College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Top 25 Incoming Recruiting Classes
The 2011 National Signing Day has come and gone with a few big surprises along the way for the upcoming college football season.
There are two notable players still out there—Jadeveon Clowney (signing Feb. 14) and Cyrus Kouandjio (verbally committed to Auburn, but has not faxed in the papers)—that could shake up the rankings a bit depending on where they end up.
The 2011 college football season has a lot of big name faces in a lot of new places, as well as a ton of returning stars that will shape the season's outcome.
These recruiting classes are the lifeblood of these programs and while some will get instant satisfaction out of freshman with starting capability, it will be some time before we can truly judge this class as whole.
That said, let's power rank the top 25 recruiting classes heading into the 2011 college football season.
25. Ole Miss
1 of 25
Houston Nutt keeps Ole Miss running well and brought in a very solid recruiting class.
Wide receivers Donte Moncrief and Tobias Singleton will be paired up with quarterback Maikhail Miller for the Rebels' future air attack, which desperately needed some life.
C.J. Johnson and Serderius Bryant are two big time gets at the linebacker position that can help them right away.
In fact, the two major positions in this class that were addressed were wide receiver and outside linebacker, with nine of their 27 signings coming from those two positions.
24. Arkansas
2 of 25
The Razorbacks put together a big recruiting class this season and will need it going into the year.
Mitch Smothers and Brey Cook are two premier guards on the offensive line. They also found two tight ends in Demetrius Dean and Jervohnte Riles, as well as a pair of wide receivers. Arkansas did a lot on offense.
Defensively, they nabbed defensive end Lonnie Gosha and cornerback Tevin Mitchell, big time gets for a team that could use help defending the pass.
Arkansas returns a lot of talent this season despite losing Ryan Mallett and some offensive lineman, but their large recruiting class could help keep them strong for the future.
23. Louisville
3 of 25
Charlie Strong did a great job for the Cardinals of Louisville this season and landed the top recruiting class in the conference.
Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater may be their next starter and his teammate Eli Rogers (WR) came with him—a solid get for the Cardinals.
A pair of secondary teammates, safety Gerod Holliman and cornerback Andrew Johnson, were also big signings for this defense.
Outside linebacker Brandon Golson and defensive end Bryant Dubose will be players for them as well.
The Cardinals put together a very solid recruiting class.
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22. Stanford
4 of 25
Andrew Luck is back on the Farm, but the Cardinal did lose a little steam with Harbaugh leaving for San Francisco.
James Vaughters is one of the top ranked outside linebackers in the country and stuck around, as well as safety Wayne Lyons for the Cardinal defense. Charlie Hopkins and Kevin Anderson will also be players on the defensive line in the future.
Offensively, they added wide receiver Ty Montgomery and athlete Jordan Richards. Both players will be big time weapons in the offense.
The Cardinals brought in 19 signings overall, despite losing Harbaugh.
21. Oklahoma State
5 of 25
The Cowboys needed to find a way to keep the shelves full on this dynamic offensive at almost every skill position, but also to stock up on defense.
Running back Herschel Sims will fit what they do very well and quarterback J.W. Walsh will have time to develop even more with Brandon Weeden still at school this year.
Defensively, they locked down two cornerbacks for the future in Josh Stewart and Miketavious Jones.
Nico Orlelas is going to be a good linebacking prospect for them and athlete Desmond Roland will find a place on the offense.
All in all, the Cowboys signed a big class of 27 prospects.
20. Washington
6 of 25
Coach Steve Sarkisian went after some the state's best and delivered in a big way.
Kasen Williams was a big time get inside state lines at wide receiver, and they also added Josh Perkins to the mix too. A quarterback for the future also had to be found in this class and they might have one in Derrick Brown.
Offensive tackle Austin Seferian-Jenkins was a big time get from in-state as well, and the majority of the Huskies' top pickups were on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensive tackle Danny Shelton, outside linebacker James Sample and safety Travis Freeney were all solid picks to help this team battle back in the Pac-12.
19. Nebraska
7 of 25
The newest Big Ten member comes in with a solid returning cast and also gets a boost from some new recruits headlined by star running back Aaron Green.
Green will get a chance to make his presence felt early in Lincoln and has the potential to be a true freshman sensation. Athlete Jamal Turner has the ability to be used almost anywhere on the offensive side of the ball and it will be on coach Pelini to figure how to use him.
They also nabbed themselves a 6'5" quarterback prospect, Bubba Starling, who can actually run the football as well. Ryne Reeves could be his eventual starting center and was also added in this class.
The Cornhuskers will need a replacement for shutdown corner Prince Amukamara and they may have found it with Charles Jackson, if they can develop him correctly.
The Cornhuskers signed 16 recruits on their way into the Big Ten.
18. Virginia
8 of 25
Virginia can still bring in some recruits and they did so very emphatically this season and closed well down the stretch.
They focused primarily on defense here and got a solid cornerback prospect in Demetrious Nicholson, as well as Brandon Phelps to help boost the secondary. In the front seven, they added David Dean and Vincent Croce, two defensive tackles that can help a bad run defense.
The Cavaliers also got a pair of athletes in Darius Jennings and Dominique Terrell that could star on either side of the ball and will help bring some big time athleticism to this team.
Overall, Virginia nabbed 26 signings.
17. South Carolina
9 of 25
Another team that could actually come out next season battle for the SEC and might be the favorite in the SEC East, South Carolina's class could still get a big bump if Jadeveon Clowney decides to stay close to home and play for the Gamecocks.
Without him, though, they still added talent.
One major name you'll recognize is Shamier Jeffery, brother of current Gamecock Alshon, at the wide receiver position. They also landed Drew Owens as solid all-around tight end prospect to help whoever the Gamecock quarterback is this season.
On defense, they got a playmaking safety named Kadetrix Marcus, who should be a great fit for what the Gamecocks like to do in the secondary. On the defensive front, they landed Kelcy Quarles, a disruptive defensive tackle. He is actually their top recruit if Clowney goes elsewhere.
There are 30 signings altogether and possibly one more on the way for South Carolina.
16. California
10 of 25
California continues to bring in talent for Jeff Tedford and they did a lot of it defensively in this class.
Defensive tackle Todd Barr and Viliami Moala will be players for them in the defensive trench soon, while safety Avery Walls and linebacker Jason Gibson help round out things in the Cal 3-4 defense.
Offensively, Jeff Tedford got some more weapons to play with as well. Maurice Harris is a big wide receiver prospect and running back Brendon Bigelow can certainly play some football.
Cal has pieces to put together and we're just waiting for them to get it all in motion and make something happen out west.
The Golden Bears rallied to sign 22 prospects overall.
15. North Carolina
11 of 25
One of the most talented teams that we will never see after last season's violation is completely broken up now.
The Tar Heels had a really rough season on the field and off the field, but Butch Davis figured out how to to keep the recruiting together and put together a solid class.
They went after a rather weak position at tight end by signing two solid prospects in Eric Ebron and Jack Tabb. Quarterback was also addressed with Marquise Williams, as well as tackle Kairo Holts.
On defense, Travis Hughes is a solid pick up at linebacker, and they grabbed a group of defensive lineman led by Devonte Brown, Tyler Alberts and Delvin Simmons.
Their top recruit was an athlete named T.J. Thorpe that can do almost anything asked of him.
The Tar Heels signed 25 recruits in all.
14. Oklahoma
12 of 25
One of the early favorites for the national title next season, the Sooners return a ton of talent for next season.
Offensively, Brandon Williams is another one of the physically gifted running back specimens that we are used to seeing at Oklahoma. Trey Metoyer is another playmaking weapon they can use on the outside and has the potential to be a very real player.
Danzel Williams' position will likely be determined later, but he is an athlete that can do all of the things they will ask of him.
And on the defensive line, they added some talented players that will help them out in Nathan Hughes and Jordan Wade.
The Sooners have the necessary talent to fight for a national championship this season and they are still keeping shelves stocked as well.
They signed 17 prospects overall.
13. Tennessee
13 of 25
Tennessee's name still brings home some of those big time recruits and a program that could be on its way up got better after signing day 2011.
DeAnthony Arnett (WR) is the big name for the Volunteers, as he was wooed away from Michigan and Michigan State to come down and play in Neyland Stadium.
Running back Marlin Lane is a solid get and quarterback Justin Worley decided to play for Tennessee as well. They also nabbed two big time lineman in offensive tackle Antonio Richardson and offensive guard Marcus Jackson.
Defensively, they brought on linebackers Curt Maggitt and A.J. Johnson, who could both make early impacts. Safety Patrick Martin is also a solid player.
The Vols signed 27 prospects overall.
12. Florida
14 of 25
Florida is still Florida and even though Urban Meyer stepped down, Will Muschamp came in and held down the fort pretty well.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel is the big story here and he could walk in and possibly become the starter very early in his career. Go search this kid, because his talents are pretty legitimate.
They also got wide receiver Ja'Jaun Story and running back Mike Blakely to help keep the offense talented on the outside and in the backfield.
Defensively, they got a nice surprise with the signing of defensive back Marcus Roberson and also locked down safety Jabari Gorman.
Florida will be a better football team this season and even better into the future. They signed 18 recruits overall.
11. Oregon
15 of 25
The National Championship game losers are going to be ready for another go around this season and found some big talent in their recruiting class as well.
As expected, Kelly simply added more and more firepower to his offense and found a set of athletes that includes DeAnthony Thomas, who spurned USC to play for the Ducks and could be a running back or a corner.
Wide receivers Tacoi Sumler and Devon Blackmon (an athlete who will likely go out wide) will be perfect fits in the uptempo Oregon offense and should be considered big time gets for the Ducks.
Oregon also found offensive line help in the form of tackle Andre Yruretagoyena and a much needed younger quarterback that can fit the system in Jerrard Randall.
Chip Kelly will find ways to use all his toys.
10. LSU
16 of 25
Les Miles has quite the team coming to Baton Rouge this season and went to work on the in-state talent he has at his disposal.
The Tigers are ready to compete for an SEC title this season and added a big play receiving threat in Jarvis Landry, a powerful running back in Kenny Hilliard and another one of those dominant offensive tackles in La' El Collins.
Defensively, they got one of the most disruptive defensive players in the country in tackle Anthony Johnson and fans are very excited about him.
LSU continues to do work inside state lines, but it seems to be working. They signed 21 players overall.
9. Notre Dame
17 of 25
Brian Kelly is starting to do the necessary work to get this program back to their winning ways.
The Irish went after some big defensive talent to help fortify a unit that never seems to play as well as they need to. Defensive ends Aaron Lynch and Stephon Tuitt are two big time recruits and Ishaq Williams and Anthony Rabasa are perfect fits for the Notre Dame defensive system as pass rushing outside linebackers.
Offensively, they found that next tight end in the form of Ben Koyack, added another wide receiving threat in DaVaris Daniels and also got one of the nation's top offensive tackles in Matthew Hegarty.
This is the type of recruiting class that can really help get the Irish back on track and there seems to be a difference about these players coming in.
All in all, they signed 23 recruits.
8. Ohio State
18 of 25
Jim Tressell and his sweater vests continue to bring in some of the nation's very best.
Offensively, they have Braxton Miller tabbed as their next quarterback and the No. 4 quarterback is just one of many in-state recruits the Buckeyes landed, including guard Michael Bennett.
Defensively, Ohio State wrapped up defensive end Steve Miller and cornerback Doran Grant from inside Ohio lines, but then went out of state to make their biggest splashes on defense.
Linebacker Curtis Grant was a big move for the Buckeyes, as were the two Florida prospects, outside linebacker Ryan Shazier and safety Jeremy Cash.
As if things were likely to change, Ohio State is the best in the Big Ten and signed 22 players all together.
7. Georgia
19 of 25
The Bulldogs pulled out all the stops on the recruiting trail and nabbed themselves some serious talent for next season and the future.
Running back Isaiah Crowell will be the ringleader of a group of in-state recruits that Richt locked up for the next three to four seasons. Crowell will likely get on the field early and could bring back some of the spark that left with Knowshon Moreno.
He is joined by one of the top tight ends in the country, Jay Rome, as well as a pair of receivers, Justin Scott-Wesley and Chris Conley, and quarterback Christian LeMay. They also got some help up front in the form of Watts Dantzler.
Defensively, they added defensive end Ray Drew, who will be a dominant pass rusher and could be on the field right away.
Athlete Damian Swann is one of the best in the class and could be a player at cornerback.
Georgia signed 25 prospects in all.
6. Clemson
20 of 25
While the Tigers do not always produce on the field the way they should, they know how to clean up on signing day.
Dabo Swinney did one of the best recruiting jobs in the country and landed some big time prospects.
Offensively, they nabbed a group of playmakers in wide receivers Charone Peake and Sammy Watkins, as well as running back Mike Bellamy. Bellamy is a speedster that fills a big hole at a position of need.
On signing day, they got the news that the top linebacker in the country, Tony Steward, would also play football at Clemson next season and he was a huge get.
Clemson signed 29 recruits all together and should see some of these playmakers on the field in year one.
5. USC
21 of 25
Lane Kiffin may be a jerk, but he certainly knows how to recruit and he did damage in the southern California area this time around.
Offensively, they landed the nation's No. 1 wide receiver, George Farmer, and he will likely be a day one starter. They also got quarterback Max Wittek, who is accustomed to being the guy behind Barkely, as they played together in high school. The Trojans also found offensive line help in the form of guard Cyrus Hobbi. Running back Amir Carlisle bailed on Stanford to join USC.
On defense, Kiffin got his hands on a huge defensive tackle named Atwaun Woods and a premier pass rusher in Greg Townsend. Anthony Sarao also reneged on Stanford for the Trojans.
They may face NCAA sanctions, but they still know how to stock the shelves and make the most of their recruiting power. They signed 11 recruits overall.
4. Texas
22 of 25
Mack Brown and Texas may have had a down year on the field, but he still continues to kill it in the state of Texas.
The Longhorns have had trouble running the football and landing running back Malcolm Brown could be the answer to their problems.
They missed out on one of the offensive tackles they thought they had, but still got offensive guard Sedrick Flowers.
Defensively, they continue the trend of good, young defensive backs with the signing of the No. 1 cornerback Quandre Diggs. They also toughened up the interior with Desmond Jackson at defensive tackle and Steve Edmond at inside linebacker.
Texas did a good job of making the best of a down year and should definitely be a better team next season. They signed 22 recruits overall.
3. Auburn
23 of 25
It has been quite a year for Gene Chizik and the Auburn Tigers and now they welcome in one of the best classes in the country for next season.
Offensively, they landed one of the big studs at offensive tackle in Christian Westerman, as well as Reese Dismukes at center. Their quarterback of the future is also likely to be found in Kiehl Frazier, who could very well become best friends with athlete Quan Bray, who is likely to split out wide.
On defense, they made a big splash with a signing day announcement from safety Erique Florence and also landed Angelo Blackson, Keymiya Harrell and Jabrian Niles, a group of young, talented defensive lineman.
The Tigers have the verbal commitment from Cyrus Kouandjio, but no paperwork. If they sign him, it will be a big deal and could even bump them ahead of rival Alabama in the rankings.
Even if they lose him, they still have an extremely impressive class and signed 25 recruits overall.
2. Alabama
24 of 25
Nick Saban just continues to give his program a phenomenal chance to win.
The Tide landed some big time players and also happen to be in the running for the two guys who still have yet to decide where they want to play college ball next season.
Alabama put themselves in great position on the defensive side of the ball with the additions of Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix at safety, Trey DePriest at outside linebacker and Xzavier Dickson at defensive end. They are all players who can become impact starters for the Tide at some point.
They also landed Jeoffrey Pagan, a big, athletic defensive end who will be a perfect fit for their scheme.
Offensively, they brought in running back Demetrius Hart and four receiving prospects, with Bradley Sylve and Marvin Shinn being the top two out wide.
All in all, the Tide signed 24 recruits and as mentioned before, might not be done yet.
1. Florida State
25 of 25
Jimbo Fisher stepped into the Seminoles' coaching gig, turned the team back to a potential threat for title contention next season and then landed a dominant recruiting class to help out.
Defensively, they brought in a bunch of extremely talented and athletic players at the safety position, highlighted by Karlos Williams, Keelin Smith, Tyler Hunter and Lamarcus Brutus. At cornerback, they landed Nick Waisome and at defensive tackle, they got a big time playmaker in Tim Jernigan.
Offensively, the 'Noles got a pair of offensive tackles to keep an eye on in Bobby Hart and Jordan Prestwood. Athlete James Wilder will likely play running back in Tallahasse, but could also be successful on the defensive side of the ball if that does not work. Tight end Nick O'Leary is a kid who could play for FSU soon too.
The Seminoles had a lot of this class already intact, but then closed nicely with a few extra players.
All in all, they signed 29 recruits. Look out for the Fisher's team next season out of the ACC.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
