If you’re interested in finding out who is recruiting the best right now, it’s as simple as going to 247Sports and looking at the 2021 composite recruiting class team rankings. But there is a difference between “best” and “hottest.”
There is a lot of nuance to recruiting, particularly in the context of how results match up with a program’s expectations. One program could finish No. 15 in the recruiting rankings and throw a parade; another team’s fans may want to fire their coach with the same finish. Recruiting is complex.
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Every month, we’ll do a piece called “The 5,” where we break down five things that give further understanding of the current situation in the world of talent accumulation. The latest is a breakdown of the five most influential signees from the 2021 recruiting cycle.
1. Five-star DE Korey Foreman, USC
High school:Corona (Calif.) Centennial
Ranking:No. 1 overall, No. 1 strongside defensive end (247Sports Composite)
Height/weight:6-foot-4, 265 pounds
Other offers:Clemson, Arizona State, Georgia, LSU and many others
USC’s recruiting ranking:No. 8 overall, No. 2 in the Pac-12
The buzz: Foreman would have been influential wherever he ended up because he is about as close to a can’t-miss prospect as you can find. All it takes is one quick look at him to see a future first-round NFL Draft pick. Foreman is the most important commitment of the cycle, not because of his ranking, but because USC managed to keep the No. 1 overall player home. For a while, that didn’t seem possible; Foreman initially committed to Clemson and at one point recently was considered a heavy lean to LSU. USC, however, ended up closing the deal. It’s crucial for the Trojans to keep the best prospects on the West Coast home if they hope to return to national prominence.
2. Five-star QB Caleb Williams, Oklahoma
High school:Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga
Ranking:No. 6 overall, No. 1 quarterback
Height/weight:6-foot-1, 210 pounds
Other offers:Maryland, LSU and others
Oklahoma’srecruiting ranking:No. 10 overall, No. 1 Big 12
The buzz:Oklahoma is the current leader in the “QBU” discussion because of what Lincoln Riley was able to do with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, who are now starting in the NFL. Oklahoma has turned that success with transfers into elite-level quarterback recruiting out of high school, starting with five-star Spencer Rattler in the 2019 class and now Williams in 2021. Oklahoma never struggles to accumulate firepower on offense, but Williams’ commitment again solidified Oklahoma as the place to be for the most elite quarterback prospects. Not only is Williams really good, but he also organized the “Sooner Summit” and was a leader of this Oklahoma class during a pandemic. The Sooners missed on some top prospects late in the class, but Williams did help them land eight players who rank in the top 125 nationally.
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3. Four-star QB Tyler Buchner, Notre Dame
High school:La Mesa (Calif.) Helix
Ranking:No. 65 overall, No. 3 dual-threat quarterback
Height/weight:6-foot-2, 205 pounds
Other offers:Alabama, Arizona State and others
Notre Dame’srecruiting ranking:No. 9 overall, No. 1 independent
The buzz:There is a case to be made that Notre Dame is leading the second tier of programs that are battling for positioning behind the truly elite in college football — Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson. The Fighting Irish just made the Playoff for the second time in three seasons and have won at least 10 games in each of the last four years. Though there’s undoubtedly a huge difference in talent between those three big dogs of the sport and Notre Dame, landing a fringe five-star quarterback from California is a step in the right direction for the Irish in the never-ending chase to close the gap. Notre Dame was hit harder than any school during the pandemic because it is truly a program that relies on recruiting nationally, so being able to land its quarterback of the future out of California is a huge get. Notre Dame has a way to go before it is a legit threat to win a national title, but with a five-star talent at quarterback, the Irish have an answer at the sport’s most important position.
4. Five-star QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
High school:Bradenton (Fla.) IMG via La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy
Ranking:No. 22 overall, No. 2 pro-style QB
Height/weight:6-foot-3, 190 pounds
Other offers:Arizona State, Ohio State, LSU, Penn State, USC and others
Michigan’s recruiting ranking:No. 13 overall, No. 2 in the Big Ten
The buzz:You could make a case that the most important commitment in Michigan’s 2021 class is four-star running back Donovan Edwards of West Bloomfield (Mich.) High because Edwards is a Michigan kid who had very attractive offers from programs outside the state. But this is a quarterback-heavy list because the right quarterback can change a program, and McCarthy is the latest hope to do that at Michigan. There is ongoing speculation about Jim Harbaugh’s future at Michigan, but if he does return in 2021, he will have the option of turning to McCarthy to lead his offense. Harbaugh has had top-tier talent at the position; Shea Patterson, the starter in 2018 and 2019, was a former five-star prospect, and the three players who were competing to be the starter last spring, Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton and Cade McNamara, were all blue-chip prospects. But none of those panned out. Now it’s McCarthy’s turn, and he could actually be the missing piece to what Harbaugh needs to get over the hump.
5. Five-star QB Brock Vandagriff, Georgia
High school:Bogart (Ga.) Prince Avenue Christian School
Ranking:No. 14 overall, No. 2 dual-threat QB
Height/weight:6-foot-3, 205 pounds
Other offers:Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan and others
Georgia’s recruiting ranking:No. 3 overall, No. 2 in the SEC
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The buzz: Alabama and Ohio State — two teams that are absolutely stacked with talent — are set to square off in the national title game. But the most talented team in 2020, according to the 247Sports Team Talent Composite, was Georgia. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs have yet to put it all together since coming up short in the national title game against the Crimson Tide at the end of the 2017 season. Part of the reason Georgia hasn’t turned into the new Alabama despite a comparable roster is that Smart has yet to find big success at quarterback, whether it be Jake Fromm’s regression, Justin Fields’ transfer or the quarterback carousel of 2020. The hope in Athens is that Vandagriff is the quarterback Georgia needs to finally get over the hump, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s an in-state prospect who was once committed to Oklahoma before ultimately deciding to stay home.
Honorable mention
• Four-star QB Preston Stone of Dallas (Texas) Parish Episcopal, SMU: Rated the No. 111 overall prospect in the country, Stone is the highest-ranked player who signed with a Group of 5 program — and he’s a quarterback from the same city in which his future college is located. Enough said.
• Five-star LB Terrence Lewis of Miami (Fla.) Central, Maryland: Lewis had an odd recruitment. After decommitting from Tennessee, he landed at Maryland, which gave Mike Locksley a five-star signee late in the process in each of the last two years. Maryland is improving its talent across the board, and the Terrapins could be much more dangerous in the Big Ten East if this trend continues.
• Four-star QB Drake Maye of Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park, North Carolina: Once committed to Alabama, Maye turned his back on the Crimson Tide and flipped to in-state North Carolina. Mack Brown has promised to own recruiting in the state, and landing Maye — the younger brother of former Tar Heels basketball star Luke Maye — is a statement that North Carolina has a promising future in the ACC.
• Five-star DE Keeshawn Silver of Rocky Mount (N.C.) High, North Carolina: Maye made the list because he’s a high-profile quarterback, but how can you leave off a five-star defensive end with SEC offers who chose to be a Tar Heel instead? Silver is proof that North Carolina can beat out schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas for North Carolina prospects.
• Five-star OT Nolan Rucci of Lititz (Pa.) Warwick, Wisconsin: Wisconsin is known as an offensive line factory, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it landed Rucci, the No. 15 overall player in the 2021 class. This signing was significant for two reasons: It helped Wisconsin secure the highest-rated class in program history, and Rucciis a Pennsylvania native who grew up two hours away from Penn State.
• Five-star DE Shemar Turner of DeSoto (Texas) High, Texas A&M: The Aggies finished the 2021 cycle on a tear and climbed up No. 7 in the team rankings, and the momentum started with landing this Dallas-area stud who could have gone anywhere he wanted. After Turner, Texas A&M went on to add four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye of Katy (Texas) Tompkins, four-star offensive lineman Bryce Foster of Katy (Texas) Taylor, four-star defensive end Elijah Jeudy of Philadelphia (Pa.) Northeast and others. Turner, though, is a Texas native and the crown jewel of the Aggies’ class.
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• Four-star WR Troy Franklin of Menlo Park (Calif.) Menlo-Atherton, Oregon: One of the most electric wide receivers in the 2021 class was considering Alabama, LSU and others, but Oregon dipped into California and kept this elite-level prospect on the West Coast. Oregon just signed the best class in program history, and Franklin is the main piece who held it all together.
• Four-star QB Jake Garcia of Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, Miami: A California native and longtime USC commit, Garcia broke his pledge to the Trojans late in the process and wound up giving Manny Diaz his quarterback of the future. The Hurricanes signed two five-star defensive prospects from South Florida — which is a must if they are ever going to return to glory — but Garcia is a legitimizing piece who gives Miami a difference-maker at quarterback.
• Four-star OT Wyatt Milum of Huntington (W.Va.) Spring Valley, West Virginia: The last top-100 player to sign with West Virginia was four-star wide receiver Ivan McCartney of Miramar (Fla.) High in the 2010 class, so earning a commitment from this stud — ranked 108th nationally — the year after missing out on two five-star offensive linemen from Huntington, W.Va.,was an important accomplishment for the Mountaineers.
• Four-star OG Jager Burton of Lexington (Ky.) Frederick Douglass, Kentucky: Rated the No. 135 overall player in the 2021 class, Burton had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas and others. That was an uncomfortable situation for Kentucky given this was a must-get prospect from Lexington. Kentucky has been quietly building an above-average roster for years, and keeping Burton from leaving the state will add another important piece to Mark Stoops’ program.
(Photo of Brock Vandagriff: Courtesy of Prince Avenue Christian School)
Ari Wasserman is a senior writer for The Athletic covering college football and recruiting nationally. He previously spent 10 years covering Ohio State for The Athletic and Cleveland.com, starting on the Buckeyes beat in 2009. Follow Ari on Twitter @AriWasserman
