College Football Preseason Top 25 Ranking Post-2022 National Signing Day
Although a few players will announce their commitments in the coming weeks, February's national signing day effectively marks the end of a recruiting cycle.
Short of a few remaining transfers, rosters are basically set for the 2022 college football season after Wednesday's commitments.
Naturally then, it's poll time!
While the order is unchanged from our Super Early Top 25, that edition included a brief look at initial storylines for next season. This version is focused on how each program ended the recruiting cycle and what context affected the class.
25-21. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Miami, Houston, NC State
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25. Pitt Panthers
Because the NCAA didn't count 2020 as a year of eligibility but kept the 85-scholarship limit in place, the Panthers simply could not sign a large class in 2022. Four-star offensive tackle Ryan Baer headlines the 12-man group headed to Pitt.
24. Cincinnati Bearcats
After reaching the College Football Playoff, Cincinnati should be due for a recruiting boost in 2022. Still, the Bearcats signed the top-ranked class in the AAC with a couple of 4-star prospects in edge-rusher Mario Eugenio and safety JQ Hardaway.
23. Miami Hurricanes
Ordinarily, a coaching change leads to a recruiting class fracturing. Instead, the Hurricanes soared in the rankings after Mario Cristobal arrived from Oregon. On signing day, Miami landed 4-star running back TreVonte' Citizen, 3-star defensive lineman Ahmad Moten and 3-star offensive linemen Matthew McCoy and Anez Cooper.
22. Houston Cougars
Dana Holgorsen and Co. prioritized in-state talent even greater than usual in 2022. As the Cougars ready for a move to a power conference, 15 members of the 19-player class are from Texas. Houston added 4-star receiver Matthew Golden and offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter, both of whom received offers from Big 12 schools.
21. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Through the positive lens, NC State returns a very experienced roster in 2022 partially due to the eligibility pause. That's a key reason why the Wolfpack are included in the preseason Top 25. However, it also meant NC State needed to take a smaller recruiting class and only signed 12 players.
20-16. Ole Miss, BYU, Kentucky, Iowa, Wake Forest
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20. Ole Miss Rebels
Another day, a review of Ole Miss' success in the transfer portal this offseason will be worthwhile. But the Rebels are also bringing in a quartet of 4-star defenders within the 2022 class, and they're the foundation of a second top-25 haul for Lane Kiffin.
19. BYU Cougars
BYU traditionally prioritizes in-state talent with a secondary focus on California. In this recruiting cycle, however, the Cougars signed 16 of their 24 players from Utah—led by 4-star receiver Cody Hagen and defensive lineman Aisea Moa.
18. Kentucky Wildcats
This is, without a doubt, the most talented class in Kentucky football history. Mark Stoops and his staff added 10 blue-chip prospects with a pair of top-100 talents in offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin and wide receiver Barion Brown. Kentucky's haul closed the day ranked 13th nationally, a new program record.
17. Iowa Hawkeyes
Not since the 2018 recruiting cycle had Iowa landed the state's two highest-rated players, but the streak ended in 2022. Four-star safety Xavier Nwankpa ranked 52nd in the country, and 4-star defensive lineman Aaron Graves checked in 127th.
16. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
One of the greatest challenges for Wake Forest is in-state recruiting. Last season's ACC-runner up signed zero of the 11 blue-chip talents from North Carolina in this cycle and exited signing day ranked just 75th nationally. Perhaps that 11-win season will provide the start of an ascent for the Deacs.
15-11. Penn State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Wisconsin, Clemson
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15. Penn State Nittany Lions
After posting an 11-11 record in the last two seasons combined, Penn State introduced a refreshing wave of optimism through the 2022 recruiting class. The class features a trio of 5-stars with defensive lineman Dani Dennis-Sutton, running back Nicholas Singleton and quarterback Drew Allar.
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State narrowly missed its first top-25 haul since the 2011 cycle. Headlined by 4-star receiver Talyn Shettron, the Pokes gathered the No. 29 class in the country. They signed six blue-chip prospects, including four of the nine in Oklahoma.
13. Oregon Ducks
Dan Lanning inherited an uphill climb at Oregon. Cristobal's exit shattered a once-excellent class, yet Lanning restored a few pieces in his limited time. Oregon wrapped up signing day with 15 total commits and the nation's No. 25 group.
12. Wisconsin Badgers
We're not ringing an alarm yet. However, the Badgers didn't dominate local recruiting as they typically do. Wisconsin signed only three of the state's top nine ranked prospects, which is a stark contrast to 18 of the 25 across the four previous cycles combined.
11. Clemson Tigers
DJ Uiagalelei had a rougher-than-expected year in his first season as the full-time starting quarterback. But there will be a heck of a competition this summer. Along with Uiagalelei and former Clemson QB Hunter Johnson transferring back from Northwestern, the Tigers signed 5-star Cade Klubnik.
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10-6. Michigan, Baylor, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
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10. Michigan Wolverines
While talk of Jim Harbaugh returning to the NFL continues to swirl, Michigan inked a top-10 class in 2022. The headliner is 5-star cornerback Will Johnson, who is one of 10 blue-chip prospects to sign with the reigning Big Ten champions.
9. Baylor Bears
An important appeal of Baylor's 2022 campaign is a senior-filled offensive line. But as they're nearing a final season of eligibility, Dave Aranda and his coaching staff have prepared for those departures with six O-linemen as part of the incoming class. The highest-ranked player is 3-star George Maile.
8. Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State has a "this should make you feel old" type of connection in the nation's No. 22 group. Four-star wideout Antonio Gates Jr. is the son of NFL legend Antonio Gates, who will be eligible for Pro Football Hall of Fame voting in 2023.
7. Texas A&M Aggies
What a year. Absolutely incredible. On paper, Texas A&M reeled in the highest-rated class in program history and one of the strongest ever. There are seven 5-stars among 26 blue-chip prospects, which are both utterly obscene numbers.
6. Oklahoma Sooners
After a string of decommitments from key prospects and transfers when Lincoln Riley left for USC, Brent Venables had an impressive finish to the 2022 cycle. Oklahoma still landed 15 blue-chip talents to secure a sixth straight top-15 class.
5-1. Utah, Notre Dame, Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama
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5. Utah Utes
For the third consecutive recruiting cycle, Utah landed a top-five prospect in program history. Four-star linebacker Lander Barton extended the streak, following in the path of cornerback Clark Phillips III (2020) and fellow linebacker Ethan Calvert (2021).
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Next cycle, Notre Dame and new coach Marcus Freeman might make a legitimate run at the No. 1 class in the nation. This year, the Irish put together a top-10 group that includes three of the country's top-15 linebackers, including 5-star Jaylen Sneed.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Once again, the Dawgs amassed a fantastic class. They signed five 5-star prospects—most notably defensive lineman Mykel Williams, the No. 4 overall talent—and 11 top-100 players. Georgia needs to replace a ton of NFL-bound contributors, but the national champs have a spectacular pipeline in place.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Michigan dethroned the Buckeyes last season, but it's incredibly unlikely that 2021 marked the beginning of a downward trend in Columbus. Their recruiting stays elite. Ohio State netted a third straight top-five class and the Big Ten's highest ranking for the 11th time in the last 12 years.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Ho-hum, 15 of the country's top-100 prospects chose Alabama in 2022. Business as usual in Tuscaloosa. Very notably, the Tide pulled 5-star wideout Aaron Anderson from Louisiana. It's the first time LSU didn't sign the top in-state prospect since 2012—when Alabama swiped 5-star safety Landon Collins.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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