Nov 30, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; A detail view of a Texas Longhorns helmet on the sideline during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns defeated the Aggies 17-7 at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Take 5: Contenders flex, Tennessee State makes mark, is Florida … back?

College football’s ecosystem has undergone radical transformations since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic, not the least of which are the changes to recruiting.

The February National Signing Day already lost some of its significance as a major tentpole of the college football calendar. The introduction of the December early signing period began in 2017. Post-pandemic, relaxed transfer rules have placed a heightened premium on landing experienced playmakers who can make an immediate impact.

And then there’s the role Name Image Likeness (NIL) plays in wooing recruits.

Even with the metamorphosis of recruiting, plenty remains as it was years before: There is still a direct correlation between contending for a national title and the quality of recruiting classes signed — and retained. Many of the top-ranked recruits who signed before 2021 are still at the same school in 2024.

–Winning on the trail, winning on the field

Pointing out the correlation between acquiring talent and winning games is hardly revelatory.

Still, this year’s early-signing period reinforces that the connection is as strong as ever, even with the transfer portal sucking up some of the oxygen once reserved for the recruiting of freshmen.

To wit, 247Sports’ top five-ranked classes as Wednesday began to wind down were all teams currently in line for College Football Playoff berths.
1. Texas (Playoff No. 2)
2. Georgia (No. 5)
3. Alabama (No. 11)
4. Oregon (No. 1)
5. Ohio State (No. 6)

There’s an obvious throughline from recruiting to results.

But this can also work in reverse: Wins come first and thus attract recruits.

Take SMU, another team heading into Championship Week with a clear pathway to the playoff.

The Mustangs have the No. 30-ranked recruiting class commensurate with their upcoming appearance in the ACC championship game. That marks a new program-best under coach Rhett Lashlee, who was given another advantage in recruiting with a long-term contract extension this year.

UNLV, which is playing for the Mountain West Conference championship and at No. 20 in the playoff rankings, very much alive for a spot in the postseason, has the No. 73-ranked 2025 recruiting class. That may not seem impressive, until one considers that Barry Odom’s first Rebels signing class ranked No. 132.

Winning begets more winning, and the route to creating this kind of self-sustained success built on the recruiting trail is more feasible with the advent of the new transfer portal.

–Budding Big Ten rivalry between Oregon and Ohio State reaches the recruiting trail

Michigan and Washington will always be the true rivals to Big Ten Conference counterparts Ohio State and Oregon. However, as two of the most consistently successful programs of the 21st century and two of the most high-profile members of the new-look Big Ten, the Buckeyes and Ducks make for intriguing competitors of a different sort.

A 32-31 classic for league supremacy in October set the scene for a heated competition that extended to National Signing Day. Dan Lanning’s Oregon staff flipped 5-star cornerback Na’eem Offord (Parker High School, Birmingham, Ala.) after a 10-month verbal commitment to Ohio State, scoring the Ducks their second major win over the Buckeyes in 2024.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Offord is ranked the nation’s No. 2 cornerback prospect by 247Sports and No. 12 overall. His in-conference flip gave Oregon its second five-star pledge, joining No. 8-ranked overall prospect and wide receiver Dakorien Moore from Duncanville, Texas.

Don’t shed any tears for Ryan Day and his Ohio State staff, though: The Buckeyes signed a pair of top-five recruits in quarterback Tavien St. Clair (Bellefontaine, Ohio) and cornerback Devin Sanchez (North Shore High School/Houston).

–Can Billy Napier and Matt Rhule parlay strong National Signing Days into restored glory for Florida and Nebraska?

Late-season wins over LSU, Ole Miss and a rout of in-state rival Florida State has Florida football on an upward trajectory. Coach Billy Napier and his staff continued the positive momentum on signing day with a class ranked No. 10 overall and headlined by Sunshine State blue-chippers.

Of the Gators’ four most highly rated signees, three come from Florida: wide receiver Vernell Brown III (Jones High School/Orlando); cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. (Booker T. Washington High School/Miami); and safety Hylton Stubbs (Mandarin High School/Jacksonville).

Signing three of the state’s top 10 prospects adds symbolic value of the Gators maintaining a strong presence in critical recruiting territory, despite a lean stretch for the program overall.

Nebraska similarly capped its 2024 regular season with some positive direction, securing the program’s first bowl in eight years. That’s a small step for a program with national championship aspirations, but attracting the second top 20-ranked recruiting class in as many years under coach Matt Rhule bodes well for the Cornhuskers taking longer strides in the immediate future.

Recruiting effectively at a place like Nebraska isn’t the easiest task, contributing to some of the longtime powerhouse’s modern-day struggles. Rhule’s staff addressing the lack of a deep local talent pool by casting a wide geographic net, evident in the class’s six 4-star prospects coming from six different states:
–Linebacker Dawson Merritt (Blue Valley High School/Stillwell, Kansas)
–Wide receiver Cortez Mills (Homestead (Florida) High School)
–Defensive lineman Malcolm Simpson (Hitchcock (Texas) High School)
–Linebacker Christian Jones (Westside Omaha (Nebraska) High School)
–Wide receiver Isaiah Mozee (Lee’s Summit North (Missouri) High School)
–Offensive lineman Shawn Hammerbeck (Winner (South Dakota) High School)

Even with the additions of Pac-12 refugees Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington, there’s enough room for upward mobility in the Big Ten for Nebraska to move into contention quickly on the strength of Rhule’s initial recruiting classes.

–Former Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George continues to quietly do big things at Tennessee State

Hidden away among the national recruiting class rankings is one of the most intriguing, albeit under-the-radar stories continuing to brew in college football: 1995 Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL All-Pro running back Eddie George has steadily built up Tennessee State in the Championship Subdivision ranks, and appears poised to continue doing so.

Tennessee State’s initial 2025 signing class is among the most highly ranked among FCS programs, featuring a pair of 3-star prospects cornerback Chase Sutton and offensive lineman Parker Harden. Each garnered noteworthy FBS interest — Sutton from currently Top 25-ranked Memphis and Harden from Big 12 Conference members Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Their choosing Tennessee State builds on an impressive couple of seasons for the Tigers under George’s direction. Terrell Allen won the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS, and this season, the Tigers made their first playoff appearance since 2013.

Expect George to garner more attention in 2025 as Tennessee State builds toward FCS contention.

–Big money, hazy details

NIL is at the heart of the biggest changes to the recruiting landscape while a lack of oversight from the NCAA — or any regulatory body, really — and a resulting lack of clear details remains frustrating.

Professional sports leagues have clearly outlined contracts. Paul Skenes signing a $9.2 million rookie deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates is pretty well understood, for example. But college football’s incoming “rookie” class comes with a ton of speculation and uncertainty.

For example, top-ranked Michigan recruit and quarterback Bryce Underwood, a longtime LSU verbal commit, followed through on his flip to the Wolverines. A product of Belleville, Mich., the local standout gave an interview to Bally Sports while at Tuesday’s Detroit Pistons-Milwaukee Bucks game.

Underwood offered a cryptic answer about making “a business decision.” On3.com reported last month that Michigan’s NIL collective was planning to offer $10.5 million to the five-star quarterback.

The clandestine nature of NIL deals makes navigating the recruiting waters more difficult than it’s ever been. How realistic that number is, we can’t say definitively — but it is fair to say that makes the Pirates’ $9.2 million spent on the National League Rookie of the Year Skenes look downright bargain-basement in comparison.

–Kyle Kensing, Field Level Media

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian flashes the hook em sign as he is interviewed during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Stars align as SEC dominates Signing Day again

College football recruiting typically favors the Southeastern Conference, but National Signing Day on Wednesday turned into pure domination.

Texas, Georgia and Alabama claimed the top three spots in the Class of 2025 rankings according to most recognized services with a total of eight SEC teams in the top 11 at 247Sports.

Spearheaded by one of its newest members, the conference’s stranglehold on the recruiting trail was evident in the stars.

Here are some of the highlights of the early signing period classes around the SEC:

Texas
As of Wednesday afternoon, it was the Longhorns crowned with the nation’s top incoming class.

Unsurprisingly, coach Steve Sarkisian dove into the state’s hotbed of talent in the midst of what appears to be a second consecutive CFP appearance.

On3 credited Texas’ signing of No. 1 athlete Michael Terry III (Alamo High School in San Antonio) for pushing the Longhorns to the top of the ’25 rankings.

“I decided a couple of days ago. Me and my family, we were debating Nebraska and Texas,” Terry said at his announcement ceremony. “We were debating pros and cons. I just want to go somewhere where I can show my best side.”

Texas also signed the eighth-ranked overall player in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports composite, Jonah Williams, a Galveston native ranked the No. 1 safety in the class.

Georgia
Not far behind the Longhorns in the 247Sports composite rankings is the Longhorns’ opponent in this week’s SEC Championship Game. Georgia is also taking advantage of the wealth of high school talent in its state. Pledging their commitments to stay home were a pair of five-star recruits: defensive lineman Elijah Griffin from Savannah, Ga., and linebacker Zayden Walker, a native of Ellaville.

Smart had one big defection in Lee County running back Ousmane Kromah, a four-star recruit who flipped to Florida State on Thursday. Georgia was left with only one signing at the position.

Alabama
With his first regular season in the books in Tuscaloosa, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has the Crimson Tide’s ‘25 class ranked third in the nation.

DeBoer’s incoming group is highlighted by the No. 2 overall player in the country, five-star quarterback Keelon Russell, of Duncanville, Texas. Current Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has the option to return for a fifth year in 2025, but if he decides to enter the NFL draft, Russell looks to be the next name to know under center for the Tide.

DeBoer said Wednesday that not letting Russell land elsewhere helped his first recruiting class stay together.

“There’s a swagger about him, a confidence about him,” DeBoer said.

Auburn
Head coach Hugh Freeze argued Wednesday that he “won the state” with nine of the 11 top-ranked recruits in Alabama ticketed for Auburn.

When the 2025 season rolls around, it will have been five years since the Auburn Tigers have produced a winning record and seven years since they won a bowl game.

Off the field, the Auburn haul was hailed as a certain victory. Then again, the 2024 class was ranked No. 10.

Ranked sixth overall this year, the Tigers found talent all across the roster. The headliner is the No. 2-ranked edge in the country, Jared Smith of Alabaster (Ala.).

Texas A&M
If the Aggies have found their quarterback of the future in sophomore Marcel Reed, their top incoming recruits will go a long way in Reed’s success.

The No. 6-ranked offensive lineman nationally, Lamont Rogers will arrive in College Station, not Missouri as originally planned, with one goal: Keeping his quarterback upright. Head coach Mike Elko also found a five-star wide receiver to catch the ball from Reed.

That receiver, Jerome Myles, was committed to Southern Cal but said A&M was an easy flip for him because of the Aggies’ persistence in staying connected with him throughout the process.

“I think this class is going to lay a phenomenal foundation for where we want Texas A&M football to go,” Elko said.

While the Aggies reeled in Myles, they weren’t able to secure five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet. The Californian instead signed with Southern Cal.

LSU
It was a wacky Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

Head coach Brian Kelly let off some steam in the wake of the Tigers losing No. 1 ranked overall recruit and top quarterback Bryce Underwood. The Michigan native flipped to the Wolverines last week with a reported $10 million NIL agreement.

An important consolation for LSU, head coach Brian Kelly gained a commitment from the class’ No. 1 running back in Harlem Berry and third-ranked overall cornerback DJ Pickett, enough for most programs to rejoice.

Kelly said many coveted high school players aren’t seeking the best fit but the biggest paycheck to commit.

“It’s not just about finding the right fit, it’s about the most money I can get,” Kelly said. “That’s unfortunate, but it’s the world we live in. You realign and readjust.”

Florida
Since the Gators made public their commitment to bring back head coach Billy Napier, he’s had one heck of a month.

Florida won three consecutive games, locked in the No. 11 recruiting class and found playmakers at almost every position of need.

That includes Vernell Brown III, the nation’s sixth-ranked wide receiver, and former FSU commit Tramell Jones Jr., a four-star QB out of Mandarin High School in Jacksonville.

Tennessee
Despite verbally committing to the Volunteers in August, No. 1 OT David Sanders didn’t sign on Wednesday’s signing day. However, the No. 10 class did nab the No. 13 defensive lineman, Mariyon Dye, and the 10th-ranked quarterback in the class.

Brentwood Academy four-star quarterback George MacIntyre not only signed, he’s ready to enroll and be part of Tennessee’s pre-playoff postseason practices.

Ole Miss
The Rebels boasted the No. 14 class in the country and stayed in-state for its top guy, five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham.

Cunningham was the top-ranked player in Mississippi and he’ll team with another coveted wideout, four-star Winston Watkins Jr.

Oklahoma
For what the Sooners’ incoming class lacks in size (18 total commits), it makes up for in potential. Oklahoma’s top newcomer, five-star offensive lineman Michael Fasusi, is the program’s 10th-highest all-time recruit.

Fasusi did make OU sweat.

He took a Thanksgiving week trip to Texas and on Nov. 30 was at Texas A&M before sticking with his commitment to the Sooners in a sea of 30-plus offers.

“Belief and trust is who I am as a person,” Fasusi said of his pick Wednesday. “From the beginning until the end of this process, Oklahoma has been there for me and my family. I want to stick with that type of program.”

The younger brother of Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is coming to campus, too. Maliek Hawkins, a consensus top-50 cornerback in the class, also signed with the Sooners.

Missouri
As the Tigers graduate a top-four all-time passing leader in Missouri history, Brady Cook, the program hopes its top recruit can follow in his footsteps, as No. 7 ranked quarterback Matt Zollers contends for a starting role in Columbia.

Four-star defensive end Javion Hilson — ranked No. 42 overall by the 247Sports composite — and running back Marquise Davis, who flipped from Kentucky to the Tigers on Wednesday, helped boost Missouri into the top 25 overall for the fourth time in five years.

South Carolina
As the Gamecocks deal with the disappointment of likely missing out on their closest-ever CFP bid, the program will welcome in the No. 20 recruiting class. Rock Hill, SC., native Malik Clark is the class star, a four-star wide receiver.

The Gamecocks were successful in a bid to reconnect with 2022 commitment Zavion Hardy. A massive defensive lineman (6-foot-6, 280 pounds), he was the top-ranked junior college recruit via East Mississippi Community College.

Kentucky
Owners of the No. 29-rated class, Kentucky cashed in on a pair of homegrown talents, picking up commitments from safety Martels Carter Jr. and edge rusher Javeon Campbell, the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the state, respectively, in the 247Sports composite.

Mississippi State
Head coach Jeff Lebby’s top two in-state targets committed on Wednesday, in Tyshun Willis, an edge rusher from Camden, and KaMario Taylor, a quarterback from Macon. Both are four-star gets for the Bulldogs.

Arkansas
In their 28th-ranked ‘25 class, the Razorbacks signed four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace of Appling County High in Baxley, Ga. He’s the No. 13 linebacker and No. 124 player in the 247Sports composite. Arkansas’ haul also includes Hutchinson Community College offensive lineman Bubba Craig (6-8, 320), a three-star ranked No. 30 in the 247Sports’ junior college rankings.

Vanderbilt
Rounding out the SEC is Vanderbilt, slated as the No. 71 class. The upstart Commodores top get was four-star safety Carson Lawrence of Chattanooga, Tenn.Car

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks mascot The Duck in the middle of the crowd storming the field after the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon snatches blue-chip prospects from Cal, Ohio State

The good times continue for Oregon.

Ranked No. 1 by the College Football Playoff selection committee, the Ducks flipped a pair of blue-chip prospects on Wednesday on the opening day of the early signing period — quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who had been committed to Cal, and Na’eem Offord, a cornerback who spent the past 10 months on Ohio State’s board.

Sagapolutele, the top-ranked player from Hawaii, is listed as the No. 9 quarterback in the nation by the 247Sports composite. He committed to the Golden Bears on July 8 but took official visits to Georgia and Oregon in the interim.

He becomes the second quarterback in Oregon’s 2025 class, joining fellow four-star prospect Akili Smith Jr., who is listed as the No. 15 QB nationally.

Smith’s father played quarterback at Oregon from 1997-98, and the two played at the same high school — Lincoln in San Diego.

Offord, from Parker High School in Birmingham, Ala., is the nation’s No. 2 cornerback, as ranked by the 247Sports composite.

The Ducks signed their three five-star commits Wednesday morning, who include Dakorien Moore from Duncanville, Texas, who is No. 1 wide receiver in the class.

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers cheerleaders carry flags across the field after a touchdown against the Colorado Buffaloes during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Signing Day notebook: Nebraska flips 4-star WR Cortez Mills

Nebraska plucked a prize from old rival Oklahoma on Wednesday, inking wide receiver Cortez Mills on early National Signing Day.

Mills committed to Oklahoma on July 1. He decommitted on Wednesday, then signed with the Cornhuskers. Mills, from Homestead (Fla.), told On3 that the Nebraska recruiting staff didn’t let him forget he was wanted.

“Nebraska never went away,” said Mills, who is ranked No. 15 at wide receiver by the 247Sports composite. “They stayed consistent with me. They showed me that I was a top priority for the program and that they really wanted me. How they stayed consistent and true to who they are was very important in my decision.

“The Nebraska coaches never let their foot off the brake. They recruited me, my mom, my sister, we all had a bond and that love meant something. We made the decision as a family that Nebraska is best for me.”

–Oklahoma pulled off a flip of its own, signing quarterback Jett Nieu, a three-star prospect from Lehi (Utah) High School.

He had been committed to Oklahoma State since Sept. 10. According to 247Sports, it was new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle — with whom Niu has built a relationship during the recruiting process — who lured him to the Sooners.

Niu previously was committed to Appalachian State before flipping to Oklahoma State of the Big 12.

–Four-star running back Anthony Rogers signed with Ohio State, picking the Buckeyes over Georgia. The 247Sports composite ranks Rogers, from Carver High School in Montgomery, Ala., as the No. 9 rusher in the class.

Rogers committed to Alabama in June 2023, then decommitted last month. The 5-foot-9 Rogers took official visits to both Columbus, Ohio, and Athens, Ga., this fall.

“It just feels like the right place for me to develop as an athlete and a man,” he told ESPN of Ohio State. He is one of three running backs to sign with the Buckeyes in this cycle.

–Field Level Media