5 College Football Teams on the Rise in 2017 Recruiting Rankings
Midway through the 2016 college football season, focus continues to shift toward an evolving chase for playoff inclusion. Several squads have their fan bases feeling confident as November approaches, and those good vibes extend to the recruiting trail in various instances.
Just more than three months away from national signing day, coaching staffs are attempting to fill needs for the future by securing key targets in the 2017 cycle. While many top-tier prospects will ultimately wait until deep into winter for commitment announcements, plenty of compelling pledges have altered class outlooks throughout this fall.
Here's a peek at five programs—each representing a Power Five conference—that have recently picked things up on the recruiting trail.
Alabama Crimson Tide
1 of 5
Alabama has overtaken Oklahoma and Ohio State atop Scout.com class rankings, returning head coach Nick Saban and company to familiar territory. The Crimson Tide have claimed seven consecutive composite No. 1 recruiting classes, forming a roster that appears practically unbeatable entering the second half of this season.
As usual, reinforcements will arrive next year after the latest group of draft-eligible Alabama players depart for the NFL.
Saban secured an Oct. 2 commitment from longtime target Dylan Moses, the nation's top-ranked linebacker and a former LSU Tigers pledge who emerged on the national recruiting scene before high school. Moses joins Florida standout and fellow 5-star VanDarius Cowan to give the Tide an elite linebacker tandem for a second straight cycle (Saban signed the 2016 class' top two inside linebacker recruits last winter in Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson).
Alabama also addressed its 2017 offensive haul last weekend by bringing former Texas Longhorns tight end commit Major Tennison on board. He provides the Tide with two top-15 prospects at the position, pairing with fellow Lone Star State product Kedrick James.
"I think we complement each other very well," Tennison told Drew Champlin of AL.com. "We'll be able to help each other compete and make each other better in practice. ... I know we'll find success in the future and I also hope we'll be able to bring more championships in future years."
TCU Horned Frogs
2 of 5
TCU currently carries just nine verbal commitments, but this coaching staff has made them count. Pledges from a pair of 4-star receivers during recent days bumped the Horned Frogs to No. 39 overall and No. 5 among Big 12 Conference teams in 2017 class rankings.
Head coach Gary Patterson has held a commitment from Elite 11 finalist quarterback Shawn Robinson since June 2015 and found two in-state studs to help him further enhance the aerial attack.
Jalen Reagor, the son of former All-American Texas Tech Red Raiders defensive lineman Montae Reagor, flipped from Oklahoma on Oct. 20. Priority Horned Frogs target Omar Manning followed him into the class just one day later.
Manning and Reagor are rated No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in national receiver rankings. They are TCU's second- and third-ranked recruits, behind only Robinson.
"[TCU has] been a favorite of mine for a while," Manning told Gabe Brooks of Scout.com. "It's been the right move for me and I've prayed about it and talked it over with my family. The staff is great, and the environment."
Manning is a rangy 6'3" target who projects to excel as a possession receiver. Reagor is three inches shorter but flashes outstanding speed and shiftiness, providing some of this high school season's most scintillating plays en route to 754 receiving yards (19.3 per catch) and 13 total touchdowns through seven games, according to MaxPreps.
Louisville Cardinals
3 of 5
The Cardinals climbed into top-25 territory in 2017 recruiting class rankings, spurred by four out-of-state commitments since Oct. 5. Louisville sits at No. 5 in the Associated Press poll and continues to command quite a spotlight on the national stage, thanks to Heisman Trophy front-runner Lamar Jackson's leadership.
This success and ensuing attention has undoubtedly aided recruiting efforts, paying dividends with two 4-star pledges in the past week. Indiana athlete Russ Yeast—a former Kentucky Wildcats commit likely to land in the defensive backfield—and Florida running back Colin Wilson are the latest additions to a talent haul rated No. 22 overall.
Wilson, a 6'0", 209-pound rusher from Clay High School, is considered a top-15 back this cycle and could push for immediate playing time at Louisville. His prep career includes 2,535 yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground since 2014, per MaxPreps.
North Carolina long-snapper Mitch Hall and Florida defensive end Jabreel Stephens, a promising 6'5", 225-pound force off the edge, also pledged to Louisville earlier this month.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Colorado Buffaloes
4 of 5
Like Louisville, Colorado recently cracked the top 25 in 2017 class rankings (No. 24). CU, one of college football's surprises this season at 6-2 following a victory at Stanford, bagged two key Texas targets last week.
Head coach Mike MacIntyre, gaining major momentum in Boulder, augmented early Pac-12 success by prying KD Nixon and Xavier Newman from Dallas area powerhouse DeSoto High School last week.
Newman, a 6'3", 272-pound offensive lineman, is rated No. 6 nationally among centers. He initially pledged to the Texas Longhorns but backed off that verbal pact Oct. 16 and joined Colorado's class just one day later.
Nixon also spent time in an alternative recruiting class, committing to Tennessee in April. The 4-star athlete is diminutive at 5'8" but possesses a game-changing skill set at receiver and should spend collegiate snaps on offense.
He tallied 1,103 all-purpose yards and a career-high nine touchdowns through the first eight games of his senior season, per MaxPreps.
The Buffaloes are surging in a highly contentious Texas recruiting scene, adding Nixon and Newman to a commitment list that already included DeSoto teammate and 4-star receiver Laviska Shenault, 3-star receiver Jaylon Jackson (Cedar Hill High School), 3-star athlete Chris Miller (Denton High School) and 3-star offensive lineman Grant Polley (Denton High School).
Maryland Terrapins
5 of 5
A victory over Big Ten Conference foe Michigan State pushed Maryland to 5-2 through the first seven games of head coach D.J. Durkin's tenure in College Park. While three upcoming top-10 matchups—vs. Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio State—present significant tests for this new staff, it's already providing proof of the program's potential via recruiting success.
The Terps have quietly climbed to No. 13 in 2017 class rankings, good enough for third among Big Ten teams. Three commitments that impact both sides of the ball further aided this ascension.
Maryland convinced Baltimore defensive lineman B'Ahmad Miller to remain in his home state, strengthening a positional group that features top-10 end Joshua Kaindoh, an IMG Academy (Florida) star who started his high school career in Maryland.
Under the direction of Durkin, the Terps have ramped up recruiting efficiency on home turf. After watching many blue-chip Maryland natives head to universities beyond state borders during recent years, that trend is in reverse this cycle.
Meanwhile, Maryland reached into Georgia for receiver Jalen Browder last weekend, and Virginia cornerback Dazz Newsome committed Oct. 9.
Tyler Donohue is a national recruiting analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings and information are courtesy of Scout.com.
Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
