After a very altered but still fascinating 2020 college football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide emerged as National Champions for the third time in seven years. But now that the NFL has claimed most of the star players from contending teams, it is time for them all to reboot and reload with this year’s promising freshman class of high school seniors.
Today we breakdown the top three recruiting classes in the country, with some honorable mentions, and how that will set these teams up for future success.
#1 Class: Alabama
It is fitting that the National Champions and best college football team are also bringing in the best new players. Who doesn’t want to go win a ring with Nick Saban and the Tide?
However, this year is different. Not only does Alabama have the best class this year, but also the single highest-rated recruiting class of all time. Nick Saban is bringing in seven five-star recruits, along with 16 four-stars, and four three-stars that add together for a 95.00 average recruiting grade.
As always with the Tide, it is not just the star playmaking positions. They have grabbed the best offensive lineman, defensive lineman, and cornerback this year, all of which shapes up to provide them with a strong core for years to come, and many more championship opportunities.
#2 Class: Ohio State
This one is also of no surprise because Ohio State lost to Alabama in the championship game, so it makes sense that they have the second-best recruiting class. They are bringing in five five-stars, 13 four-stars, and three three-stars for an average rating of 94.52.
Ohio State's class includes two of the top three D-lineman, the top wide receiver, and the number one guard in the class. Overall, head coach Ryan Day’s work should also put them back in the spotlight for the years to come.
#3 Class: LSU
LSU comes in at number three, which is somewhat surprising if you look just at their work last year, going 5-5 overall, far from their recent glory with Joe Burrow. However, you have to look at it in the bigger picture of the last few years.
Several of these recruits signed as juniors, right in the middle of Burrow’s historic season, so LSU should be in a prime position to bounce back from an extremely disappointing 2020. The class has two five-stars and sixteen four-stars for an average 92.76 rating. Expect to see this team back in high places in the near future.
Honorable Mention
Though not in the top three this year, you can’t say college football without talking about the Clemson Tigers. Clemson boasts the fifth-ranked recruiting class, though they usually rank in the top three.
Their class is not as good as usual because they are usually in the top three, and they are losing star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, perhaps the greatest college football player ever. It will be interesting to see what Dabo Sweeney does with this brand new team. Still, knowing the Tigers, who have appeared in four of the seven most recent championship games, they will probably find themselves being fantastic as usual.