College Football Recruiting 2015: Rankings and Analysis of Top Classes

The Alabama Crimson Tide fell short in the College Football Playoff, but Nick Saban's football machine is still tops in the 247Sports college football recruiting rankings. 

The Tide pulled in the most 5-star recruits with six and supplemented that haul with a whopping 14 4-star prospects. Ladies and gentleman, the Tide will still be really good for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps the most highly rated Crimson Tide recruit is wide receiver Calvin Ridley. The 6-foot, 170-pound wideout was the Tide's biggest signee on national signing day. The 5-star Pompano Beach, Florida, native is already 20 years old, so he may not be in Tuscaloosa too long. 

However, his advanced age might help him make more of an immediate impact. That's something Alabama is likely to need considering Amari Cooper is foregoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Ridley needs someone to throw him the ball. Blake Sims was the quarterback last season, but should Ridley be in Tuscaloosa for three years, he might be catching passes from Blake Barnett. The 6'4", 205-pounder from Corona, California, is the second-highest ranked pro-style QB in nation. He enrolled at Alabama back on Jan. 5.

Alabama didn't just bolster its offense. Defensive studs like cornerback Kendall Sheffield and defensive tackle Daron Payne are five-star recruits who should prove to make the Crimson Tide's defense strong in the near future.

Let's take a look at the two other schools with a top-three class in the nation, according to 247Sports' rankings.

School	5-Star Commits	4-Star Commits	3-Star Commits
Alabama	6	14	4
USC	4	14	8
Florida State	4	10	6

Iman Marshall, CB, Highlights USC's Commitments

There was some flirtation with Michigan close to NSD, but when it was all said and done, Marshall did what most expected him to do. He signed with USC.

Hailing from the historic Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach, California, it seemed like a stretch that Marshall would leave Pac-12 country to go to college. As it stands, the 6'1", 190-pound cornerback has a chance to be one of the best cover men in the nation.

He's the crown jewel of a Trojans' recruiting class that should keep Steve Sarkisian's team near the top of the conference for the next two to three years.

Other parts of the defense also got a jolt of talent. Defensive tackle Rasheem Greene is a 5-star prospect from Gardena, California. He weighs just 275 pounds right now, so it might be a year or two before he can play inside, but he projects to be a force in the trenches.

The top offensive prize on USC's board has to be pro-style quarterback Ricky Town. The 6'3", 206-pounder from Ventura, California, has been enrolled since Jan. 18, and he has the look of a player who could become the next great signal-caller in the Trojans' long and storied history at the position.

TJ Gaynor of the Sporting News lauded Town's lower-body mechanics and threw out some lofty comparisons. 

"The feet. Town has fantastic feet for an NFL quarterback, let alone a senior in high school," Gaynor writes. "Conjures up images of a much smaller signal-caller in the Drew Brees or Jeff Garcia mode with his flawless footwork and marvelous mechanics. Always sets his feet precisely prior to delivering the mail."

Trojan Nation is hoping Town delivers plenty of "mail" in his time in Southern California.

Derwin James, Safety, Is Best of Florida State Signees

Defensive backs were the bee's knees for the programs with the highest-rated recruiting classes. James is the key to the Florida State Seminoles' class. The 6'2", 201-pound safety has enormous potential. 

Mike Farrell of Rivals.com said this to Corey Clark of the Tallahassee Democrat: "He's got as high a ceiling as a safety that I've ever seen in my 15 years covering high school football. That's why he's the (No. 5 player) in the nation and the highest-ranked safety we've ever had."

With a prospect like that on the way to the Seminoles' secondary, the defense should have a significant leader to captain that side of the ball.

Another potential standout on defense is Josh Sweat. The 6'5", 240-pound edge-rusher has the look of a player whose presence could make an immediate impact. Both he and James have been enrolled since January.

As it pertains to NSD, the Seminoles' biggest get was Fort Lauderdale's Tarvarus McFadden. The 5-star cornerback turned down efforts to recruit him from the Georgia Bulldogs and decided to stay in Florida. With three defensive studs on the way, the future of the Seminoles' defense looks bright.