon, but they gain valuable pieces to the puzzle as well. It's evident that head coach Matt Kredich put emphasis on the 50/100/200 freestyle for his 2018 recruits, as he picked up a pair of 23 low/49/1:47 freestylers in Trude Rothrock and Hannah Foster. On top of that, Tennessee snagged three swimmers 2:00 and under in the 200 IM.

While these recruits don't have a ton of flash on the surface, they do have a well-rounded foundation. These are the types of swimmers who can improve and take off quickly in the right environment.

10.) Indiana

Key 2018 Losses: Kennedy Goss, Delaney Barnard, Ali Rockett, & Holly Spears

Rationale

Indiana's biggest loss to prepare for is certainly Kennedy Goss. Goss finished third behind Katie Ledecky and Leah Smith in the 500 last season and fifth in the 200 backstroke. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, head coach Ray Looze picks up Christin Rockway — a 4:46 500 freestyler and 4:12 400 — who can pick up slack quickly.

A major priority for Indiana was to find a go-to anchor for their relays. Heading into the anchor leg, the Hoosiers were in a position to win both medley relays at NCAAs in 2017. However, they did not have that "go-to" anchor. Holly Spears did an admirable job but just didn't have the juice to lay down a 21 or 46/47 low. In order to remedy that, Looze picked up Morgan Scott and Julia Wolf — both 22/49 freestylers. They aren't ready for the big show just yet but have the potential with proper development.