Recruiting storylines: Dawgs on the rise
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Baylor OL commit Patrick Hudson is among the Big 12's handful of four-star pledges
Texas Tech at No. 22.
That's the first time a Big 12 team shows up in the Rivals.com team rankings and that is just one example of how squads in that conference are not cutting the mustard when it comes to early recruiting this cycle.
Here are some more tidbits: There are no five-star commitments in the Big 12 (the SEC has four and the other three power conferences have two each). Only one school, Baylor, has four four-star commitments. Texas Tech has just one four-star pledge and only sits atop the conference standings because the Red Raiders already have 25 commits.
Second in the conference rankings is West Virginia at No. 31 nationally, followed by Baylor at No. 35, TCU at No. 41. Oklahoma State rounds out the top five at No. 49. Traditional powers Oklahoma and Texas are Nos. 53 and 54, respectively.
It's time for the Big 12 to start making some moves.
Big 10 dominates top 10
Five-star OSU RB commit Kareem Walker
Coach Urban Meyer has put together a perennial national championship contender at Ohio State through success on the field and in recruiting. That has not changed in the 2016 recruiting class since the Buckeyes sit atop the team rankings at the moment.
The rest of the Big 10 is not backing down, though.
Until just a few days ago, the Big 10 had as many teams in the top 10 classes as the SEC with the Buckeyes leading everybody now followed by Michigan at No. 6 and Penn State eighth, while Michigan State has moved to No. 11 overall.
Ohio State has just as many five-star commits (two) as any other team in the country and three more (13) four-star pledges. What's even more impressive is that Meyer and his staff went to Florida to land Nick Bosa (the obvious connection is that his brother, Joey, plays at OSU) and New Jersey for five-star running back Kareem Walker.
Meyer is getting it done but so are other Big 10 teams. Though after early struggles on the field this season for Michigan and Penn State, coaches might have to do a little damage control with top prospects in the coming weeks to stay so high in the rankings.
Ole Miss is back
Ole Miss QB commit Shea Patterson
Here's some trivia: Name the two teams in the Rivals.com era that have had multiple No. 1 overall players in their recruiting class. Hint: They're both from the SEC.
Florida and, yes, Ole Miss are the correct answers. Top-rated Shea Patterson joins 2013 No. 1 player Robert Nkemdiche on that list for Ole Miss. The Gators had Percy Harvin and Ronald Powell as the top two.
Coach Hugh Freeze has earned his reputation as a top recruiter and no one, especially around Oxford, will ever forget the 2013 recruiting class that featured Nkemdiche, five-star receiver Laquon Treadwell and five-star offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil.
The 2016 group is strong as well, led by Patterson, who picked the Rebels over LSU, USC and others this offseason. Ole Miss is ranked fifth overall behind Ohio State, LSU, Florida State and USC - it has six four-star commits and 12 three-stars already committed. Freeze has it rolling once again.
Golden puts pedal down
Miami WR commit Dionte Mullins
Miami coach Al Golden certainly has some pressure to win big this season, but the Hurricanes' recruiting efforts are paying off handsomely.
"The U" has a top-seven class led by dynamic wide receiver Sam Bruce from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, four-star QB Jack Allison out of Palmetto, Fla., and others.
Miami already has nine 2017 commitments and five pledges in the 2018 class but is it all a house of cards? If Golden doesn't produce this season will these phenomenal recruiting classes evaporate?
Getting out and getting kids to commit could be one way Golden could argue for more time at Miami. The tide is turning, the local recruits are excited, etc., but a verbal commitment is just that - easily switched if bad news comes down the line or if Golden is gone.
This is an important season for the Hurricanes and for Golden, who's trying to save some huge recruiting classes… and maybe his job.
Adam Gorney
National Recruiting Analyst
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