College Football

Top 10 Recruiting Classes heading into National Signing Day

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:43 p.m. ET

Fansided, Jerran Anderson/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

National Signing Day is just under a week away. Here are some of the top recruiting classes entering February 1.

The College Football season is officially over, which means coaches are on the recruiting trail. With National Signing Day steadily approaching, teams are rounding out their recruiting classes.

The defending National Champion Clemson Tigers are near the top 10, but the Florida State Seminoles remain the lone ACC team with a top-10 recruiting class. There aren’t many surprises in the top 10 yet, but with teams looking to close out on last-minute targets, we could see some teams jump in late.

The recruiting classes this season were interesting to say the least. The Alabama Crimson Tide attempt to repeat with the No. 1 recruiting class, but as always there’s company. Michigan and Ohio State jockey for the best recruiting class in the Big Ten, while a last-minute flip catapulted the USC Trojans into the top 10.

Overall, the SEC has five teams in the top 10, remaining as one of the top football conferences in the country. Teams still have work to do, but after all, that is why it’s called recruiting.

Here are the top 10 recruiting classes entering National Signing Day.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

10. USC Trojans

The USC Trojans jumped into the top 10 best recruiting classes in 2017 with the flip of defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu from conference-rival Washington to USC. The Trojans have 18 total commitments for their 2017 recruiting class (seven offense, eight defense, three special teams).

So far, they have the best class in the Pac-12 after going 10-3 under Clay Helton in 2016. Their best commit so far is their only 5-star rated prospect, Stephen Carr. Carr is a 6-foot, 202 pound running back out of Fontana, California. He ranks no. 20 overall in this year’s class and is the second overall running back, according to 247 Sports.

Look for the Trojans to challenge the Washington Huskies for the Pac-12 crown this season. Their recruiting class this season shows their growth.

Dec 28, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

9. Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies clock in with the fifth-best recruiting class in the SEC. They’ll need to replace starting quarterback Trevor Knight, who had a stellar season under center. But with the ninth-best recruiting class, the Aggies are showing they can still survive in the tough SEC trenches.

The Aggies welcome 26 commitments (nine early enrollees) in this year’s recruiting class. 14 commits are on the offensive side of the ball, 12 are on defense. Their most coveted recruit is 6-foot-3, 201-pound dual-threat prospect Kellen Mond. Mond is the 108th-rated recruit overall and third overall dual-threat quarterback, according to 247 Sports. He set the single season for touchdown passes (20) and rushing touchdowns (18) at IMG Academy this past season.

Mond enrolled at Texas A&M this past January along with wide receiver commit Jhamon Ausbon, his former teammate at IMG Academy. Ausbon is a 6-foot-3, 217 pound 4-star prospect ranked 75th overall in the nation and 10th by position, according to 247 Sports.

The Aggies will need to replace some key playmakers on both sides of the ball, this recruiting class is a good start in the right direction.

Jan 2, 2017; New Orleans , LA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

8. Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers had some quarterback issues all season before deciding on Sean White in the second half of 2016. But their woes may be over with the arrival of quarterback Jarrett Stidham in this year’s recruiting class.

Stidham, a 6-foot-3 dual-threat quarterback, spent one season at Baylor, starting in three games, before transferring to McClennan Community College. He’s enrolled early at Auburn and will look to have them in prime position next season with their stellar running game.

The Tigers got some upgrades on the offensive line as well with commitments from offensive guard Nick Brahms and offensive tackle Calvin Ashley. Brahms is a 4-star prospect out of Navarre, Florida ranked 162 nationally. Ashley is a 5-star prospect out of Washington D.C. ranked 27th nationally, according to 247 Sports.

With the fourth best recruiting class in the SEC, the Tigers aren’t in terrible shape going forward. They have a total of 23 commitments coming next year; seven on offense, seven on defense and six special teams players.

Dec 31, 2016; Orlando , FL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

7. LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers are starting a new era under head coach Ed Orgeron, but their 8-4 finish in 2016 shows they’re still a decent football team. Offensively, their running backs were stellar (Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice) but they still have a quarterback issue on their hands.

With this year’s recruiting class, the Tigers hope to change things. Early enrollee Lowell Narcisse is a dual-threat quarterback that looks to battle for the starting quarterback position this fall.

Narcisse is rated 266th nationally and the No. 9 rated dual-threat quarterback, according 247 Sports. Along with Narcisse, 5-star safety prospect JaCoby Stevens is also an early enrollee is this year’s recruiting class.

Stevens is rated the 18th player nationally and No. 1 overall safety, according to 247 Sports. Overall, the LSU Tigers have 20 total commitments; 11 on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams. They look to get deeper as a team with this year’s recruiting class, especially on offense. They also earned the commitment of wide receiver Stephen Guidry out of Raymond, Mississippi. Guidry is the No. 1 rated receiver overall, sixth nationally, according to 247 Sports.

Jan 2, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

6. Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners are the lone Big 12 team with a top 10 recruiting class. The return of quarterback Baker Mayfield puts some added pressure on the team to make the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners used this year’s recruiting class to get a lot better on the defensive side of the ball. They welcome three defensive lineman, four linebackers, three cornerbacks and a safety in this year’s class.

Early enrollees Justin Broiles (Oklahoma City) and Levi Draper (Collinsville) look to get an early headstart in the experience department in Norman. Broiles is a 4-star cornerback rated 79th nationally and ninth by position. Draper is a 4-star inside linebacker rated 124th nationally and fourth by position.

Oklahoma will look to replace the running back production of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon as well. They welcome two running backs in this class, Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks. Sermon is an early enrollee ranked 185th nationally and 12th by his position. Brooks ranks 210th nationally and 15th by position.

Dec 30, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

5. Florida State Seminoles

The Florida State Seminoles are the lone ACC team with a top-10 recruiting class despite the Clemson Tigers winning the National Championship. They very well could replace the Tigers next year as a College Football Playoff and their recruiting class is evidence of that.

The commitments of 5-star running backs Cam Akers and Khalan Laborn easily put the Seminoles at the top of the recruiting ranks. Akers is a 5’11, 213-pound prospect out of Clinton, Mississippi. He ranks as the second overall player nationally and first by position.

Laborn is a 5’10 all-purpose back weighing in at 199 pounds out of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He ranks 28th nationally and is the number one rated all-purpose back.

Along with the running backs, quarterback Deondre Francois could have a new target in 6-foot-6 wide receiver prospect Joshua Kaindoh out of IMG Academy. Kaindoh ranks ninth nationally and is the third overall receiver, according to 247 Sports.

The Seminoles got 21 total commitments in this year’s recruiting class overall; 10 on offense, 10 on defense, and a long snapper.

Oct 29, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

4. Michigan Wolverines

The Michigan Wolverines are back in the top 10 this year but still trail conference foe Ohio State for Big Ten conference supremacy.

The Wolverines welcome 26 total commitments in this year’s class. They’ll need to rebuild their offensive line as they lost three lineman. On defense, they lost safety Jabrill Peppers, cornerback Jourdan Lewis, defensive ends Taco Charlton and Chris Wormley.

In order to replace those guys, the Wolverines have earned the commitments of 15 defensive players and 11 offensive players. Their biggest get is Donovan Peoples-Jones. Peoples-Jones is a 5-star prospect out of Detroit ranked 12th nationally and first by position. Look for him to be a key piece on an offense in desperate need of a playmaker in 2017.

Along with Peoples-Jones, the Wolverines welcome a plethora of defensive recruits.

There’s cornerback Ambry Thomas out of Detroit. Thomas ranks 94th nationally and 13th by position, according to 247 Sports. Weak-side defensive end Luiji Vilain is a 4-star prospect out of Alexandria, Virginia. He ranks 56th nationally and fifth by position. And outside linebacker Drew Singleton. Singleton is a 4-star prospect out of Parasmus, New Jersey who ranks 80th nationally and fourth by position.

Look for Michigan to make some more strides on offense this season with this recruiting class. They struggled against good teams last season, going 1-2 against ranked teams in 2016.

Dec 30, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

3. Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs had a down season in 2016 but it didn’t affect their recruiting ability much. They clock in with the second-best recruiting class in the SEC despite going 8-5 in 2016.

The Bulldogs didn’t have the greatest season offensively, but help is on the way. Jake Fromm, a pro-style quarterback, is getting some early reps already. There could be a quarterback battle brewing in Athens this fall. Fromm is the 47th ranked player nationally, third overall quarterback, according to 247 Sports.

Enrolling early with Fromm are wide receiver Jeremiah Holloman and offensive tackle D’Marcus Hayes, two highly-rated offensive prospects. Holloman ranks 125th nationally as a 6-foot-2, 195 pound receiver. Hayes ranks 15th nationally and is the second overall offensive tackle in this year’s recruiting class.

Georgia welcomes 23 total commitments to Athens in 2017. With six offensive lineman incoming, they’re definitely looking to do more than improve their win total next season.

December 31, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Urban Meyer and the Ohio State Buckeyes have some work to do after their 31-0 shutout to Clemson. But with the nation’s second best Orecruiting class, they should be in good shape for 2017.

The Buckeyes welcome 19 total commitments to Columbus for the upcoming season. As their sporadic offense was the main issue all season long, six commitments come on offense.

Quarterback J.T. Barrett will have new targets to throw to with wide receivers Trevon Grimes and Jaylen Harris. Grimes clocks in as the nation’s 39th overall prospect, fifth best receiver in this year’s class. Harris clocks in at 184th in the nation, the 30th overall receiver.

The Buckeyes reloaded at cornerback as well with this year’s recruiting class with five commitments. Two commitments are of the 5-star variety, Jeffrey Okudah and Shaun Wade. Both are early enrollees as well.

Okudah and Wade rank seventh and 17th nationally respectively, rounding out a strong defensive class for Ohio State. They have 11 defensive commitments in their 2017 recruiting class.

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Alabama Crimson Tide are still the best team in the SEC as evidenced by their number one recruiting class. They’ve had the number one recruiting class for the past seven seasons.

The Crimson Tide earned 25 commitments in this year’s recruiting class, five of them are 5-stars. Ohio State is the only other team with commitments from five 5-star prospects.

With 13 commits on offense and nine on defense, the Crimson Tide have reloaded at key positions. They got another dual-threat quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii. Tagovailoa ranks 32nd nationally and is the number one rated dual-threat quarterback in this year’s class.

In addition, Isaiah Buggs, out of Gulf Coast Community College, should strengthen an already stout defensive line. Buggs ranks second nationally at strong-side defensive end among JUCO players at 6-foot-5, 280 pounds. He could contribute right away to an Alabama defense that lost defensive ends Jonathan Allen and Dalvin Tomlinson.

At either rate, look for the Crimson Tide to have a strong team again in 2017. They could be even scarier on offense.