Head coach Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide rolled again to boast the top recruiting class of 2015. It was yet another huge day for the Tide and their coach as they continue to dominate the national recruiting wars and have further stockpiled one of the deepest rosters in the land. The Florida State Seminoles ranked second with another outstanding class in their own right. Rounding out the ESPN Recruiting Nation top ten were the USC Trojans, Clemson Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns and LSU Tigers.
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The Tide Rolls
Saban is a former defensive backs coach and never ignores that critical position with coaching emphasis on it during the season. Five-star cornerback Kendall Sheffield leads the Alabama class along with five star quarterback Blake Barnett. Five-star defensive lineman Daron Payne chose the Tide instead of intrastate rival Auburn, who he was a huge fan of as a kid.
Jonesin’ for Improvement
Since arriving at Knoxville three years ago, Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones made an immediate impact with this recruiting prowess. Jones led the Vols to a bowl win this year and is capitalizing on his success with a top five recruiting class. Flour star quarterback Quinten Dormady is expected to get the lagging offense jumpstarted along with four star wide receiver Preston Williams.
New Men of Troy
Steve Sarkisian is the first Trojan head coach since Pete Carroll to not have to deal with scholarship restrictions that have held the program down from its normal status as a national title contender. Half of the Trojan class for this year was in the ESPN top 300. Five star corner Iman Marshall headlines the class.
Tiger Rag
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has also impressed as a recruiter in bringing the program back into national stature. Clemson did well at offensive line this year led by five star recruit Mitch Hyatt.
More Urban Renewal
The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes hauled in an impressive class as they continue to stockpile talent that is as good as any in the Southeastern Conference. Head coach Urban Meyer has taken advantage of his contacts in the south to form a pipeline up to Ohio State. Five-star quarterback Torrance Gibson and five star linebacker Justin Hilliard lead a stellar class.
Strong Class Hooked for Horns
Second-year head coach Charlie Strong has brought in a highly respected class, and Horns fans are no doubt bragging that their ranking of ninth has bested hated former intrastate rival Texas A&M ,who finished 12th in the nation. Strong is a defensive-oriented coach and his class is led by four star linebacker Malik Jefferson, four star linebacker Anthony Wheeler, and four star safety DeShon Elliott.
Of Note
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish signed the nation’s 13th ranked class as head coach Brian Kelly strives to make the program a permanent contender. Four-star quarterback Brandon Wimbush heads the class.
- Penn State head coach James Franklin is renowned for his recruiting prowess during his days with the Vanderbilt Commodores and has hauled in the nation’s 14th ranked class. Now that NCAA sanctions have been lifted the Nits are again an attractive alternative for recruits.
- Mississippi State is taking advantage of the best season in their history with a recruiting class that ranks 16th in the country. Head coach Dan Mullen has stocked up on defense with four star recruits Jamal Peters at Safety and Leo Lewis at linebacker.
- The Mizzou Tigers made massive gains up the recruiting charts and finished 18th in the country after back to back SEC East Division titles. The Tigers are building a tradition of having among the top defenses in the SEC with a ferocious pass rush. Five star defensive tackle Terry Beckner figures to enhance Mizzou’s reputation for punishing football.
- First year Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Mike riley hauled in a decent class at Nebraska with a ranking of 31st. Riley was able to keep the class together from predecessor Bo Pelini but also added more key pieces down the stretch led by four star guard Jalin Barnett.
- Jim Harbaugh worked no miracles in his first recruiting class at Michigan but did improve their status with a final ranking of 40th with a small class of 14 players led by four star quarterback Zach Gentry, who he flipped from Texas.
