Ohio State Is Now New No. 1 Recruiting Class, but Will Buckeyes Stay on Top?

It wouldn't be a shocker if the Ohio State fan who wants to be No. 1 in everything—and by everything, I mean everything—gave a thunderous applause when the news broke Monday night of 4-star quarterback Feleipe Franks decommitting from LSU.

Franks' announcement, which he made via Twitter, meant two things. First, it left LSU without a quarterback commit.

And second—probably more important to the Ohio State diehards—the decommitment was just enough to drop LSU from the No. 1 position in the 247Sports team rankings for the 2016 recruiting cycle. 

Say hello to the top spot, Buckeyes—at least for now.

Both Ohio State and LSU have 18 commits as of Tuesday afternoon. The difference in the schools is Ohio State has two more 4-star pledges (12) than LSU.

What does this mean now? Honestly, not much. But because rankings are such a high priority of entertainment during each recruiting cycle, the race for the top spot nationally is something that many people will follow.

And, for Ohio State fans, it's a spot they don't want to relinquish.

Credit: 247Sports.com

With December around the corner, look for more schools to prepare their final recruiting pitches to uncommitted stars and the athletes they feel they can flip before February's signing day. The Buckeyes are hoping to add to a stout class that includes the 5-star defensive end duo of Nick Bosa and Jonathon Cooper. 

Two 4-star players to keep an eye on are safety Brandon Burton and defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson, two players who were on an official visit to Ohio State over the weekend. Burton told Bill Kurelic of 247Sports that the Buckeyes were definitely in the mix. Kurelic also reported that Jackson had a great time in Columbus with his father present.

Dexter Lawrence is a 5-star defensive tackle who could be a great complement to Bosa and Cooper if he ultimately chooses Ohio State. However, he is thought to be leaning toward Florida, Florida State or Clemson. Wide receiver Binjimen Victor is another 5-star player to watch, as he has Ohio State in the mix, along with Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia and others.

Landing any combination of the aforementioned uncommitted players only strengthens Ohio State's class, and it allows it to have a legitimate shot at maintaining the No. 1 team-rankings spot after signing day. You can believe that LSU, Florida State and Alabama will try to land heavy hitters of their own, so look for head coach Urban Meyer and his staff to ramp up on recruiting in the next few weeks.

Alabama has a good shot at pushing from No. 4 to No. 1, as it's a major contender for a few uncommitted athletes, including the nation's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 players in defensive tackle Rashan Gary, offensive tackle Greg Little and Lawrence. Alabama has held the national top spot in team rankings since 2011.

LSU still is in the running, despite losing Franks and dealing with the chatter about Les Miles possibly leaving the program, as ESPN.com's Joe Schad noted. The Tigers are hoping to land Gary and 5-star defensive tackle Shavar Manuel and somehow get Alabama residents and 5-star linebackers Lyndell "Mack" Wilson and Ben Davis out of the state.

Florida State is going hard after Lawrence and Manuel, as well as the 4-star tandem of cornerback Trayvon Mullen and wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers. Offensive tackle Landon Dickerson is another 4-star prospect who could really give the Seminoles a boost, as they currently sit in the third spot of the team rankings.

Maintaining the top spot won't be easy for Ohio State, but it is doable. The next few weeks are key if being on top is a priority for the Buckeyes.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles