Winners, Losers from College Football Recruiting Trail for August
In short, August was a huge recruiting month for some programs.
Not so much for others.
With the college football season ready to kick off, coaches were able to make their final pitches before gearing for upcoming official visits. The next four months will be critical for every school, as they prepare to roll out the proverbial red carpet for heavily targeted athletes nationwide.
As we enter September, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia make up the top five in the latest 247Sports recruiting composite team rankings. Look for these schools to maintain recruiting dominance, and in the same breath, look for other programs to make big splashes in recruiting over the next few months.
Here are some of the recruiting winners and losers for the month of August.
Winner: Ohio State
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A slow August turned into a productive one with the help of a Bleacher Report video featuring a game of dodgeball.
In the video, 5-star wide receivers Trevon Grimes and Tyjon Lindsey both committed to Ohio State, giving the Buckeyes two studs ranked among the nation's top five receivers. They committed on Aug. 22.
With the receivers' pledges, Ohio State now has six 5-star commits, and there's still room for the Buckeyes to add additional 5-star talent. Ohio State now holds a comfortable lead atop the 2017 composite recruiting rankings, leading Alabama by nearly 20 points.
The big question: With August being a success, what will the upcoming months bring—particularly with official visits about to take place?
Winner: South Carolina
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South Carolina boosted its recruiting class significantly—and strengthened an improving defense—with the August commitments of three 4-star athletes in cornerback Jamyest Williams, linebacker/safety Hamsah Nasirildeen and defensive end M.J. Webb.
The three defenders make up the Gamecocks' top-ranked pledges of their 2017 class, and with the Aug. 1 commitment of 4-star offensive tackle T.J. Moore, South Carolina picked up four of its top five ranked targets in the month. This is the type of momentum that will keep smiles on the faces of head coach Will Muschamp and his staff.
It wasn't long ago that few expected South Carolina to be a front-runner for Williams. As the team's top-ranked commit and the nation's No. 7 cornerback and No. 55 overall player, Williams told Bleacher Report in July that the Gamecocks were one of the programs that were aggressively targeting him.
South Carolina scored big wins all through the month of August. Muschamp and Co. are hoping the success continues throughout the fall.
Loser: Alabama
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Pencil in a loss for Alabama recruiting for the month of August not because of where it is in the 2017 recruiting rankings, but because of the margin of deficit it'll now have to make up because of Ohio State's success in the month.
The Crimson Tide offered Tyjon Lindsey and Trevon Grimes, two 5-star receivers who verbally committed to Ohio State last week. And while the Buckeyes shined, Alabama went without a commit for the month and now trails Ohio State by nearly 20 points in the 2017 recruiting composite rankings.
The good news for Alabama: The next couple of months will include a few big official visits. Jacob Phillips, a 4-star linebacker, is expected to visit in September, and 5-star linebacker Dylan Moses has a visit scheduled in October.
Big-time official visits could parlay into big-time verbal commitments. That's what Nick Saban and his staff are hoping for as we inch closer to national signing day.
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Winner: Florida
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Florida started the month strong and closed the same way, snaring five commits and upping its 2017 class to 16 members.
Of the five August pledges, three are 4-star players in running back Adarius Lemons, defensive tackle Fred Hansard and cornerback Marco Wilson. Hansard, the nation's No. 11 defensive tackle, committed to the Gators with the help of a Bleacher Report video.
Lemons' pledge gives Florida its top-ranked offensive player and an athlete who head coach Jim McElwain and his staff believe can be the next great running back in the SEC. Wilson is a top-30 cornerback nationally who possesses good size and speed. He jump-started the August run with his commitment on the first day of the month.
Florida has 16 commits, which means there's still room to add several more studs to the class. And you can believe McElwain and his staff have their eyes on a few elite athletes, committed and uncommitted.
Winner: Oklahoma
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Oklahoma could be on pace to sign one of its best classes ever. Its August commitments didn't hurt that lofty goal.
The Sooners picked up a 4-star offensive lineman in center Creed Humphrey earlier in the month. He flipped to Oklahoma after being committed to Texas A&M. Humphrey is a top-three center and a player on the outskirts of being ranked in 247Sports' composite top 300.
Humphrey committed on Aug. 8. The day before, Oklahoma found its quarterback of the future when 2018 4-star Cameron Rising announced his pledge. Rising is a top-five pro-style quarterback who threw for 3,213 yards and 40 touchdowns and rushed for 756 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Oklahoma's 2017 class, along with Humphrey, features 4-star defensive end Addison Gumbs and 3-star linebacker Kenneth Murray, who represent California and Texas, respectively. Gumbs and Rising, another California athlete, serve as proof that the Sooners' recruiting success on the West Coast is still a major topic of discussion.
Loser: Michigan
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Michigan had a month that made some ask if the Wolverines should be in panic mode. In less than 48 hours, the team lost a 2017 commit in 4-star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon and two 2018 commits in 4-star tight end Leonard Taylor and 4-star offensive lineman Jalil Irvin.
There's no real reason for the Wolverines to worry, although losing Solomon was big, as he was the team's top-ranked defensive pledge. There's still time, however, for Michigan to land some studs in a class that already is 18 strong. Of the 18 pledges, 10 are 4-star prospects.
Michigan didn't finish the month without a commitment, as 4-star defensive end James Hudson gave Jim Harbaugh and his staff his verbal pledge on Aug. 8. Hudson finished his junior season with 82 tackles and 8.5 sacks, and he opened his senior year with seven tackles and three sacks last week.
Look for the Wolverines to bounce back soon. Don't expect too many more weeks like the one Michigan experienced with its decommitments.
Winner: USC
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August was a month when USC got some work done in the trenches. Of its five commitments during the month, four are projected to play on the offensive line or the defensive line.
Aug. 5 was a good day for the Trojans, as they not only landed a 4-star offensive tackle in Alijah Vera-Tucker but also a 4-star defensive end in Hunter Echols. With Echols, USC's top-ranked defensive pledge, the Trojans also grabbed a pledge who had decommitted from crosstown rival UCLA.
Pledges from 3-star defensive linemen Jacob Lichtenstein and James Lynch added to the successful month for the Trojans and head coach Clay Helton. USC now has 15 commits and is expecting a strong finish with recruiting as we get closer to national signing day.
The Trojans scored four linemen, but it was the commitment of 3-star Jawan Burgess that kicked off the solid month. Burgess, who committed on Aug. 3, is listed as an athlete who can play wide receiver, cornerback or safety at the next level.
Winner: LSU
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For LSU head coach Les Miles, every month of recruiting is critical—particularly with him surviving the multiple stories of him ultimately getting fired last season. Miles remained as head coach, and in that span, he's put together an outstanding 2017 class, one that is ranked No. 3 nationally.
The Tigers have 20 commitments, and half of the roster is rated at least with 4-stars. The Tigers picked up its lone 5-star pledge on Aug. 8 when safety JaCoby Stevens announced his verbal commitment. Stevens is ranked a top-30 player nationally and the No. 2 overall safety.
LSU added Stevens and defensive end Justin Thomas to the class in August. Thomas, a 3-star strong-side defensive end, is a 6'5", 255-pound athlete who will come to Baton Rouge with a high ceiling after recording 55 tackles and 11 sacks as a junior. Per AL.com, Thomas' stepfather is Atlas Herrion, a former offensive lineman who played at Alabama and went on to spend time in the NFL and Arena Football League.
Loser: Texas
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By now, we should understand how recruiting works with Texas and head coach Charlie Strong. Expect late charges and 11th-hour news, as Inside Texas editor and recruiting analyst Justin Wells indicated in the Recruitniks podcast.
Until then, however, the Longhorns are stuck at seven commits and haven't had a new pledge since 3-star cornerback Josh Thompson committed on July 27. For this year combined, Texas has had only four players commit. Currently, the Longhorns are ranked sixth in recruiting—among Big 12 teams.
That may be disturbing to outsiders looking in, but Texas fans have accepted Strong as an incredible closer from a recruiting perspective. In other words, keep your eyes on the Longhorns closer to national signing day. Texas has its eyes on a number of elite athletes, including the 5-star trio of defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, offensive tackle Walker Little and linebacker Baron Browning.
The panic button isn't being pushed around the Forty Acres. The program is looking for the 2017 class to finish similarly to how the 2016 class finished.
Winner: Cornell
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Looking for production? The Cornell Big Red had a huge month of August, landing six commits between Aug. 10 and Aug. 30.
Although all of the commits are unrated, one of the prize gets is wide receiver Eric Gallman II, who had 122 catches for 2,090 yards and 13 touchdowns for his high school career, per Jack Flagler of the Gaston Gazette.
Gallman is one of two North Carolina pledges for Cornell; the other is Alex Kuzy. New York's Dominick Anderson (6'4", 190 lbs) and New Jersey's Mitch Jones (6'5", 200 lbs) will make for huge receiver targets in Cornell's offense, as will Texas flex tight end Griffin Collins (6'4", 200 lbs).
Turner DePalma, who is from Ithaca, New York, can play multiple positions at the next level. The local prospect can play running back, slot receiver, Wildcat quarterback and cornerback.
Winner: Clemson
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Clemson didn't have a spectacular August from a recruiting perspective, but it did land two solid 4-star prospects, which helped the program return to the top 10 of the 247Sports recruiting composite rankings.
Defensive end Jordan Williams gave head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff his verbal commitment on Aug. 6. The pledge bumped the Tigers from No. 13 to No. 10 in the composite rankings. Williams is a top-175 player in the 2017 class and the No. 5 player from the state of Virginia.
Clemson made a run for a top-five ranking after landing cornerback A.J. Terrell on Aug. 19. His pledge helped the Tigers claim the top recruiting spot among ACC teams. Terrell is the top-ranked defensive pledge in the class, and in addition to being a top-75 player, he is the nation's No. 8 cornerback.
Clemson has 13 commitments and is hoping for a strong finish as it inches toward national signing day.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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