6 College Football Recruiting Storylines to Watch for in 2016

Coaches across the country have turned the page on the 2015 class and are anxiously pursuing top prospects in the 2016 class.

A handful of early storylines have already developed with regards to the nation’s top rising senior prospects. Can Alabama maintain its perch atop the recruiting rankings for an unprecedented sixth straight year? How will Florida’s Jim McElwain and Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh fare in their first full recruiting cycle?

Those are just a couple of intriguing nuggets to monitor in the months to come.

What are the primary college football recruiting storylines to follow for the 2016 class?

6. Which Team Will Surprise in 2016?

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Last year, schools such as Tennessee and UCLA (more on the Bruins in a moment) were among the surprise schools that cracked the top 15 in the 247Sports team rankings.

Which school is in an early position to pull that feat off this year?

TCU, which currently has the No. 7 class in the 2016 rankings, is in position to capitalize on its breakout 2014 season. With the Horned Frogs expected to compete for a spot in the playoff this fall, Gary Patterson and his staff will have a ton of momentum to build upon on the recruiting trail.

5. How Will Florida and Michigan Fare?

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Florida and Michigan are both recruiting juggernauts that had to patch together the best class possible in the 2015 cycle due to their respective coaching changes.

Both McElwain and Harbaugh will now look to hit a home run in the 2016 cycle.

It’s still early, and Florida has one commitment, while Michigan has two pledges in the 2016 class. However, both schools have been very active in handing out offers, and the increased activity is just the start of what both schools hope is the return toward the top of the recruiting rankings.

4. Can Miami Capitalize on Fast Start?

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The early leader in the clubhouse for 2016’s top class is Al Golden’s Miami Hurricanes.

The Canes have a whopping 13 commitments already—including eight 4-star players hailing from the Sunshine State.

If Miami enjoys a strong season on the field in 2015, the Canes have a great shot to remain near the top of the rankings and continue their hot start with in-state prospects. However, if they endure another season with five or more losses, can they keep talented players such as 4-star receiver Sam Bruce and 4-star linebacker Shaquille Quarterman?

Given that the Miami program has endured some rough years recently, this class has the potential to get the Canes back on the right track and help them compete for titles in the ACC.

3. Will UCLA Keep Its Momentum?

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Perhaps the biggest surprise on national signing day was the surge made by Jim Mora and the UCLA Bruins. The Bruins landed a trio of 5-star prospects in the 2015 cycle, and they are coming off back-to-back 10-3 seasons—which has optimism surrounding the program at its highest point since the late 90s.

Oregon has been the top dog in the Pac-12 recently, and rival USC is seemingly headed back toward prominence after landing the No. 2 class overall in 2015. 

If the Bruins hope to build an annual contender in the Pac-12, following up with a strong class in 2016 is a must.

2. Ohio State Aiming for Top Spot

Urban Meyer’s prowess as a recruiter has never been in question. Coming off a national title, he has Ohio State primed to pull in a potentially epic 2016 class.

The Buckeyes already have six commitments, headlined by the nation’s top running back—5-star New Jersey native Kareem Walker.

Top targets like 5-star defensive tackle Rashan Gary, 5-star defensive end Nick Bosa and 4-star running back Demario McCall are among the elite prospects who could end up in Columbus.

1. Will Alabama Be No. 1 Again?

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Meyer got the best of Nick Saban en route to winning his third national title. But can he end the Tide’s supremacy in the month of February?

Alabama has only three pledges in its 2016 class thus far. However, two of those—5-star athlete Shyheim Carter and 4-star athlete Demetris Robertson—rank among the nation’s top 40 prospects overall in the 2016 cycle.

The Tide have a host of elite prospects that they are heavily involved with, such as 5-star defensive end Shavar Manuel and 5-star in-state linebackers Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson.

While teams like Florida State, Ohio State and USC will once again try to topple the Tide, Saban and his staff have laid the groundwork necessary to put Alabama in position to continue its streak of signing top-rated recruiting classes.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani