Alabama coach Nick Saban helped the Crimson Tide reel in yet another No. 1 recruiting class, a reign of dominance that’s almost as impressive as the school’s success on the field. Alabama, however, has company at the top of the recruiting world. Georgia, USC, Michigan and Ohio State were among the challengers with elite classes this season, and Clemson is still the defending national champion.
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How did the Power 5 conferences stack up? Here’s a look at the biggest Signing Day winners and losers:
SEC winner: Alabama, Georgia
Saban did it again, and his protégé has been taking a few good notes. Alabama — buoyed by early enrollees Tua Tagovailoa and Najee Harris — reeled in its seventh consecutive No. 1 class according to 247Sports.com. It’s an amazing run. Where is the challenge going to come from? Perhaps from Georgia, which had a top-five class across the board under second-year coach Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs will build around five-star safety Richard LeCounte III, an in-state product, and Isaiah Wilson, a massive, 350-pound tackle from Poly Prep in Brooklyn, N.Y. Jacob Eason probably didn’t argue with that signing.
SEC loser: Tennessee
After hauling in back-to-back top-10 classes in 2014 and ‘15, the Volunteers have slid back the last two seasons, falling to No. 17 in the 24Sports’ Composite rankings this year. That might not seem like a big deal, but it’s seventh among SEC schools and behind division rivals Georgia and Florida, which are perennial top-10 contenders on the recruiting trail. The Volunteers did grab five-star tackle Trey Smith, but it’s a class heavy on three-star recruits. Butch Jones is going to have to make that work.
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ACC winner: Florida State
The Seminoles reeled in the biggest uncommitted prospect of the day with the addition of five-star defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, and he goes well with five-star running back and early enrollee Cam Akers. While defending national champion Clemson ranked anywhere between No. 16-26 across the major recruiting sites, the Seminoles pulled in another top-10 class. That’s more proof that Florida State will continue to compete under Jimbo Fisher. The Seminoles could be ranked as high as No. 2 to start 2017.
ACC loser: Louisville
Louisville is the third contender in that ACC Atlantic race, but the Cardinals weren’t the in-state school who created a buzz on signing day. Kentucky, which brought in four four-star recruits — including three from Ohio — created the buzz. The Cardinals proved they can compete for a division championship and will have a chance next year with Heisman Trophy quarterback Lamar Jackson. But at some point they’ll have to pile on the recruits to keep up with Clemson and Florida State.
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Big Ten winners: Ohio State, Michigan and …
Ohio State and Michigan are expected at this point. Urban Meyer capped off the Buckeyes’ best class since his arrival, and Jim Harbaugh added five-star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon to the mix. Perhaps the biggest development, however, is Maryland. The Terrapins, under second-year coach D.J. Durkin, pieced together a top-20 class heavy on recruits from Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey. That’s a great recruiting area, and Durkin clearly learned some lessons from his time as an assistant under Meyer and Harbaugh.
Big Ten loser: Michigan State
Michigan State is coming off a 3-9 season, and the day didn’t get off to a good start with news that a recruit spent signing day in jail. The Spartans finished No. 34 according to 247Sports.com’s rankings, a 17-spot drop after making the College Football Playoff in 2015. Mark Dantonio has made a living off of developing under-recruited classes — he’s outstanding at it — but that also was when Michigan and Penn State were down. The Wolverines and Nittany Lions are back on the up, so the challenge for the Spartans might be on the recruiting trail in 2017. Two recruits to build around with that patented “chip on the shoulder” attitude might be Ann Arbor products Hunter Rison and Antjuan Simmons.
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Big 12 winner: Oklahoma
The Sooners carried the flag for the Big 12 with another top-10 class that ranked No. 8 according to 247Sports’ Composite. Oklahoma has won back-to-back Big 12 championships, and that brand Bob Stoops has created helped him reel in 18 four-star recruits. That will go well in adding some of the depth lost from this year’s team, and should give Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield more to work with in 2017.
Big 12 loser: Rest of Big 12
Where is the elite talent? According to the 247Sports rankings, the Big 12 did not land one five-star recruit. Oklahoma was the only class in the Top 25. Texas — ranked No. 26 — will find its footing under first-year coach Tom Herman, but this is a conference that has missed the College Football Playoff two of the last three seasons. Texas Tech commit Jack Anderson, a four-star guard, was the only top-10 prospect in the state of Texas committed to play in the Big 12. Ohio State and LSU grabbed half of the top 10 in the state. That’s something Big 12 coaches must address.
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Pac-12 winner: USC, Stanford
USC piled on the talent to a team that will have sky-high expectations next season. Five-star running back Stephen Carr and receiver Joseph Lewis add playmakers to an offense that already features Heisman Trophy candidate Sam Darnold, and defensive tackle Jay Tufele was a welcome addition on signing day. Stanford, meanwhile, gets to work with five-star quarterback Davis Mills, the top pro-style passer according to 247Sports, and five-star tackles Foster Sarell and Walker Little.
Pac-12 loser: Oregon, Washington
To be fair, neither Oregon nor Washington has relied on big-time recruiting classes to win in the Pac-12. Chris Petersen has been a systems-and-processes guy since his days at Boise State, and first-year coach Willie Taggart didn’t have much time after being hired to replace Mark Helfrich. Still, USC piled on the talent with a top-five class and Stanford brought in an impressive haul. We’ll see how long this system can work for the Ducks and Huskies.
