National Signing Day 2022: Ranking Top 25 Recruiting Classes After NSD
Although a handful of prospects remain on the board, February's national signing day effectively marked the end of the 2022 recruiting cycle.
And it brought a little bit of history, too.
Texas A&M picked up yet another 5-star prospect to complete a truly preposterous class. Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies beat out both Miami and Georgia for defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, the seventh 5-star talent in the 2022 class.
As you can imagine, Texas A&M tops B/R's final ranking of 2022 recruiting classes. But the usual suspects aren't far behind.
25-21. Indiana, Arizona, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Michigan State
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25. Indiana Hoosiers
Class size: 22
1 Thing to Know
Indiana returned to South Florida for 4-star cornerback Trevell Mullen, who is the brother of current Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Trayvon Mullen and IU corner Tiawan Mullen.
24. Arizona Wildcats
Class size: 22
1 Thing to Know
Given that Arizona finished 1-11 last season, this is a remarkable haul for the program. Most notably, the Wildcats took advantage of coaching changes at Oregon and USC to swipe 4-star receiver Tetairoa McMillan, cornerback Ephesians Prysock and tight end Keyan Burnett in the later moments of the cycle.
23. Ole Miss Rebels
Class size: 18
1 Thing to Know
As the Rebels bring in a transfer-heavy group, they've also done a respectable job on the trail. Ole Miss' marquee signee is 4-star defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, who's ranked No. 135 nationally and is listed at 6'8" and 335 pounds.
22. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Class size: 20
1 Thing to Know
Oklahoma State finalized its Top 25 position with the addition of 3-star wideout Stephon Johnson on signing day. He'd backed off a pledge to Oregon in early January.
21. Michigan State Spartans
Class size: 23
1 Thing to Know
Similar to Arizona State and Oklahoma State, the Spartans jumped at a late opportunity. Four-star wideout Germie Bernard decommitted from Washington in January and instead became the third-highest-rated player in MSU's class.
20-16. Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Stanford, Auburn
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20. Florida Gators
Class size: 17
1 Thing to Know
As with Indiana, there's a notable familial connection in the Gators' incoming group. They landed 4-star running back Trevor Etienne, the brother of former Clemson star Travis Etienne.
19. Florida State Seminoles
Class size: 16
1 Thing to Know
After the dust settled on Travis Hunter's shocking flip to Jackson State, the Seminoles steadied the class. Florida State has six blue-chip prospects on the way, including in-state top-100 prospects with safety Sam McCall and athlete Azaraye'h Thomas.
18. Tennessee Volunteers
Class size: 21
1 Thing to Know
Considering the angsty situation Josh Heupel inherited, this is a superb recruiting debut. Perhaps the most notable name in future years will be 4-star quarterback Tayven Jackson, whose brother is Indiana basketball standout Trayce Jackson-Davis.
17. Stanford Cardinal
Class size: 22
1 Thing to Know
Based on a 7-17 combined record in Stanford's last two full seasons, the program may seem it's trending downward. Looking at talent added, though, the Cardinal may be built for a bounce-back year. This is Stanford's third Top 25 class since 2019.
16. Auburn Tigers
Class size: 18
1 Thing to Know
Auburn needs to have a stronger in-state presence. Out of the 15 blue-chip prospects from Alabama, the Tigers only secured three. For comparison's sake, Alabama picked up six of them—including four of the five overall top-100 players.
15-11. Kentucky, Missouri, Miami, LSU, Clemson
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15. Kentucky Wildcats
Class size: 20
1 Thing to Know
B/R's Adam Kramer wrote a feature about 4-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin four years ago. At the time, Goodwin was a 6'8", 370-pound eighth-grader. He developed into the nation's No. 37 prospect and top-rated player from Indiana.
14. Missouri Tigers
Class size: 17
1 Thing to Know
Keeping up in the SEC is ridiculously hard, but Missouri—and Kentucky, for that matter—did a respectable job in 2022. Along with landing 5-star wideout and No. 3 overall player Luther Burden, the Tigers added four of the eight in-state 4-star prospects.
13. Miami Hurricanes
Class size: 14
1 Thing to Know
Truly, this is nothing short of a miraculous recruiting effort from Mario Cristobal. Without him, it's somewhere in the neighborhood of impossible and amazingly unlikely that the Hurricanes would've landed these four top-125 prospects: edge-rusher Cyrus Moss, defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly, tight end (and former Alabama commit) Jaleel Skinner and running back TreVonte' Citizen.
12. LSU Tigers
Class size: 15
1 Thing to Know
LSU surged in the rankings on NSD thanks to 5-star linebacker Harold Perkins. Though he committed to Texas A&M in early January, that only lasted a few weeks. Perkins chose LSU over A&M and Florida.
11. Clemson Tigers
Class size: 20
1 Thing to Know
Clemson almost swept the in-state collection of blue-chip prospects. While the Tigers grabbed 5-star cornerback Jeadyn Lucas, they only missed Notre Dame-bound 5-star linebacker Jaylen Sneed. Four-star wideouts Antonio Williams and Adam Randall and offensive lineman Collin Sadler each signed with Clemson.
10-6. Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State
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10. Michigan Wolverines
Class size: 22
1 Thing to Know
Although the Wolverines have signed this class, there can be changes if Jim Harbaugh bolts for an NFL job. Should he leave, a handful of signees may request to be released from their letter of intent—which is both understandable and happens annually.
9. Oklahoma Sooners
Class size: 21
1 Thing to Know
Oklahoma enjoyed a productive NSD, signing three key targets. Four-star defensive lineman Gracen Halton headlined the group, while the Sooners flipped 3-star edge-rusher R. Mason Thomas from Iowa State and added 3-star athlete Jamerrien Burt.
8. North Carolina Tar Heels
Class size: 17
1 Thing to Know
Mack Brown has questions to answer about the Tar Heels' performance in 2021, but recruiting is still a strength. North Carolina secured a pair of 5-star signatures from offensive tackle Zach Rice and defensive lineman Travis Shaw.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Class size: 21
1 Thing to Know
On a quirky note, Notre Dame landed the No. 2 prospect from five states. Five-star linebacker Jaylen Sneed (South Carolina) highlights a group that includes 4-star linebacker Josh Burnham (Michigan), defensive lineman Tyson Ford (Missouri), wideout Tobias Merriweather (Washington) and offensive lineman Billy Schrauth (Wisconsin).
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
Class size: 25
1 Thing to Know
Penn State capped the 2022 cycle with a commitment from 3-star offensive lineman Vega Ioane. He'd been pledged to Washington but reopened his recruitment in mid-December.
5-1. Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M
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5. Texas Longhorns
Class size: 28
1 Thing to Know
After such a disappointing year, Steve Sarkisian will certainly benefit of a recruiting class of this magnitude. Five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell put an exclamation on the cycle, committing to the Longhorns on NSD. It won't—and should not—silence his critics, but they'll be temporarily quieted.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
Class size: 21
1 Thing to Know
No drama for Ohio State on signing day, really. Four-star defensive lineman Christen Miller chose Georgia. Otherwise, the Buckeyes officially added two 4-star commits—edge-rusher Omari Abor and offensive lineman Carson Hinzman—to the fold.
3. Georgia Bulldogs
Class size: 29
1 Thing to Know
Given that Georgia didn't seem positioned to land Shemar Stewart, the reigning champions had a near-perfect NSD. Four-star defensive lineman Christen Miller, 3-star linebacker EJ Lightsey and 3-star running back Andrew Paul signed with the Dawgs.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Class size: 25
1 Thing to Know
Alabama basically had its 2022 class wrapped up heading into signing day. The lone addition was 3-star tight end Danny Lewis, who picked the Crimson Tide over Florida and LSU.
1. Texas A&M Aggies
Class size: 29
1 Thing to Know
Oh, you know, simply the greatest recruiting class in the Internet era. Texas A&M padded an already absurd haul with 5-star defensive lineman Shemar Stewart and 4-star safety Jacoby Mathews.
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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