College Football Recruiting Rankings 2021: Projecting Top Classes and Schools

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By the time the 2022 college football recruiting cycle is over, the top class will likely belong to an SEC program. However, there are three schools that still appear to be in the running for the No. 1 spot, and any of them could end up at the top.

Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M currently own the top three spots in the 247Sports composite team rankings for the 2022 class, respectively, but the programs are still battling it out on the recruiting trail. And the early signing period, a 72-hour window that begins Wednesday, could shake things up a bit.

The Bulldogs, Crimson Tide and Aggies will each look to bolster their 2022 class this week, when they'll try to make things official with their top commits while also trying to land some recruits who aren't committed to a school.

Here's a projection for how the top of the 2022 class rankings will look by the time everything is done.

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Georgia currently holds the top spot, and that may not change during this week's early signing period or when traditional national signing day arrives on Feb. 2.

The Bulldogs are having tremendous success bringing in top recruits, which is likely to continue in the near future.

On Tuesday, they got a head start on the early signing period by landing a commitment from 5-star cornerback Daylen Everette, who decommitted from Clemson last week. He had also been considering Alabama, so he was a big get for the Bulldogs.

With four 5-star players now in its 2022 class, Georgia may add another on Wednesday. Kamari Wilson, a 5-star safety from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., will be signing with a school, and the 247Sports Crystal Ball has the Bulldogs as the heavy favorites to land the No. 28 overall recruit in the class.

With Georgia likely to land Wilson and still in the running for some other top uncommitted recruits (5-star defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., 4-star offensive lineman Earnest Greene and 4-star defensive lineman Christen Miller), it will secure its second No. 1 class in three years.

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Texas A&M currently has the No. 3 class, and that's with four 5-star players who have committed to the Aggies. But there's a chance they're going to land a few more 5-star recruits, which could see them move up into the top two.

Among the uncommitted players the 247Sports Crystal Ball predicts will choose Texas A&M are 5-star linebacker Harold Perkins, 5-star defensive lineman Shemar Stewart and 5-star cornerback Denver Harris. Those three recruits are ranked No. 5, No. 9 and No. 17 in the 2022 class, respectively, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

However, Harris is the only one of those three expected to make a decision during the early signing period, so a lot could still change. Not only that, but the Aggies' top 2022 commit, 5-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen (No. 2 in the 247Sports composite rankings), won't be signing this week. That keeps open the possibility that he could flip his commitment and sign elsewhere.

While Texas A&M may not end up with all these 5-star recruits in its 2022 class, it will sign enough of them to move ahead of Alabama.

The Aggies won't pass Georgia, but they'll still earn the No. 2 class in the nation, which will be an impressive finish for head coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff.

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After finishing with the No. 1 class in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Alabama will end up a bit lower this year. Still, it has brought in another wave of impressive talent, and it's likely going to add some more players during the early signing period and potentially later.

Marvin Jones Jr., a 5-star defensive end, could be the top uncommitted recruit who Alabama lands on Wednesday. The 247Sports Crystal Ball has the Crimson Tide as one of the front-runners to land him, along with Georgia, so that will be an interesting ceremony to watch.

Alabama is also the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite to land 4-star wide receiver Shazz Preston, 4-star defensive lineman Khurtiss Perry and 4-star defensive end Jihaad Campbell. So the Crimson Tide should have some top recruits joining their 2022 class in the near future.

Although the Tide won't end up in either of the top two spots, their 2022 class is going to be strong enough to keep them among the top programs in the country for the foreseeable future.