College Football Recruiting 2020: Analyzing OSU, UNC, Tennessee, Top Classes

The top of the 2021 college football recruiting rankings includes some unfamiliar names.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 and are well ahead of other perennial College Football Playoff contenders, but they are directly followed by two new faces to the top three. 

North Carolina and Tennessee have put together strong classes in an attempt to rival the powerhouses in their respective conferences, but their current positions do not guarantee them finishing high up the rankings. 

The staffs of Mack Brown and Jeremy Pruitt will have to continue with their strong push in recruiting to fend off Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and others who are generating momentum in the class of 2021.

Analyzing Top Recruiting Classes

Ohio State

Ohio State is going to be the Big Ten favorite to advance to the College Football Playoff for some time if it continues to recruit at this level. 

It has landed a quartet of five-star recruits in its 18-player class, which is headlined by No. 3 overall prospect Jack Sawyer. 

Sawyer and five other players from Ohio make up the largest group from a single state, and the Buckeyes have nabbed commitments from a recruit in 10 other states. 

Ohio State's class already looks incredible on paper, but there is a chance it gets even better before early signing day in December. No. 2 overall prospect J.T. Tuimoloau and No. 8 Emeka Egbuka are projected to land with the Buckeyes, which would give the team commitments from six of the top 22 players.

Alabama and Georgia may attempt to challenge Ohio State if it brings in some of the uncommitted five-star players, but even then it may not be enough to conquer the Buckeyes in this cycle. 

If Ryan Day's team remains on top, it would break the decade-long streak of an SEC program in possession of the top recruiting class.

North Carolina

There is plenty to like about North Carolina right now. 

Brown took the Tar Heels to a bowl game in his first season back in charge, and Sam Howell could be a dark-horse contender for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.

The Tar Heels have used the on-field rejuvenation to land a wave of top recruits and earn the No. 2 position behind Ohio State.

Top-rated cornerback Tony Grimes, who is the No. 7 overall prospect, is the lone five-star in a class that contains 11 four-star players. 

The majority of Brown's recruits have come from North Carolina, with six of the top 10 players in the state committed to the ACC program.

The coach brought in pro-style quarterback Drake Maye and three wide receivers to keep the offensive depth chart flush, and he has gained two players at each level of defense. 

If USC lands top prospect Korey Foreman and the SEC powers add some five-star commits, North Carolina could drop from No. 2. No matter where it lands, though, Brown has to be commended for drawing top talent to the program.

Tennessee

Tennessee is the most surprising team in the top three because of the competition it faces for almost every recruit in the SEC.

Pruitt's staff has earned commitments at a high volume, with 23 players currently in the class. 

However, 13 of those 23 are rated as three-star prospects and the Vols have a single five-star recruit in their possession. 

That leaves Tennessee susceptible to falling in the rankings once other schools gain a higher volume of pledges and five-star players land in other locations.

At the moment, eight uncommitted five-star players are projected to end up at other SEC schools and Clemson is in the mix for a handful as well. 

There is also the chance that some of the current commits back away from their pledge and decide to play somewhere else, which is a concern all programs face in some capacity.

Unless the Vols swoop for another five-star player or two, they could drop from No. 3 since other programs in the top 10 still have plenty of scholarships left to hand out.

Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports