College Football Recruiting 2011: The Top 50 Recruiting Classes in January
We're less than a month away from National Signing Day and after a week that included the Under Armour All-American Game and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, the commitments have been flowing in faster than they have since the summer.
Over 20 4-star and 5-star prospects have committed in the last week, significantly changing the landscape of the recruiting world and shaking up the rankings more than they have all year.
Ohio State, Auburn, Cal and Oregon all made some jumps and with only a few big names left on the market and the clock winding down until Signing Day, we're almost at the grand finale.
Here are the January rankings for the top 50 college football recruiting classes for 2011.
Nos. 26-50
1 of 26
26. Virginia
27. Iowa
28. TCU
29. Michigan State
30. Boston College
31. Virginia Tech
32. Rutgers
33. Texas A&M
34. Wisconsin
35. Michigan
36. Mississippi State
37. Kentucky
38. Cincinnati
39. Utah
40. Missouri
41. Penn State
42. Illinois
43. SMU
44. Minnesota
45. Maryland
46. Baylor
47. Kansas
48. Oregon State
49. Arizona
50. Houston
25. Tennessee
2 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 0
4-Star Commitments: 3
3-Star Commitments: 17
Commitments: 20
Tennessee doesn't have a lot of top-end talent on the books for 2011, but the Vols do have some promising commitments, so a few gems could do wonders going forward. At this point, though, Tennessee has to be banking on 4-star wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett, the No. 6 wideout in the class.
24. Mississippi
3 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 0
4-Star Commitments: 3
3-Star Commitments: 19
Commitments: 26
Ole Miss is tied with Arkansas and South Carolina for the most commitments of any school with a top-25 recruiting class, but at this point almost all of that talent on the books for the Rebels is rated with a 3-star grade or less. The addition of Tobias Singleton at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl was huge, though.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
23. Texas Tech
4 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 0
4-Star Commitments: 6
3-Star Commitments: 12
Commitments: 21
Texas Tech hasn't had higher than a 3-star prospect commit since mid-June, but the Red Raiders did a good job of locking up some solid talent early and that's what keeps them in the top 25. With stars like 4-star running back Kenny Williams and 4-star tight end Jace Amaro, the bright spots are huge.
22. Louisville
5 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 2
3-Star Commitments: 17
Commitments: 24
Louisville is a team that we weren't talking about at all just a couple of months ago, and now the Cardinals have a solid top-25 class headlined by 5-star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who originally committed to Miami before jumping ship after Randy Shannon was fired as the team's head coach.
21. Nebraska
6 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 7
3-Star Commitments: 6
Commitments: 16
Nebraska's recruiting class is headlined by 5-star running back Aaron Green, but with top-10 talent at quarterback, offensive tackle, offensive guard, center and cornerback there's a good deal of talent surrounding him. The Cornhuskers' efforts have been slow the last couple of months, though.
20. Florida
7 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 6
3-Star Commitments: 9
Commitments: 16
Florida had to deal with the tough transition away from Urban Meyer and it cost them in recruiting. New head coach Will Muschamp was able to salvage a lot of the class, but three key recruits were lost and efforts to replace them haven't been very successful. But when you have the No. 1 QB, it's not all bad.
19. Washington
8 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 2
4-Star Commitments: 2
3-Star Commitments: 14
Commitments: 21
Washington might have missed out on 5-star quarterback Brett Hundely and watched Brenden Bigelow decommit, but the Huskies still have a solid recruiting class headlined by 5-star wide receiver Kasen Williams and 5-star tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Both are top-five prospects at their position.
18. Oklahoma State
9 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 5
3-Star Commitments: 13
Commitments: 22
Oklahoma State still has to worry about losing 5-star running back Herschel Sims to TCU—a distinct possibility. Sims is the headliner of the Cowboys' class along with 4-star quarterback J.W. Walsh. As long as it keep the duo in place, Oklahoma State is in good shape.
17. South Carolina
10 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 3
3-Star Commitments: 17
Commitments: 26
South Carolina at this point is banking on a commitment from No. 1 overall recruit Jadeveon Clowney to solidify its 2011 recruiting class, but even if the Gamecocks miss out on Clowney they still have some solid pieces to build around.
16. North Carolina
11 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 2
4-Star Commitments: 4
3-Star Commitments: 12
Commitments: 21
North Carolina has steadily maintained a position in the top 25 with key commitments from 5-star linebacker Travis Hughes, 5-star offensive tackle Kiaro Holts and 4-star quarterback Marquise Williams. Now all the Tar Heels need to do is lock up 5-star running back Savon Huggins and they're good to go.
15. Georgia
12 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 8
3-Star Commitments: 7
Commitments: 18
Georgia was one of the hottest recruiters in the country back in the summer, but after an up-and-down season and a lot of sitting around and waiting on top-shelf prospects the Bulldogs, have slid down the rankings. With 5-star quarterback Christian LeMay in place, things are still looking up, though.
14. Arkansas
13 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 6
3-Star Commitments: 17
Commitments: 26
Arkansas did its biggest damage back in October when it netted three 4-star prospects in a two-day span, but that seems like a world away in January. With 5-star offensive tackle Brey Cook headlining the class there's still a doubt that the Razorbacks' class is simply quantity rather than quality.
13. Notre Dame
14 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 0
4-Star Commitments: 9
3-Star Commitments: 11
Commitments: 20
Considering that Notre Dame has lost more top-end recruits to decommitments than most schools ever had in the first place, you have to give the Irish credit for the nonstop effort to recruit throughout the season. There's still a lot of talent on the books and stealing Everett Golson way from UNC was big.
12. Stanford
15 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 0
4-Star Commitments: 8
3-Star Commitments: 14
Commitments: 22
Stanford's recruiting class was over 20 commitments before most of the rest of the country was able to get into double digits. But besides the addition of 4-star safety Wayne Lyons at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, things have cooled off for the Cardinal.
11. California
16 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 7
3-Star Commitments: 9
Commitments: 17
Arguably no team has come on stronger at the close of the 2011 recruiting season than Cal. In the last month it has commitments from 5-star defensive tackle Viliami Moala, 4-star running back Brendon Bigelow, 4-star defensive tackle Todd Barr, 4-star linebacker Jason Gibson and 4-star safety Avery Walls.
10. Oregon
17 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 2
4-Star Commitments: 7
3-Star Commitments: 8
Commitments: 19
Oregon had a huge week at the Under Armour and Army games last week, which should lessen the blow of a tough loss to Auburn in the National Championship. With 5-star linebacker Anthony Wallace already in place, the Ducks added 5-star linebacker Colt Lyerla and 4-star wideout Devon Blackmon.
9. Oklahoma
18 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 2
4-Star Commitments: 6
3-Star Commitments: 10
Commitments: 18
Earlier in the year we were looking at Oklahoma as a top-five recruiting class, and while the Sooners still have a ton of talent in place, they haven't been in the mix for any top-ranked talent lately and that has them falling behind the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Florida State and the other big dogs.
8. Auburn
19 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 1
4-Star Commitments: 10
3-Star Commitments: 6
Commitments: 17
Auburn simply racked it up over the last couple of weeks and as a result are right back in the mix for a top-10 recruiting class. Five-star linebacker Brent Calloway, 4-star athlete Quan Bray and 4-star cornerback Robensen Therezie all joined up in January. Now Kiehl Frazier is just one of the group.
7. Clemson
20 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 3
4-Star Commitments: 5
3-Star Commitments: 13
Commitments: 24
The Tigers have arguably the scariest group of offensive playmakers in the country. With 5-star running back Mike Bellamy and 5-star receiver Sammy Watkins headlining a group loaded with talent, you could be looking at the best offense in the ACC in a couple of years.
6. LSU
21 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 3
4-Star Commitments: 7
3-Star Commitments: 10
Commitments: 21
LSU's recruiting class is about as well-rounded as anyone's in the country. With 5-star offensive tackle La'El Collins, 5-star defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, 5-star receiver Jarvis Landry, 4-star running back Kenny Hilliard and 4-star outside linebacker Trevon Randle, the Tigers' foundation is solid.
5. USC
22 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 4
4-Star Commitments: 5
3-Star Commitments: 9
Commitments: 23
USC started slow, but the Trojans have proven once again that they'll bring in top-five classes year-in and year-out, sanctions or no sanctions. USC's class is headlined by 5-star athlete De'Anthony Thomas, 5-star wideout George Farmer and 5-star defensive ends Greg Townsend and Jalen Grimble.
4. Alabama
23 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 2
4-Star Commitments: 11
3-Star Commitments: 8
Commitments: 21
Alabama watched as Brent Calloway announced his decommitment live on Saturday and then later donned an Auburn cap. That was a big blow, but the Tide are still stacked with talent and competing for practically every major prospect still on the market. There's no way they finish outside of the top five.
3. Florida State
24 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 3
4-Star Commitments: 9
3-Star Commitments: 11
Commitments: 22
Florida State lost 5-star defensive end Aaron Lynch over the weekend, but after the way Karlos Williams played in the Under Armour Game its clear he's the best safety in the country. Add in 5-star athlete James Wilder and the top JUCO prospect in the country in Tank Caradine and you're just edging the Tide.
2. Ohio State
25 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 3
4-Star Commitments: 11
3-Star Commitments: 6
Commitments: 20
Ohio State got one of the biggest commitments in the country when Doran Grant joined up over the weekend. Grant isn't just the top cornerback of the class, he's one of the best prospects period. Considering the Buckeyes were already stacked, his addition only further solidifies things.
1. Texas
26 of 26
5-Star Commitments: 7
4-Star Commitments: 9
3-Star Commitments: 7
Commitments: 23
Texas should be worried about losing 5-star offensive tackle Christian Westerman to USC or Auburn; he could trigger an avalanche much like Jordan Prestwood did at Notre Dame. But when you have double the 5-star commitments of any school in the country, you're still sitting pretty.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
