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College Football Recruiting Rankings: Top 2020 Schools After Early NSD
December 17, 2020College Football Recruiting Rankings: Top 2020 Schools After Early NSD
The kings of college football recruiting are once again atop 247Sports' team rankings as the class of 2021 cycle nears its conclusion.
The Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State Buckeyes and Georgia Bulldogs have firm grips on the top three positions after landing a good chunk of the nation's top high school talent.
Alabama and Ohio State did most of their work before national signing day, while Georgia bolstered its class by landing a 5-star commitment Wednesday.
The other elite college football programs followed the top three in the overall team rankings. The LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers complete the top five. The Oregon Ducks, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Miami Hurricanes all have top-10 classes.
1. Alabama
Alabama's total of six 5-star recruits almost matches the number of elite prospects going to the other 13 SEC schools. Eight 5-star players are spread out among the rest of the league.
Nick Saban and his staff earned commitments from three of the top eight players, including the two best offensive linemen.
JC Latham and Tommy Brockermeyer are the anchors of the class of 2021, and they could be cornerstones of the Crimson Tide offensive line in the future.
The SEC West champion also landed a pair of 5-star defensive line prospects in end Dallas Turner and tackle Damon Payne.
In total, Alabama landed 13 of the top 100 players, with wide receiver being the deepest position in its class. Four of the 10 best wideouts are headed to Tuscaloosa.
That could mean the Crimson Tide will continue to be a wide receiver factory after pumping out Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III last year and with them likely sending DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle to the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
2. Ohio State
Ohio State made a push to land the best class in the nation, but it will have to settle for the No. 2 overall ranking and the best collection of talent in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes were one 5-star recruit short of matching Alabama's total, landing five of the nation's top 25 players.
Defensive end Jack Sawyer is the highest-rated player in the class. Ohio State also landed the top wide receiver, running back and offensive guard.
Among their 12 top-100 players is wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of the former Indianapolis Colts great, who is listed as the 91st-best recruit in the country.
The Buckeyes landed the four best Ohio recruits and five of the top six. The only other Big Ten team to land a top-10 player from Ohio was the Wisconsin Badgers.
In addition to protecting their home soil, the Buckeyes landed commitments from 12 other states to continue to spread their national footprint.
3. Georgia
Georgia made the only major addition to the top three recruiting classes Wednesday.
Kirby Smart's staff picked up a commitment from 5-star linebacker Xavian Sorey to bring their total of 5-star players to four.
Offensive tackle Amarius Mims, quarterback Brock Vandagriff and linebacker Smael Mondon come to Athens from within the state as top-30 prospects along with Sorey.
Just like Ohio State, Georgia protected its home turf by filling out its class with a majority of in-state players. Half of the 20 players committed to the SEC East squad come from inside Georgia. The Bulldogs landed the top three in-state recruits and seven of the top 10.
Georgia plucked a pair of recruits from Florida and Alabama and landed a top-10 player in California to round out its class.
The latest wave of talent will be expected to contend for the SEC title, just like the preceding classes under Smart, and they could be under more pressure to succeed after the Bulldogs lost two games in 2020 and failed to reach the SEC Championship Game.
Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.