We all know that success in recruiting has a direct correlation to success on the field, so it’s no surprise that SEC teams have raked in the most top-ranked recruits in recent years. This year saw that trend continue as the reigning back-to-back national champions – the Alabama Crimson Tide – nabbed the No. 1 ranked recruiting class and the SEC was represented by three teams in the top five (Bama, No. 2 Florida, No. 5 Ole Miss).
Some of the other usual suspects rounded out this year’s top 10, including Ohio State (No.3), Notre Dame (No.4), Michigan (No.6), LSU (No.7), Texas A&M (No.8), Florida State (No.9) and Georgia (No.10). Check out the complete list, courtesy of ESPN.com.
Wednesday’s signing day marked the sixth consecutive year that the Tide rolled in a top three recruiting class, but the real surprise of the day and of the NCAA offseason came in the form of Ole Miss, who secured the fifth ranked class. Coming off a 7-6 season and 2012 Compass Bowl victory, The Rebels will enter the 2013 season with a wealth of fresh talent headlined by ESPN’s No. 1 overall prospect, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche (pictured above), who chose the Rebels over Florida and LSU.
“I feel like it’s the right place for me,” Nkemdiche said after his announcement, according to ESPN.com. “I feel like they can do special things, and they’re on the rise. I feel like going to play with my brother [Denzel Nkemdiche], we can do something special.”
Also joining Nkemdiche in the 2013 class at Ole Miss this season will be Laremy Tunsil, the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle and Laquon Treadwell, the No. 1 ranked wide receiver.
Although the Rebels probably won’t contend for an SEC title this season with Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M all coming back strong, this class should give them the chance to compete with the big boys of the South in the near future.
Meanwhile, Alabama’s 25 commits – 18 of which are ranked in ESPN’s top 300 – will add to an already stacked roster with players who have already been to the top of the college football mountain.
Will Alabama complete the extremely rare three-peat? With their history of recruiting, there’s no reason they can’t, but there’s also a reason that they don’t play the games on paper. So, although the Tide will have the best ranked squad again at the beginning of their 2013 campaign, they’ll have to earn another trip to the BCS National Championship Game like every other team in the country next year.