Winners, Losers from the College Football Recruiting Trail for October
The month of October includes several dramatic shifts in college football rankings, significantly altering the chase for playoff spots. Competition will continue to increase during the weeks to come, but developments on the recruiting trail are also paramount.
Suddenly just three months away from national signing day, coaching staffs are putting in extra hours beyond on-field duties to ensure top targets are inclined to land with their programs. These efforts are going well on some campuses, while other programs have struggled to establish momentum with elite talent.
Here's a glimpse at a mixed bag of results, focusing on a collection of teams that enjoyed a successful October and those that must rebound next month.
Winner: Alabama Crimson Tide
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Alabama looks up only at Ohio State in Scout.com's 2017 recruiting class rankings after a memorable month on and off the field in Tuscaloosa. With true freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts and a dominant defense leading the way, the Crimson Tide appear primed to compete for a repeat national championship. Meanwhile, Saban's staff remains effective as ever on the recruiting trail.
Searching for an eighth consecutive No. 1 composite class on national signing day, Alabama made strides in that direction this month with commitments from tight end Major Tennison and linebacker Dylan Moses.
Moses, the cycle's top-ranked linebacker recruit, received a slew of SEC offers months before his first high school game. He initially pledged to LSU as a freshman. But after an Oct. 2 announcement, he now plans to compete on a rival campus with the Crimson Tide.
Moses, who transferred to Florida powerhouse IMG Academy for his senior year, joins forces with fellow 5-star linebacker VanDarius Cowan. They add to a positional stockpile that features freshmen Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson, who were considered the 2016 class' top two inside linebackers.
Tennison, a 6'4 ½", 228-pound athlete from Bullard High School in Texas, also spent time in another recruiting class as a former Longhorns commit. Increased Crimson Tide depth is also on display at tight end, as Tennison teams up with fellow 4-star recruit and top-15 positional prospect Kedrick James.
These latest additions pushed Alabama past Oklahoma in national class rankings. The Crimson Tide are within striking distance of another No. 1 class that could extend an unprecedented streak even further.
Loser: Texas Longhorns
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Even in the aftermath of an October-closing victory over a Top 10 Baylor Bears program, speculation about head coach Charlie Strong's future won't subside. Texas surrendered 94 total points in losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, fell to Kansas State and enters November with a 4-4 record.
Strong is 15-18 through less than three full seasons in Austin, and many wonder if that's enough to earn him another year as the Longhorns leader. This uncertainty, combined with inconsistent game results, has undoubtedly impacted recruiting.
Despite hosting several coveted prospects on campus during the course of October, Texas garnered no new commitments. The Longhorns actually lost a pledge when Dallas area offensive lineman Xavier Newman, rated No. 6 nationally among centers, reversed his decision and climbed into Colorado's class.
Colorado claims several Lone Star State commitments, adding to a growing sentiment that Texas high school football recruiting soil is more fertile than ever for non-Longhorns coaches. Strong and his staff missed out on 4-star prospect Omar Manning—rated the state's No. 1 receiver—when he committed to TCU in October. Also, former Texas tight end commit Major Tennison made a move to the Alabama Crimson Tide this month.
The Longhorns failed to land a single commitment in October and now sit fourth in Big 12 class rankings. If Strong can't finish this fall on a high note, the program—along with its recruiting agenda—could enter a period of increased disarray.
Winner: Louisville Cardinals
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Despite a narrow loss at the Clemson Tigers, Louisville remains firmly in the mix for College Football Playoff consideration. The rise of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who remains on track for a December trip to New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation, further aids the program's national profile.
Head coach Bobby Petrino has capitalized on the recruiting trail, compiling a top-25 class in national rankings. His staff addressed both sides of the ball in October, luring Indiana athlete Russ Yeast and Florida running back Colin Wilson.
Yeast, a former Kentucky Wildcats commit who's considered a top-25 athlete, is likely to make an impact in the defensive backfield. Wilson, a 6'0", 209-pound playmaker, has rushed for more than 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns since his sophomore season, per MaxPreps. He also carries offers from Auburn, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and several alternative universities.
Louisville also landed less lauded but nonetheless crucial commitments from North Carolina long snapper Mitch Hall and Florida defensive end Jabreel Stephens. Neither is rated a blue-chip recruit, but it's important to remember Jackson himself was labeled a 3-star talent by multiple recruiting industry services during his high school career.
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Loser: Ole Miss Rebels
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A slew of decommitments continued for the Rebels in October, and Ole Miss has now lost five verbal pledges since the start of this season. After signing one the 2016 cycle's most talent-laden classes, Ole Miss presently sits at No. 54 in national recruiting rankings and No. 11 among SEC squads.
The most recent departures came in the form of in-state linebacker Willie Gay and Louisiana defensive end Bryan Jones. The loss of Jones, rated No. 31 nationally among defensive ends, stings. However, it's likely more difficult to deal with Gay's decision to search elsewhere for collegiate options.
The U.S. Army All-American is considered the No. 6 outside linebacker this cycle and undoubtedly one of Mississippi's premier prospects, regardless of position. He visited the Michigan Wolverines just days before announcing intentions to reopen his recruitment process.
The Rebels are reeling after a third straight conference loss, dropping to 3-5 and putting any bowl hopes in jeopardy entering November. It's not exactly the outcome many expected following a 10-win 2015 season and the return of prolific quarterback Chad Kelly.
Clearly, these struggles are reverberating on the recruiting trail. The most recent Ole Miss commit who remains pledged to the program—junior college cornerback Javien Hamilton—joined the class in early August.
Winner: TCU Horned Frogs
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The Horned Frogs have assembled the pieces for sustained aerial success, picking up a pair of heavily pursued pass-catchers this month. TCU snagged a commitment from Manning on Oct. 21, just one day after fellow 4-star recruit Jalen Reagor flipped his pledge from Big 12 Conference foe Oklahoma.
These commitments instantly give head coach Gary Patterson one of this cycle's most formidable receiver tandems. Manning and Reagor are rated No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, in national rankings at the position.
This duo augments a recruiting class that already carried blue-chip quarterback Shawn Robinson, an Elite 11 finalist. The Horned Frogs only claim nine commitments at this stage, but these latest additions have sent TCU surging into top-40 territory among 2017 recruiting classes.
Manning stands 6'3" and wreaks havoc against undersized defensive backs due to his ability to get airborne and extend a high-range wingspan. Reagor, a 6'0" speedster, is a scoring threat at any time, regardless of where he gains possession of the football.
The son of former Texas Tech defensive lineman and All-American Montae Reagor is averaging nearly 20 yards per reception this season, according to MaxPreps. Through eight games, he has 44 catches for 858 receiving yards and 15 total touchdowns.
Expect this young TCU passing game corps to develop together and create offensive fireworks in Fort Worth.
Loser: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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Rutgers entered October with a 2-2 record coming off a one-score loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Scarlet Knights also crept into top-25 class rankings earlier this fall for the first time under new head coach Chris Ash.
However, the situation unraveled this month with four consecutive conference losses. Those setbacks included defeats to Big Ten heavyweights Ohio State and Michigan by a combined score of 136-0. A 78-0 home loss to the Wolverines was particularly painful. Several premier prospects were in attendance, and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh also pursues New Jersey talent.
Following a strong summer of recruiting by Ash and his staff, their attempts to secure key targets have been futile this fall. Instead of asserting itself as a growing force in Big Ten competition, Rutgers took a significant step back. That may hurt with in-state prospects who've stressed the importance of witnessing positive strides from the program against Big Ten contenders.
The Scarlet Knights suffered a key decommitment Oct. 29 when top-ranked New Jersey running back Jonathan Taylor backed off his verbal pledge.
That particular development could hurt even more down the road if Taylor returns to campus as a member of the Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin has become an overwhelming favorite in his 247Sports crystal ball.
Winner: Michigan Wolverines
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The Wolverines are now in the driver's seat to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff, sitting at No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25. Michigan is also well on its way toward signing another top-10 recruiting class under Harbaugh
Plus, he's added two talented defensive linemen to his 2017 haul in October.
Defensive ends Donovan Jeter (Pennsylvania) and Kwity Paye (Rhode Island) each began the month committed elsewhere. Jeter intended to attend Notre Dame, while Paye planned to remain in the New England region at Boston College.
Instead, their respective recruiting journeys now lead to Ann Arbor.
Michigan landed Jeter, a 4-star strong-side defensive end prospect who could potentially blossom into a tackle, on Oct. 23. Paye, a promising 6'3", 220-pound edge-rusher, followed a day later by flipping his commitment from the Eagles.
Along the way, the Wolverines made strong on-campus impressions this month with top-tier targets such as Gay out of Mississippi, Utah defensive tackle Jay Tufele, Texas offensive tackle Chuck Filiaga and Texas linebacker Baron Browning, the nation's top-ranked uncommitted outside linebacker.
Michigan has won its past three matchups by a combined score of 151-31, and its nationwide recruiting reach continues to grow in the process.
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.
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