National Signing Day 2023: Ranking Top 25 Recruiting Classes After NSD (2024)

Another national signing day has come and gone, and while the Alabama Crimson Tide didn't make it to the College Football Playoff, they did reclaim their perch atop the recruiting standings.

It was an uneventful couple of months for head coach Nick Saban, though, and he's in the vast majority. Most teams had their classes wrapped up, and while there were headlines Wednesday, it was a far cry from what we used to see.

Still, 5-star Nyckoles Harbor provided the big news of the day, signing with South Carolina. The Jaden Rashada saga ended with the former Florida signee flipping to Arizona State. Rodrick Pleasant chose Oregon over USC, and Walker Lyons decided on USC (after he serves his LDS mission).

Star tight end recruit Duce Robinson didn't sign and will look deeper into his baseball future, but there were still plenty of things to watch in a lighter-than-usual February session.

These rankings count high school and JUCO players only—not transfers.

The top three teams are clear-cut and firmly ahead of the rest of the pack, but there was a shuffle in the rest of the top 10. And B/R's rankings differ slightly from the 247Sports composite rankings and other outlets in the industry.

These are independent rankings based on film study and the instant-impact ability of prospects, with more weight added to 4- and 5-star recruits and top-100 players. So, here is B/R's top 25 recruiting rankings after national signing day.

25. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Class size: 26

1 Thing to Know

The bottom line for the hire of second-year head coach Joey McGuire was his Lone Star State connections. In the past, top-tier Texas talent didn't really look Lubbock's way, but that's changing.

The class could be a little more top-heavy (which will come with wins), but the Red Raiders got an early start by luring players from inside state borders. And all but four of their commits/signees come from Texas. Three of those hail from neighboring Louisiana.

24. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Class size: 28

1 Thing to Know

There is a lot to love about a deep class in Lincoln and everything new head coach Matt Rhule did to hold things together after the firing of Scott Frost and the program's decision to let interim coach Mickey Joseph go after he was charged with felony assault following an arrest in November.

While Princewill Umanmielen and Ethan Nation were big gets, the biggest win for Rhule was keeping wide receiver Malachi Coleman, the No. 1 prospect in the state, in his hometown despite overtures from other top programs. He'll be a fan favorite in Big Red country.

23. Michigan State Spartans

Class size: 16

1 Thing to Know

Coach Mel Tucker enjoyed a massive recruiting win in a small-but-productive class when he pulled Bai Jobe out of Norman and from under the noses of the Oklahoma Sooners.

The edge-rushing phenom is raw, but the sky is the limit. He was the first native of Senegal to play in the All-American Bowl, and it would not be surprising if Tucker turns him loose in 2023. He can flat-out get after quarterbacks.

It's going to be fun to watch Jobe develop.

22. Arkansas Razorbacks

Class size: 20

1 Thing to Know

The Razorbacks recruited the Hasz brothers (Luke and Dylan) for several years, but the Bixby, Oklahoma, brothers didn't necessarily have to play together in college; it just turned out that way.

Luke is a 6'3", 245-pound WR/TE who is a top-200 prospect. He had late interest from Alabama but stuck firm with his commitment. While he was the better prospect of the two, Dylan (a DB) didn't commit to the Hogs until later. They both signed and are on campus.

21. Utah Utes

Class size: 20

1 Thing to Know

Kyle Whittingham is notorious for squeezing every morsel of talent out of his players, producing NFL draft picks and contending to win Pac-12 championships every year despite recruiting classes that aren't at the top of the conference.

This year is different. Rankings-wise, this group is the best class Whittingham has ever. Credit back-to-back conference titles for this feat. And with players like offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu and defensive backs CJ Blocker and Smith Snowden, the Utes aren't going anywhere.

20. TCU Horned Frogs

Class size: 24

1 Thing to Know

Not getting Jaden Rashada hurt, and the Horned Frogs' search for a quarterback continues.

Otherwise, things were fine. Much like Texas Tech, TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is enjoying supreme success recruiting in his state, thanks to his ties from years coaching where everything's bigger. After making it to the national championship game in his first year, though, Dykes is doing it on another level.

Of the Horned Frogs' nine 4-star pledges/signees, eight hail from Texas. "You know, guys that weren't necessarily returning our phone calls six weeks ago, all of a sudden were returning our calls," Dykes told reporters at an early national signing day presser in December. "That allowed us to go recruit some really good players to what we thought was already a good class."

19. Florida State Seminoles

Class size: 18

1 Thing to Know

This is a smallish class, largely because head coach Mike Norvell has proved to be exceptional at supplementing this team through the transfer portal, and the Seminoles have done it again this year. But there are some quality high schoolers coming in.

If Lamont Green Jr.'s name looks familiar, it should. His dad (of the same name) was a key part of the 'Noles defense as a linebacker on the 1998 team that lost to Tennessee in the national championship game. The younger Green is nicknamed "Boots" and is an edge-rusher.

18. Auburn Tigers

Class size: 21

1 Thing to Know

Hugh Freeze learned his recruiting chops from Ed Orgeron, and it shows. The man can flat-out convince prospects to come play football for him. He changed the trajectory of the Tigers' recruiting when he took over in November.

Flipping cornerback Kayin Lee (Ohio State) and defensive end Keldric Faulk (Florida State) was massive. Both of those guys will play right away. Sylvester Smith (Tennessee), Colton Hood (Michigan State) and Connor Lew (Miami) also were culprits for Freeze's bandit brigade. This class is built on guys who were ticketed for other destinations.

17. Michigan Wolverines

Class size: 24

1 Thing to Know

Coach Jim Harbaugh has done a bang-up job in the transfer portal during this cycle, and even though his recruiting class is a little short on impact players, he closed the early session well.

The Wolverines boosted their rankings with pledges from a pair of 4-stars in December. Karmello English signed with Big Blue over several SEC offers, and then cornerback Jyaire Hill signed with the Wolverines over Illinois after not having them in his top five.

16. South Carolina Gameco*cks

Class size: 24

1 Thing to Know

While Zavion Hardy had to go the JUCO ranks, the South Carolina Gameco*cks were the story of the day Wednesday, landing the biggest remaining target on the board in Nyckoles Harbor.

With heavy hitters such as Oregon and Michigan (along with Maryland) swinging, Harbor's relationship with Shane Beamer and the Gameco*cks' track and field program proved massive. A NIL package helped, and one of the top athletes is heading to the SEC.

Blessed with Olympic speed, Harbor expects to play tight end in Columbia, and he should give Spencer Rattler a matchup-nightmare target to exploit defenses right away. What a massive pull for Beamer.

15. Texas A&M Aggies

Class size: 19

1 Thing to Know

As if last year's haul of defensive line recruits wasn't elite enough, the Aggies added another star this year in David Hicks, who showed out at all-star games. But perhaps the biggest instant-impact guy in the class is 5-star running back Rueben Owens.

The flip from Louisville is shifty in the open field, big enough (5'11", 190 lbs) to be an every-down back and looks like a plug-and-play replacement for Devon Achane, who is off to the NFL. Texas Longhorns recruit Cedric Baxter Jr. gets a lot of attention (and rightfully so), but Owens is going to battle him for quickest RB on the field from the '23 class.

14. Florida Gators

Class size: 20

1 Thing to Know

Florida's recruiting efforts have gained plenty of negative headlines because of the Jaden Rashada NIL debacle. But the Gators still have some strong players coming in, and they've especially added reinforcements on the defensive front, secondary and in the receiving corps.

Of the 16 midterm enrollees already in Gainesville, 14 are 4-star prospects, including four stellar D-linemen in Kelby Collins, Kamran James, Will Norman and T.J. Searcy. Head coach Billy Napier needs a couple of those guys to help right away on a thin roster.

13. Penn State Nittany Lions

Class size: 23

1 Thing to Know

If you can't get excited about the elite trio of tight ends in Andrew Rappleyea, Joey Schlaffer and Mathias Barnwell given the way that position is utilized in head coach James Franklin's offense, then hang your blue-and-white hat on this: J'ven Williams and Alex Birchmeier are the highest-rated offensive line tandem Penn State has signed in the Franklin era and even dating back to when 247Sports started tracking recruits.

There's a lot to love about these offensive reinforcements.

12. USC Trojans

Class size: 21

1 Thing to Know

Get excited about Zachariah Branch. If you didn't already know he was an explosive, playmaking talent coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas and directly into the Lincoln Riley system, the postseason prep all-star games showed the world.

First, Branch returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown in the Under Armour All-American Game. Then he was named the fastest player in the Polynesian Bowl practices. It's going to be impossible for the 5'10", 172-pound speedster to stay on the sideline in L.A.

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Class size: 24

1 Thing to Know

When you talk about Notre Dame being a national brand, everybody knows it. There are Fighting Irish fans all over, and former head coach Brian Kelly didn't have a difficult time luring players to South Bend. Marcus Freeman doesn't either.

Of Notre Dame's 24 pledges, an astounding 14 states are represented, including Texas (four prospects), Missouri (two), Ohio (two), North Carolina (two), Massachusetts (two), Illinois (two), Virginia (two), California (two), Indiana, Tennessee, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey and Kansas.

Class size: 26

1 Thing to Know

There is a lot to love about this Clemson recruiting class, which swelled to 26 commitments as head coach Dabo Swinney looks to help the Tigers drive toward a national championship run after a respite.

The sheer wealth of recruiting wins in talent-rich states like Georgia and Swinney's home state of Alabama (which was even more loaded than usual in the '23 cycle) has been a point of discussion.

But the haul on the defensive line is especially impressive.

Clemson has become known as DLU recently, and though Myles Murphy, K.J. Henry and Bryan Bresee are off to the NFL, reinforcements are arriving soon (or already have).

The Tigers' top signee is 5-star DT Peter Woods, who has explosive, special potential. Joining him are fellow Alabama native Tomarrion Parker and big-time Georgia prospect Vic Burley. All three are top-100 prospects.

Stephiylan Green (No. 112), David Ojiegbe (No. 289) and AJ Hoffler (No. 322) are also 4-star prospects who are coming to the ACC champions to help replenish the room.

Class size: 25

1 Thing to Know

Tennessee came out of nowhere to win 11 games in 2022 and climbed all the way to No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings before losing to eventual national champion Georgia.

With the way head coach Josh Heupel is recruiting, there won't be any more surprise attacks from Rocky Top.

The best thing about this class is almost everyone is prepared to go through spring practice. Of the Vols' 25 players, 19 are already on campus, including 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who will battle Joe Milton for the starting job.

Defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs, wide receiver Nathan Leaco*ck and edge-rusher Caleb Herring also are in Knoxville, as well as linebacker Arion Carter and versatile defensive backs like John Slaughter, Rickey Gibson III, Jordan Matthews and Cristian Conyer, who are expected to battle for rotational spots in the secondary right away.

This class will pay dividends quickly.

Class size: 20

1 Thing to Know

It's going to be interesting to watch late-surging 4-star prospect Jelani Thurman develop at Ohio State.

The 6'5", 230-pound tight end prospect wound up as the No. 5 overall player in the state of Georgia (and No. 104 overall), and while he is one of the nation's top players at his position and a legacy at UGA, he was never really pursued by the home-state Bulldogs.

UGA head coach Kirby Smart has an abundance of talent at the tight end position.

Thurman's father is former star Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman, and his mother is Kara Braxton, who played for Georgia before going to the WNBA. Thurman's stepfather is another former Georgia linebacker, Jarvis Jackson.

Still, now he will bleed Buckeye scarlet rather than Georgia red. He's even a bit overlooked in his OSU class, with star pass-catchers Brandon Inniss, Noah Rogers and Carnell Tate coming in, but he could be a big recruiting W.

Ohio State's ranking was hurt by its smallish class and the fact Miami and Oregon had a larger quantity of higher-ranked players, but the Buckeyes' quality is just fine.

Class size: 25

1 Thing to Know

If you win Florida on the recruiting trail, everything else pretty much takes care of itself, and there are normally enough top-tier talent from the fertile developmental grounds of the Sunshine State to outfit a roster.

Favorite son Mario Cristobal has proved his recruiting chops time and time again, and though his class will be known for taking a massive hit after Cormani McClain flipped to Colorado to play for Deion Sanders, the Hurricanes won the state in this cycle.

Seventeen of their 25 commitments come from inside state borders, and the big prize is transplant Francis Mauigoa, who moved to Bradenton to play for IMG Academy. The 5-star offensive lineman should be an anchor.

Mauigoa's IMG teammate Jayden Wayne will team with Miami Central's Rueben Bain to give The U a formidable edge-rushing duo for the next several years. Tight end Riley Williams and interior offensive lineman Antonio Tripp are another pair of IMG players who prove Cristobal has deep tie-ins with the school.

There's a long way to go in Coral Gables, but this healthy class will help.

Class size: 29

1 Thing to Know

Failing to land Nyckoles Harbor on national signing day brought back frustrations from the end of an otherwise wonderful early singing session for the Ducks, who lost Dante Moore (UCLA) and Peyton Bowen (Oklahoma).

Much like they did in December, though, Dan Lanning and Co. rallied.

Combatting the irritation of those losses a couple of months ago, Oregon signed elite edge-rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and quarterback Austin Novosad. If there's one thing to know, it's that Lanning knows how to cushion a blow.

The Ducks did the same thing Wednesday, getting a major prospect in 4-star cornerback Rodrick Pleasant, the nation's No. 91-ranked prospect and the ninth-rated player at his position.

Getting Pleasant boosted Oregon in the rankings.

Class size: 25

1 Thing to Know

LSU's Brian Kelly signed a loaded 2023 recruiting class that borders on elite, meeting needs at edge-rusher, running back and wide receiver, where difference-makers abound.

One place the Tigers didn't really need another top recruit was at offensive tackle, where Will Campbell and Emery Jones showed out as true freshmen in 2022. But they got one anyway in Zalance Heard.

The Monroe, Louisiana, chose the Bayou Bengals over numerous offers, including heavy interest in Nebraska. Where he fits on the front remains to be seen, but he is big (6'5½", 310 lbs) and athletic enough to start right away.

If you want to know how athletic, just check out his touchdown RECEPTION in the U.S. Army Bowl.

When you can get a player like Heard, you take him and fit everything together later.

Class size: 26

1 Thing to Know

This is a deep, versatile and talented class. Last year, head coach Brent Venables showed the world what he can do after salvaging a strong group for the Sooners after Lincoln Riley left.

Though the on-field results weren't what OU fans hoped they'd be, there's no question they've got the right guy on the sideline, at least when it comes to convincing top talent to come to Norman.

If there's one thing to spotlight about this group, it's the Denton, Texas, tandem of Jackson Arnold and Peyton Bowen. They were teammates at powerhouse Guyer High School, and even with so many potential playmakers in this class, they have the highest ceilings.

Yes, quarterback Dillon Gabriel is returning to Oklahoma in '23. But Arnold needs some snaps because he's the future, and he has one of the strongest arms of anybody in an elite quarterback class.

Everybody will remember the drama of Bowen flipping from Notre Dame to Oregon to Oklahoma, but he has big-play ability on the back end and is the second-best safety prospect in the nation behind Alabama's Caleb Downs.

Class size: 24

1 Thing to Know

Texas' class is loaded with skill-position talent.

The Longhorns made a baby step in 2022 under second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. But folks are impatient in Austin, and the flagship school of a state with loads of talent shouldn't have been down this long. Maybe this is the group of players to help put them back in championship contention.

The Horns signed seven players who are in the top four in their respective position rankings.

Arch Manning is the No. 1-ranked player in the nation. Additionally, Cedric Baxter Jr. is the top-ranked running back, and he steps into a golden opportunity to earn carries vacated by Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson.

Electric linebacker Anthony Hill is No. 2 at his position, and he was the top-rated 'backer until the recent reranking. In the secondary, Malik Muhammad is the fourth-ranked cornerback, and Derek Williams is the fourth-rated safety.

Jelani McDonald is the second-rated athlete who projects to a hybrid linebacker/safety like DeMarvion Overshown was, and Johntay Cook II is the nation's third-ranked receiver.

Class size: 26

1 Thing to Know

The recent rerankings were kind to the Georgia Bulldogs, who went from one 5-star player (edge-rusher Damon Wilson) to five.

What's huge for the loaded back-to-back national champions is—much like SEC East rival Tennessee—most of that talent is already on campus, and there's no other class in the country besides Alabama that has as many potential future stars.

Wilson is already in Athens, as is linebacker Raylen Wilson. Monroe Freeling is a top-tier offensive tackle. Joenel Aguero is a hard-hitting safety, and defensive lineman Jordan Hall looks like another stalwart on the front. All of them are 5-stars, and all of them are ready to battle for reps.

The Dawgs have 12 of the top 100 players in the nation, so if you were thinking head coach Kirby Smart and Co. may have a dip in talent without as much immediate playing time to sell, you're in for a rude awakening.

National signing day ended with a thud for the Dawgs, as Duce Robinson chose not to sign anywhere and look at his baseball prospects and Walker Lyons went to USC.

Georgia is able to pick and choose who it wants, and this class is strong from top to bottom.

Class size: 28

1 Thing to Know

The unbelievable class Nick Saban has compiled is top-heavy with elite talent and guys who can go into a place as deep as the pool in Tuscaloosa and still battle to start.

Safety Caleb Downs was a longtime commit who was wanted by everybody in the nation, as was running back Justice Haynes. Both of those Georgia natives were highly coveted by the Bulldogs.

Kadyn Proctor (Iowa) and Keon Keeley (Notre Dame) were committed to other programs at one point. But Saban was persistent, and it paid off.

While Yhonzae Pierre was an in-state star (and late-rising 5-star) who was committed to Alabama for a long time, Montgomery (Carver HS) teammates Qua Russaw and James Smith waited until late to decide. Then, cornerback Desmond Ricks reclassified from the '24 class to the '23 class and chose Alabama over LSU and others.