College Football Recruiting Rankings 2018: Projecting Top Classes and Schools
As the early-signing window opens in college football recruiting, the SEC is once again on top.
Entering the December signing period, which begins on Wednesday, SEC programs occupy the top four spots in the 247Sports team rankings.
Other marquee teams can make up ground in the team rankings Wednesday, but everything has to go right in order to leapfrog one of the top four.
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The teams at the top of the recruiting mountain already have a bevy of impressive talent committed, and the rich could get richer Wednesday.
Top Class Projections
1. Alabama
The Alabama Crimson Tide lead the team rankings going into Wednesday, and there's a high probability of them remaining in that position going into 2019.
Although Nick Saban and his staff only have two 5-star recruits locked into the class of 2019, they have an astonishing 21 4-star prospects set to start their collegiate careers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Since this is Alabama we're talking about, the college football behemoth could extend its recruiting advantage by picking up a few high-profile stars in the next 24 hours.
Running back Trey Sanders, linebacker Nakobe Dean and offensive lineman Evan Neal could all choose the Crimson Tide during their commitment ceremonies Wednesday.
Then there's the prospect of defensive back Jordan Battle flipping from Ohio State to Alabama to add to the Crimson Tide's collection of 4-star recruits.
Even if Alabama reels in one of the four players mentioned above, it'll still stay on top of the rankings because of how much quality each individual possesses.
The only threat to the Crimson Tide's No. 1 position is Georgia, but the Bulldogs will have to wait until the February signing period to make a run at overtaking their SEC rival.
2. Georgia
Since taking over the head-coaching job in Athens, Georgia, Kirby Smart's proved he can challenge his former employer at the top of the recruiting rankings.
A quartet of 5-star recruits headline the collection of prospects Smart and his staff are set to bring in for the 2019 season, including top-ranked player Nolan Smith.
There's a chance Georgia flips the recruiting rankings Wednesday, but it needs a perfect day that includes signatures from Sanders, Dean, Neal and wide receiver Jadon Haselwood.
With Alabama and a few other SEC schools in the mix for the most coveted unsigned recruits, Georgia won't achieve perfection, but it'll leave Wednesday happy with where it stands.
While the Bulldogs will sit behind the Crimson Tide in the rankings between now and February, an argument can be made that they're the most intriguing team to watch in the coming months.
With Justin Fields wanting to transfer, which was first reported by USA Today's Dan Wolken, the Bulldogs could shift their eyes to the quarterback class in order to set up their depth chart behind starter Jake Fromm.
3. Texas A&M
Texas A&M is the surprise fixture at the top of the recruiting rankings, as head coach Jimbo Fisher's done a nice job putting together his class of 2019.
Offensive tackle Kenyon Green and defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal are the cornerstones of the Aggies recruiting class that features 11 4-star and 3-star recruits.
Although Fisher and his staff haven't made a ton of big splashes like Alabama and Georgia, they've built the foundation for years to come with a strong group of athletes set to enter College Station, Texas.
While the Aggies have brought in a nice collection of players, they aren't immune to losing recruits to the two teams above them in the rankings.
The clearest case of this entering Wednesday is the commitment of quarterback Zach Calzada, who is being actively pursued by Georgia with Fields potentially transferring, per ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach.
Even if they lose Calzada to Georgia, the Aggies can remain in the top three, but they'll need to make a push before the February signing period to stay in their current position.
The Aggies could jump into the mix for defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher alongside Alabama and LSU since the Louisiana native isn't committing until February.
No matter who they go after, the Aggies need to secure the signings of one or two more players to feel 100 percent comfortable that they can beat out LSU, Oregon and a slew of other programs for the No. 3 position.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.
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