Recruiting surprises: Teams exceeding expectations
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Four-star Jordon Brown has helped the Tar Heels gain a recruiting edge on in-state rivals.
Ranking: Fourth in the ACC; No. 19 overall
Outlook: Another predominantly basketball school is high in the football rankings. Coach Larry Fedora's club boasts the No. 19 ranking and sits fourth in the ACC behind only Florida State, Miami and Louisville. The Tar Heels (with 17 total commitments) have five four-stars and 11 three-stars in the mix, led by quarterbacks Logan Byrd and Chazz Surratt, RB Jordon Brown, DT Kyree Campbell and DE Tomon Fox. North Carolina has more four-star commitments than 10 other ACC teams, including in-state rivals Duke (four) and N.C. State, which has yet to land a four-star.
3) Miami
Miami WR commit Sam Bruce is among the nation's most explosive players.
Ranking: Second in the ACC; seventh overall
Outlook: An anti-Al Golden banner that read "Make Miami Great Again - Butch Davis 2016" flew over the Hurricanes' game at FAU on Friday night and that certainly cannot help recruiting. Say what you want about Golden (and Miami fans are saying a lot these days), but the Hurricanes have a phenomenal recruiting class that trails only Florida State in the ACC. Wide receivers Sam Bruce and Dionte Mullins lead this Miami recruiting class. Golden has also loaded up in the 2017 and 2018 classes with nine and five pledges in those groups, respectively. But is it all going to go away if Golden doesn't start winning big?
4) Penn State
Four-star RB Miles Sanders is part of a strong Penn State recruiting class.
Ranking: Third in the Big Ten; eighth overall
Outlook: Penn State fans are not thrilled with how this season has started -- a loss to Temple followed by a win over Buffalo in not-so-exciting fashion -- but the Nittany Lions' fans have to like how recruiting is going. Coach James Franklin has Penn State's class behind only Ohio State and Michigan in the Big Ten with 10 four-star commitments (one more than Michigan and only three behind the Buckeyes). Half of Penn State's group is of the four-star variety, led by RB Miles Sanders, DEs Shane Simmons and Karamo Dioubate and OL Michal Menet. Only Simmons is not from Pennsylvania.
5) Michigan
Wolverine WR commit Ahmir Mitchell
Ranking: Second in the Big Ten; sixth overall
Outlook: The Jim Harbaugh effect is slowly taking hold on the field -- the Wolverines looked great in a blowout win over Oregon State after struggling against Utah in the season opener -- but there is nothing slow about Michigan's recruiting so far. Harbaugh's NFL resume and his connections in the league have played a big role in this outstanding group, led by offensive linemen Ben Bredeson, Michael Onwenu and Erik Swenson. There is a sense of hope once again in Ann Arbor that Harbaugh can return Michigan to being a relevant national power and clearly top kids are buying in.
Adam Gorney
National Recruiting Analyst
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