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1. Florida
In his first full year to recruit Gator Head Coach Urban Meyer and his staff did an unbelievable job in putting together a stellar recruiting class from top to bottom. This is a deep class that's balanced and has lots of speed and athleticism. More importantly, they filled all their needs across the board. Quarterback Tim Tebow looks to be a perfect fit for Meyer's spread offense and he will have an array of wide receivers coming in with him - Percy Harvin, Justin Williams, and Jarred Fayson. The o-line group is spearheaded by big Carl Johnson and Marcus Gilbert. Florida is just as stout on the defensive side of the ball. This group is led by linebackers Brandon Spikes, A.J. Jones and Dustin Doe, defensive linemen Brandon Antwine and Jermaine Cunningham, and defensive backs Jamar Hornsby, Riley Cooper, Bryan Thomas, Patrick Robinson and Jacques Rickerson.
2. Texas
The National Champs are putting together another super recruiting class. Longhorn Head Coach Mack Brown has proven over the years that he's one of the nation's top recruiters and it's all about consistency and he's as consistent when it comes to recruiting as anyone in the country. Brown and Texas secured over 20 commitments before the season even started. They stole quarterback Jevan Snead from the University of Florida and also will sign an athletic signal caller in Sherrod Harris. They are bringing in two smaller running backs in Vondrell McGee and Antwan Cobb and wide receivers Phillip Payne and Montre Webber. Josh Marshall and J'Marcus Webb led their tight end and offensive line groups respectively. On the other side of the ball the Longhorns are getting the nation's top rated defensive end and linebacker in Eddie Jones and Sergio Kindle. Dustin Earnest is also a top-notch middle linebacker. Don't be surprised if one of the gems of this class is Ken Beasley. He can do it all at both wide receiver and cornerback.
3. USC
The Trojans may not have the sheer numbers that the teams do above them in the recruiting rankings, but boy do they have the quality. USC is sitting on 16 commitments and 11 of those prospects are all members of the Scout.com National Hot 100 - running back Emmauel Moody, running back/ safety Stafon Johnson, wide receivers Vidal Hazelton and David Ausberry, OL/DL Butch Lewis, defensive tackle Derrick Simmons, linebackers Allen Bradford and Josh Tatum, cornerback Shareece Wright and safeties C.J. Gable, Taylor Mays and Antwine Perez. Hazelton is the nation's top receiver while Ausberry is a Dwayne Jarrett type. The Trojans have the top safety class in the country and these guys are great athletes with speed and they can all hit. Lewis could star on other side of the ball. Another Trojan commitment, running back Stanley Havili, was a member of the Hot 100 and just missed out. This is a star studded class and the rich just got a lot richer at Southern Cal.
4. Georgia
The Dawgs have quietly become a regular in the top ten in the recruiting rankings. Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt and his staff are one of the best when it comes to going out and getting the blue-chip prospects. This year's bumper crop to Athens is led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, the nation's No. 2 rated quarterback. He is already on campus and will have an excellent chance to see significant playing time as a freshman. Stafford will have a big play maker to go to "Between the Hedges" in wide receiver Tony Wilson. You have to love what UGA did on the offensive line by signing eight, led by Kiante Tripp and Justin Anderson. Georgia always does well in recruiting defensive linemen and they did so again this year. This group is led by two very athletic ends - Demarcus Dobbs and Brandon Wood. The strength of the defense could be the linebacking corps. The Bulldogs will resign Darius Dewberry and Akeem Hebron is one of the best 'backers in the country.
5. Notre Dame
Irish Head Coach Charlie Weis has to be very happy with the group that will sign with Notre Dame on Wednesday, especially on offense. The strength of this class has to be on the offensive line with Sam Young, Matt Carufel, Danny Wenger and Chris Stewart. They could be bringing in arguably the top o-line group in the nation. There is skill as well. Quarterbacks Zach Frazer and Demetrius Jones are different as Frazer is a dropback passer while Jones is an athlete. They also have different style backs in James Aldridge and Munir Prince while Luke Schmidt is one of the country's top fullback prospects. Although they didn't sign great speed at the wide receiver position, Barry Gallup, Robby Paris and Richard Jackson are all sure handed wideouts. Tight end Konrad Reuland is a talent and should be a huge weapon in the Weis offense. Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil are top of the nation's top 10 cornerback prospects. If there is a knock on this class it's they are only bringing in four prospects for their front seven on defense. Still, linebacker Toryan Smith is one of the top middle linebackers from the south and Kallen Wade is a rangy defensive end prospect. Overall, this is the most talent Notre Dame class is years.
6. Penn State
Believe it or not, Penn State is still capitalizing on the momentum they got by signing Justin King and Derrick Williams last season. It also helps that the Nittany Lions won the Big 10 and beat FSU in the Orange Bowl and finished 11-1. Since the bowl win Joe Paterno and Penn State have been one of the hottest teams in recruiting. They turned Pat Devlin away from Miami and he is now headed to Happy Valley. Chris Bell showed his skills and the reasons why he is one of the top receivers in the nation at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Across the front, Paterno has to be all smiles with tight end Andrew Quarless and offensive linemen Antonio Logan-El, Lou Eliades and J.B. Walton. The strength of this recruiting class is their defensive line. The Nittany Lions are bringing in six defensive tackles and three defensive ends, led by Maurice Evans, Phillip Taylor, Jared Odrick and Tom McEowen. Linebacker Navarro Bowman is one of the top prospects from the East coast as is cornerback A.J. Wallace. This is the top Penn State class in many years.
7. LSU
Les Miles is picking up right where Nick Saban left off and LSU has proved that they are not going anywhere when it comes to recruiting. The Tigers are going to land the nation's top running back class with Keiland Williams, Charles Scott and Richard Murphy. Williams might be underrated as the nation's third ranked back. He and Scott have size, power and speed while Murphy is great in space. Ricky Dixon is a receiver with size while Richard Dickson could be a star at tight end or defensive end. Defensive tackle Al Woods is one of the top five defensive prospects in the country. He is a man in the middle, very powerful and a disruptive force. Jacob Cutrera is one of the top middle linebackers in the South and cornerback Perrish Cox is one of the top cornerbacks in the nation. LSU just stole the nation's top cornerback, Jai Eugene, from Michigan.
8. Pittsburgh
Pitt Head Coach Dave Wannstedt has done a terrific job during his first full year recruiting for the Panthers. Wannstedt and company landed the nation's top tight end in Nate Byham and fellow National Hot 100 prospects in running back Kevin Collier, wide receiver Dorin Dickerson, and offensive lineman Joe Thomas. Collier could emerge as a franchise type of back. The Panthers scored big on the d-line, especially at defensive tackle with guys like Jason Pinkston and John Malecki. Pitt went down to Florida and found some talent for their secondary with safety Tamarcus Porter and cornerback Ricky Gary, teammates from Pahokee. Safety Elijah Fields was a great way to close out this class.
9. Auburn
Auburn is going to bring in some very good prospects at just about every position - Neil Caudle (QB), Ben Tate (RB), Chris Slaughter (WR), Terrell Zachary (WR), Lee Tiley (OL), Jamarcus Ricks (OL), Bart Eddins (DT), Greg Smith (DT), Raven Gray (DT), Bo Harris (LB), and Mario Fannin (S). Harris, from Georgia, could emerge as the best prospect from the Peach State among the Class of '06. Caudle is a talented signal caller but needs to get his knee's healthy. Tate is a big and strong back while Slaughter and Zachary are two big receiver targets. Auburn went all the way to Columbus, Ohio to land Tilley, one of the top O-linemen in the nation. Eddins has a great motor on the inside but just needs to get bigger. Gray is a terrific athlete on the edge at rush end. Overall, this is one of Coach Tommy Tuberville's best classes. Wide receiver Tim Hawthorne just verballed to Auburn and he is one of the nation's top receivers.
10. Mississippi
Ole Miss in the top 10? Yes sir. Rebel Head Coach Ed Orgeron is this season's Recruiter of the Year after putting together the top Ole Miss class in a very long time, especially coming off a 3-8 season. Running back Cordera Eason, wide receivers Terry Levy and Kendrick Lewis and offensive linemen John Jerry and Aubrey McPhadden are all talented enough to make impacts in Oxford this fall. Defensively, the stars are defensive tackle Jerrell Powe, defensive end Kentrell Lockett, linebackers Todd Cox and Jonathan Cornell, and safety Allen Walker. Powe, Lockett and Walker all have a chance to be big time players for Ole Miss. The key to the class is quarterback because this was their critical need this season and Orgeron went out and got Brent Schaeffer, the former Tennessee Volunteer.
11. Oklahoma
It's likely that this could be the last season for Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma so the Sooners needed to go get a running back or two. Enter DeMarco Murray and Mossis Madu. Murray is a play maker that can score any time he touches the ball while Madu is a prospect that came on late this fall. Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb are two talented receivers with size and the Sooners scored big on the o-line. Quarterback Sam Bradford is the No. 17 ranked signal caller in the country. Cornerbacks Dominque Franks and Jonathan Nelson are the headliners of the new Sooner defenders.
12. Michigan
Michigan went to the South and stole some very good prospects like running back Carlos Brown, wide receiver Greg Matthews, and quarterback David Cone and went out west to steal offensive lineman Steve Schilling. The Wolverines also landed another big back in Brandon Minor and one of the nation's top o-line prospects in offensive guard Justin Boren. Defensively, they will resign Marques Slocum, one of the most highly sought after defensive linemen from the Class of 2005. Linebacker Brandon Graham is physically ready for Big 10 football now.
13. Ohio State
Running back Chris Wells is their top dog because he's the top prospect in the country and he is certainly ready to big time Big 10 ball. Barring injury, Wells should make an impact for the Buckeyes as a true freshman. He has the size (6-1.5/230), speed and power to really help out that Ohio State offense. Speaking of offense, quarterback Antonio Henton was the Player of the Year in Georgia and he can run and throw. He will remind many of Troy Smith. The Buckeyes are loading up on defense, especially at linebacker with Ross Homan, Thaddeus Gibson, Mark Johnson, and Tyler Moeller. Defensive end Robert Rose is a star in the making and has the size, speed, athleticism and frame to be a terror on the edge. Kurt Coleman is a very good defensive back while Ray Small could be a corner or wide receiver. Both players are blazers.
14. Oklahoma State
The Cowboys are reeling in a talented class headed to Stillwater where they are bringing in balance from top to bottom from quarterback to cornerback. Alex Cate was previously committed to LSU before the QB changed his mind and decided to attend Oklahoma State. They may have lost running back Michael Goodson but they are bringing in a trio of backs. The Cowboys are also signing four wide receivers and five offensive linemen. On the other side of the ball, six defensive line prospects are headed to Oklahoma State, three tackles and three ends, led by Derek Burton and Ugo Chinasa, two of the region's top prospects. The Cowboys are also getting help at linebacker and in the secondary. Told you there was balance from top to bottom.
15. Miami (FL)
Staff changes on offense cost the Hurricanes one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Pat Devlin, the No. 4 rated signal caller in the nation from the state of Pennsylvania, decided to stay home and sign with Penn State rather than attend Miami after the dismal of Dan Werner, the former Miami offensive coordinator. To replace him the 'Canes went out and stole Daniel Stegall who had previously committed to Arkansas State. At running back Miami got two very good ones in Kylan Robinson and Javarris James. Sam Shields and George Robinson are two receivers from the Sunshine State headed to Coral Gables. The Hurricanes are bringing in five defensive linemen and a big time linebacker prospect in Colin McCarthy. He's one of the top defensive prospects from the state of Florida. Cornerback Ryan Hill is as good as they come at the position.
16. Arizona
For the second consecutive year Mike Stoops and his Arizona Wildcats are putting together a top 20 recruiting class. This is a program on the rise and they are getting help across the board with the exception of linebacker. Quarterback Tyler Lyon, running back Derke Robinson, wide receivers Terrell Reese, Delashaun Dean, and Terrell Turner, offensive linemen Jovan Hayes and tight ends Earl Mitchell and Cody Anderson are all prospects that were very highly sought after. Defensively, they are getting some serious Junior College help with defensive tackle Gabe Long, defensive end Louis Holmes, and Nate Ness. Defensive end A.J. Simmons and cornerback Devin Ross are two prospects that could help out next season.
17. Texas Tech
Believe it or not this Red Raider class is not all about throwing the football. Yes Texas Tech is getting one of the state's top quarterbacks in Taylor Potts, but this group is led by the defensive recruits and the o-linemen. Mike Leach is signing seven offensive linemen and the best of the bunch is Ofa Mohetau, who was one of the top overall players in the nation two years ago. On the other side of the ball, they are signing 19 recruits, including 13 for their front seven as they continue to try and build up that defense.
18. UCLA
Like Texas Tech, UCLA is getting defensive with their Class of 2006. They will not sign a quarterback and are only bringing in one running back, two receivers, and six offensive linemen. The Bruins are loading up on defense. The o-line group has three rated among the top 40 in the country in Micah Kia, Jake Dean and Sean Sheller. Darius Savage is the No. 4 rated defensive tackle from the West coast. He, Reggie Stokes, and Jeff Miller led their contingent of defensive linemen. Christian Ramirez is an athletic safety prospect that could also play running back.
19. Texas A&M
Running back Michael Goodson headlines this Aggie class for Texas A&M. They won a bitter battle against Oklahoma State and Southern Cal. Goodson, who had previously been committed to the Cowboys, is a play making running back that is very elusive and one of the nation's most explosive prospects. The passing game should get a big boost as well as Texas A&M is bringing in five receivers and one of the nation's top tight ends in Jerrod Johnson. Defensive tackle Leslie Ray, defensive end Cody Williams and linebacker Anthony Lewis are all considered among the best prospects at their respective positions from the state of Texas.
20. Tennessee
The Vols got off to a slow start but they are kicking recruiting into high gear. They have closed very well. They landed quarterback Nick Stephens, who had previously been committed to Ole Miss. Tennessee also landed a big fish on the offensive line in Jacque McClendon. But, he is good enough to play d-tackle in Knoxville as well. Cody Pope is another talented OL and he comes from California and the Vols just landed OL Ramone Johnson from Illinois. Tight ends Luke Stocker and Lee Smith are as talented as they come. Defensive end Chase Nelson is one of the top players from the midlands region as is linebacker Dorian Davis.
21. Alabama
'Bama has a good quarterback in Greg McElroy from the state of Texas. When they lost Tim Tebow to Florida they nabbed McElroy away from Texas Tech. The Tide will resign Mike Ford. He emerged last season as the No. 2 rated running back prospect from the state of Florida. At wide receiver they are bringing in Earl Alexander, Mike McCoy, and Nikita Stover. Stover was the top prospect in Alabama two seasons ago but failed to qualify. Alabama has four O-line commits and they went in-state to land David Ross and out of state to get Alex Stadler. The Crimson Tide are not bringing in any defensive linemen but they did well with the back seven getting linebackers Charlie Higgenbotham, LaBronksi Hutchins, and Ricardo Wright and defensive backs Justin Woodall, Tremayne Coger, Marcus Udell and Javier Arenas. Coger and Arenas are steals from the states of Tennessee and Florida.
22. California
Jeff Tedford and the Cal Bears have quietly put together one of the top class in the Pac 10. They are getting some quality prospects at quarterback and running back with Kevin Riley, Tracy Slocum and James Montgomery respectively. The Bear o-line unit should get some immediate help from two Junior College transfers - Mark Gray and Mike Gibson. Cal has a trio of top-notch d-tackles in Derrick Hill, Mike Costanzo and Isaac Leatiota. Darian Hagan is the best of three speedy cover corners headed to Berkeley.
23. Florida State
This is NOT your typical Florida State recruiting class and it's not a sexy class either because it will be loaded with linemen. But that's what the 'Noles need and that's what recruiting is all about, filling needs. FSU will resign OL Mathew Hardrick after he spent a year in prep school. Evan Bellamy, Shannon Boatman and Brandon Davis are other o-linemen headed to Tallahassee. Christian Ponder was one of the top quarterback prospects from Texas in a year loaded with signal callers from the Lone Star State. Caz Piurowski could be the pass receiving tight end weapon that the Bowdens have been looking for in their offense. On the other side of the ball, Kevin McNeil could be the steal of the class. He is a very good d-end from the state of Georgia. Of course Myron Rolle is already enrolled at FSU and he should be a major freshman contributor on this team next season. Tight end/defensive end Brandon Warren is a big timer from Tennessee. Look for FSU to possibly close very well on Signing Day.
24. Clemson
The Tigers are bringing in a very good defensive unit led by Scout.com National Hot 100 prospect Ricky Sapp. Sapp is the nation's No. 2 rated defensive end prospect. He's rangy, quick and very athletic. Jamie Cumbie and Kevin Alexander are other gifted defensive ends. Cumbie is also a standout tight end prospect as well. In the secondary they are getting some playmakers like DeAndre McDaniel, Byron Maxwell, Darius Gaither, and Crezdon Butler.
25. North Carolina
This is another class that is very balanced and likely the best of Coach John Bunting's tenure at UNC. The Tar Heels have quality prospects at every single position - quarterbacks BJ Phillips and TJ Yates, running backs Johnny White and Anthony Elzy, wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Anthony Parker-Boyd, five offensive linemen, tight end Vince Jacobs, and defensive standouts like Tavares Brown, Darius Massenburg, Jarrell Miller, Deunta Williams and Shaun Draughn.
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