Winners, Losers from College Football Recruiting Trail for Month of September
The 2017 recruiting cycle is preparing for the final stretch, and college football programs are in full swing with official visits. Verbal commitments are now more important than ever for this class.
The month of September wasn't showered with an abundance of commitments, but it did see enough movement to shake things up within college football recruiting. And while some schools finished the month strong, others are looking forward to better success in October.
Here are a few recruiting winners and losers from September. Keep an eye on these schools in an effort to build off the month as we inch closer to national signing day in February.
Winner: Georgia
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From a quality and quantity perspective, Georgia may have been the biggest winner of college football recruiting for the month of September. The Bulldogs picked up two solid, 4-star talents in running back D'Andre Swift and wide receiver Mark Webb Jr.
Swift opened things for Georgia with a Bleacher Report commitment video on Sept. 1. As an all-purpose back, Swift is expected to be a reliable rushing option as well as a pass-catching option both out of the backfield and lined up at the slot. Webb is a big target who can give defensive backs fits as either an outside receiver or a possession receiver.
The two athletes upped Georgia to 16 commitments for this recruiting cycle, and there's still time for head coach Kirby Smart to add more fuel to a growing fire in Athens.
Loser: Clemson
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Clemson may have escaped with close victories early against Auburn and Troy, but it now seems like the Tigers are back to elite-level form following big wins against South Carolina State and Georgia Tech. That's on the field; on the recruiting end, Clemson is looking for a spark.
The Tigers had two pledges in August but none this month, a small setback for a team looking to not only maintain its recruiting lead in the ACC, but also keep its place among the Power Five giants nationally. Clemson is hoping to pick up recruiting steam this weekend when it faces Louisville in a battle of two Top Five teams.
Regardless of the slow month, Clemson is still a top-10 team nationally in the recruiting rankings, and this weekend could be big in turning things around. Head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff are expected to host athletes like 4-star safeties C.J. Avery and Xavier McKinney for official visits.
Winner: Cal
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Cal has an explosive offense under head coach Sonny Dykes, and that offense needs a good defense to practice against to prepare it for Saturdays. Dykes is always looking for studs in the secondary, and he landed two this month who could be playmakers in the Pac-12.
Safety Tyriq Hardimon committed to the Golden Bears on Sept. 16. Marquese Taylor, an athlete who many are projecting to play cornerback at the next level, committed six days later. Both 3-star talents are expected to fight for starter's minutes early in their college careers. Both also can play multiple positions in the secondary.
Cal needed that boost, as it only had eight commitments entering the month. Now with double-figure pledges, the Golden Bears are looking to continue the momentum through October and into national signing day in February.
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Loser: Michigan State
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Michigan State has 16 commits, but head coach Mark Dantonio and his staff haven't scored a new member to the 2017 class since the end of July. September wasn't the turnaround period that some fans hoped it would be.
The good news is that the Spartans have several opportunities to make impressions in the month of October. Michigan State hosts BYU on Oct. 8, Northwestern on Oct. 15 and Michigan on Oct. 29. Consider these games as great chances to get targets on campus for official visits.
Michigan State still has a top-20 nationally ranked recruiting class, but it will need to make moves soon if it wants to stay there. The Spartans hope to rise in the rankings by landing wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones and cornerback Ambry Thomas, two Detroit targets who could be impact players as freshmen.
Winner: Houston
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The Houston Cougars make it a priority to heavily recruit the city of Houston and the surrounding areas. Of the Cougars' 18 current commits, 12 are within a 50-mile radius of the campus.
The parents of the two newest commits won't have to drive far to watch home games. Houston added 3-star safety Donovan Stiner on Sept. 21 and then added 3-star running back Daniel Young six days later. The commitments were big for a Houston team that hadn't added to its 2017 class since late June.
Houston's class is loaded with 3-star athletes, and Tom Herman has shown in his short stint as head coach that he can turn a team of 3-star prospects into a dangerous, balanced unit. The Cougars are undefeated and keeping themselves in contention for a College Football Playoff opportunity.
Loser: Florida State
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The summer was good to Florida State, and August was a month where the Seminoles added three in-state players. September, however, didn't bring the fireworks from a recruiting standpoint. It didn't help that Louisville routed the Seminoles, 63-20, two weeks ago.
October is a new month, and head coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff are looking to turn things around just in time for a competitive stretch. Florida State will host North Carolina on Saturday, Wake Forest on Oct. 15 and Clemson on Oct. 29. Look for a few big-time targets to take official visits during that span, including 5-star offensive tackle Walker Little, who is scheduled to be at the Clemson game.
Florida State has a top-15 nationally ranked 2017 class—a class full of elite skill-position players. There's still plenty of time for the Seminoles to build on their class and slide into the top 10 nationally. The race for top recruiting honors in the ACC should come down to the Seminoles and Clemson by February.
Winner: Oregon State
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When discussing the Pac-12, Oregon State oftentimes is not the first team mentioned. The Beavers, however, made themselves relevant in recruiting with two commitments who could be conference sleepers in the next couple of years.
Wide receiver Tyler Asemota committed to Oregon State on Sept. 18. Defensive lineman Lorenzo Fauatea committed to the Beavers a week later. Asemota is a huge receiving target at 6'5" and 195 pounds, and he could be that jump-ball option that every offense could use in red-zone packages. Fauatea, at 6'4" and 260 pounds, is projected to be a defensive end but is versatile enough to play anywhere on the line.
Head coach Gary Andersen now has 15 commitments for the Beavers' 2017 class. The class is hoping to make an early splash next season in a highly competitive Pac-12 Conference. Asemota and Fauatea could be playmakers under Andersen's offensive and defensive schemes.
Loser: Oklahoma
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Oklahoma had a solid month of August, but the team swung and missed with targets in the month of September. The Sooners had a chance to score big with a loaded weekend against Ohio State on Sept. 17, but a 45-24 setback to the Buckeyes may have put a damper on recruiting.
In previous years, a slow September was nothing to worry about, as Oklahoma would always heat up in recruiting during the latter parts of fall. Although the Sooners started out red-hot with the 2017 class, don't be surprised if they once again finish stronger closer to February than in the upcoming weeks.
The Sooners are keeping a close eye on athletes like 4-star defensive tackle Greg Rogers and 4-star linebacker Tyler Taylor, two studs who could quickly make Sooners fans forget about the lack of success in September.
Winner: Iowa State
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The culture at Iowa State is changing under head coach Matt Campbell, and recruits are beginning to notice. The Cyclones upped their 2017 class to 19 commits with the help of two September commits in defensive ends Cordarrius Bailey and John Nagel.
Bailey, a 3-star prospect, was a major get for Iowa State, as it landed a 6'4", 245-pound standout living in the heart of SEC country. Nagel, a 2-star prospect, is a 6'6", 230-pound, in-state talent who was once committed to Northern Iowa. Both players can be effective at either the strong-side or weak-side end spot.
A glance at Campbell's class shows that Iowa State has players who can get the job done at the next level. There's a reason why fans are excited about the future of the program.
Loser: Arkansas
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The good news for Arkansas is that it has 20 pledges in the 2017 class. The bad news is that the Razorbacks haven't received a verbal commitment in the class since 3-star offensive tackle Dalton Wagner on July 29.
August was a slow month, and September proved to be no better for Arkansas. The Razorbacks are hoping for a productive October, and as a team that is known for its massive offensive line, Arkansas is hoping to land a player like 4-star offensive lineman Aaron Banks, who is listed at 6'7" and 344 pounds.
Other potential Arkansas targets include 4-star running back Kennedy Brooks and 3-star athlete Jaiden Cole, two 2017 prospects who could be immediate impact players for head coach Bret Bielema's offense.
Winner: Fresno State
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The race for top recruiting honors in the Mountain West Conference has a major contender in Fresno State, as the Bulldogs added three athletes to their 2017 class. Justin Wafer, a 3-star safety, was the big pickup of the month for Fresno State.
Wafer, a Sept. 22 commit, adds to a solid secondary class for the Bulldogs, along with 2-star cornerback Demetrius Murray, who committed four days prior. Robert McWilliams, a 2-star defensive end, kicked off Fresno State's solid month with a pledge on Sept. 6.
Fresno State now has 12 commitments, the last seven giving their verbal commitments to head coach Tim DeRuyter since Aug. 1.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player information is courtesy of Scout.com. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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