Some info from the Athletic:
• Here is where things are different: In that 2021 recruiting cycle (the last full cycle before NIL), Ohio State and Alabama combined to sign 30 of the top 100 players. In this cycle, the four programs that signed the most top-100 players (Georgia, Alabama, Miami and Ohio State) combined for 33. That’s still somewhat lopsided, but it isn’t as drastic as in 2021 or even 2022 when Texas A&M alone signed 18.
• We’ve had cycles in the recent past in which roughly half of the top 100 players in the country went to a group of five schools. This year, it takes seven schools to get to 50 top-100 signees. Again, still lopsided, but not as stark.
• It’s going to take more statistical analysis once the dust settles and all of the signees are in, but in this one set of data, there aren’t necessarily more schools getting a seat at the table. But the programs that were already at the table (the cool kids, as I have referred to them) now have fewer servings on their plates. They are no longer hoarding as much of the talent, which makes classes in the top 10 more equitable than they’ve been in the past. (Note: We’re going to have a deeper statistical dive into the concept of recruiting results, NIL and parity in the coming weeks.)
• Has any program in the country had more year-over-year improvement than Auburn? Though the Tigers moved up only 11 spots in the rankings from No. 18 in 2023 to No. 7 in this cycle, it goes deeper than statistics. That’s a whole new range of class depth. Hugh Freeze took Auburn out of the dark recruiting times of the Bryan Harsin era and made the Tigers relevant with the most elite-level players in the country. Though Auburn failed to flip Bolden — there was some smoke around that — it still signed two five-star prospects and six top-100 players. If you ever questioned how much a coach’s mentality actually impacts the roster, this would be Exhibit A.
• Here is where things are different: In that 2021 recruiting cycle (the last full cycle before NIL), Ohio State and Alabama combined to sign 30 of the top 100 players. In this cycle, the four programs that signed the most top-100 players (Georgia, Alabama, Miami and Ohio State) combined for 33. That’s still somewhat lopsided, but it isn’t as drastic as in 2021 or even 2022 when Texas A&M alone signed 18.
• We’ve had cycles in the recent past in which roughly half of the top 100 players in the country went to a group of five schools. This year, it takes seven schools to get to 50 top-100 signees. Again, still lopsided, but not as stark.
• It’s going to take more statistical analysis once the dust settles and all of the signees are in, but in this one set of data, there aren’t necessarily more schools getting a seat at the table. But the programs that were already at the table (the cool kids, as I have referred to them) now have fewer servings on their plates. They are no longer hoarding as much of the talent, which makes classes in the top 10 more equitable than they’ve been in the past. (Note: We’re going to have a deeper statistical dive into the concept of recruiting results, NIL and parity in the coming weeks.)
• Has any program in the country had more year-over-year improvement than Auburn? Though the Tigers moved up only 11 spots in the rankings from No. 18 in 2023 to No. 7 in this cycle, it goes deeper than statistics. That’s a whole new range of class depth. Hugh Freeze took Auburn out of the dark recruiting times of the Bryan Harsin era and made the Tigers relevant with the most elite-level players in the country. Though Auburn failed to flip Bolden — there was some smoke around that — it still signed two five-star prospects and six top-100 players. If you ever questioned how much a coach’s mentality actually impacts the roster, this would be Exhibit A.
