College Football Recruiting Rankings 2016: Projecting Top Classes and Programs

National titles might be won in January, but the road to those championships begins with national signing day in February. 

There won't be any football games played on Feb. 3, but the decisions made by the best athletes in the class of 2016 will drastically impact the college football landscape for years to come. 

This year's recruiting cycle has brought plenty of intrigue. Alabama—which has won every recruiting title since 2010, per the 247Sports composite rankings—might finally see its reign come to an end. The Tide enter the big day ranked No. 4 in the latest composite rankings from the site. 

Here's a look at the projected composite top 10 when it's all said and done, including each team's current ranking and a look at the teams hoping to be the biggest winners of signing day. 

Rank	School	Current Rank
1	LSU	1
2	Alabama	4
3	Ohio State	2
4	Michigan	6
5	Georgia	9
6	Florida State	3
7	Ole Miss	5
8	Clemson	8
9	Florida	7
10	Notre Dame	10

LSU Tigers

A lot can change on national signing day, but the LSU Tigers are hoping their status as the No. 1 class can remain the same. 

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, the Tigers already have pledges from one 5-star, 17 4-stars and four 3-stars, but they're likely to win big on signing day as well. At least one 5-star is expected to head to Baton Rouge. Ninety-six percent of 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions for cornerback Kristian Fulton out of Metairie, Louisiana, point to LSU being his destination. 

That would give the Tigers one more blue-chipper to go along with an already-stacked class. In fact, it's the astonishing depth of the class that has the Tigers as the prime suspect to dethrone conference rival Alabama as the recruiting champions. 

Jeremy Crabtree of ESPN.com commented on the overall quality of the class if signing day goes well for the Tigers:

Les Miles may have had to finish the season strong to keep his job, but it certainly hasn't affected recruiting. At the very least, the Tigers are looking at a top-three class and should be sitting atop the rankings by the end of the day. 

Alabama Crimson Tide

David Goldman/Associated Press

It might not be time to start dancing on the grave of the Alabama recruiting dynasty quite yet. Yes, the Crimson Tide would have to jump three spots on national signing day for the No. 1 class, but it isn't totally out of the realm of possibility. 

Alabama has just 17 commits coming into the day and has a reputation for being one of the strongest closers in college football. That means there is plenty of time for that ranking to change. 

The fact is the Tide are in the hunt for plenty of big names, including 5-star linebackers Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson. There's enough remaining talent out there that Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee made a case for Bama still finishing with the No. 1 class in the video below:

Wilson is a particularly interesting case because he seems to have developed a strong relationship with now-Georgia head coach Kirby Smart.

“Me and coach Smart, we have a great relationship,” Wilson told Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald. “That really kind of gave them a huge boost in my recruiting. ... [He is] like a father figure to me. I feel like I can talk to him about anything.”

Smart's abilities as a recruiter were once a big factor in Alabama reeling in No. 1 class after No. 1 class. Now, he's taken those skills to Georgia, which is in play for both Davis and Wilson, along with other big-time recruits such as 5-star Mecole Hardman. 

If Smart is able to convince a few blue-chippers to go to Athens on national signing day, he will ultimately be the one who ensured Alabama doesn't repeat as recruiting champions. 

Michigan Wolverines

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

When Jim Harbaugh became the head coach at Michigan, it wasn't as though the program struggled with recruiting. In 2014, the university finished with the No. 20 class in the country. 

However, in Harbaugh's first full recruiting cycle as the head coach, it's clear that the Maize and Blue are going to be a nationally prominent program under his watch. The Wolverines are already in the top 10 and have the capability to wind up in the top five when everyone has signed on the dotted line. 

The fiery head coach has taken a non-traditional path to turning signing day into a big deal. Michigan will live-stream its signing day festivities on the Players' Tribune, which will include appearances from Derek Jeter, Tom Brady and Ric Flair.

However, the grand prize of the entire day will be the decision of the overall No. 1 player, Rashan Gary. The New Jersey defensive tackle is down to Clemson and Michigan, with the Wolverines being the pick of 80 percent of 247Sports experts. 

Should the No. 1 player in the nation choose to go to Michigan, it wouldn't only be a huge statement for the program, but it would also represent a bit of a shift in the landscape for the Big Ten. According to Crabtree, it will mark the first time the top player has gone to a Big Ten school since 2006:

It might not be a big enough deal to take Michigan to the top of the recruiting list, but it would go a long way toward the Wolverines continuing their upward trajectory under Harbaugh. With rival Ohio State sitting just ahead of them, snagging an immediate-impact freshman like Gary on signing day will only make the rivalry that much more interesting moving forward.