Rivals ranking week continues with a look at the updated Rivals250 for the class of 2021. With a flurry of commitments over this unique offseason, there are only 56 Rivals250 prospects left to make up their minds.
Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and Alabama have all found themselves in the spotlight at different junctures of the offseason for their efforts on the recruiting trail. Here is a closer look at which teams have put the biggest dent in the Rivals250 to date.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE
MONDAY: Who should be No. 1 in 2021? | Counting down the 20 five-stars | Looking at new five-stars | Which QB will be next five-star?
TUESDAY: Rivals250 revealed | Mike Farrell's thoughts on Rivals250 | Ten big movers | Where five-stars stand in recruiting
WEDNESDAY: QB rankings | RB rankings | WR/TE rankings | OL rankings
THURSDAY: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings
FRIDAY: State rankings spotlight
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ALABAMA - 15
Remember at the beginning of the offseason when Alabama had enough commitments to count on your single hand and were ranked on the outside of the top-50 looking in? That seems like ages ago, as Nick Saban and Co. have assembled the nation's No. 2-ranked recruiting class with 15 total commitments out of the Rivals250.
Alabama's 2021 haul is headlined by an elite crop of offensive linemen, including five-star tackle Tommy Brockermeyer, Rivals100 prospect JC Latham and Rivals250 center James Brockermeyer. It also features three Florida-based receivers that are all embedded in the Rivals250 and recent quarterback flip Jalen Milroe, the No. 1-ranked passer from the Lone Star State.
OHIO STATE - 14
Ohio State boasts the nation's top-ranked recruiting class in 2021 and would have had tied the Crimson Tide for the biggest total of Rivals250 pledges if not for an unexpected decommitment from Tunmise Adeleye earlier this month. The Buckeyes' class features the highest average rating of any team in the nation (3.89 stars) and is tied with Oklahoma with two five-stars in the fold.
There is no question Ohio State was one of the winners of the offseason as it bolstered its 2021 class with commitments from elite talents across the map, including running backs TreVeyon Henderson (Virginia) and Evan Pryor, son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Jr. (Pennsylvania) and two five-stars in defensive end Jack Sawyer (Ohio) and guard Donovan Jackson (Texas).
LSU - 13
The defending national champions have maintained some momentum on the recruiting trail in 2021 and like the cycle prior, Coach Ed Orgeron is expanding outside of Louisiana and dipping his toes across the Midwest and East Coast for talent as well.
The Tigers' 2021 haul features a trio of elite regional receivers in Rivals100 prospect Chris Hilton from Baton Rouge and Rivals250 receivers Deion Smith and JoJo Earle. The highest-rated commitment is California linebacker Raesjon Davis, but LSU also found new reinforcements for Bo Pelini's defense in Maryland, Florida, Virginia and Georgia and landed an elite running back and lineman from Ohio and Michigan, respectively.
CLEMSON, USC - 12
Both Clemson and USC cracked the list with a dozen commitments from the Rivals250 to date in the 2021 class. Both teams are ranked inside the top-10 on the Rivals team rankings with Clemson boasting an impressive 3.8 average star ranking. The Trojans were not far behind at 3.72. Clemson's class is still building at 15 total pledges while USC is up to 18.
This is not new territory for Dabo Swinney's team. Clemson's highest-rated commitments hail from North Carolina, Georgia and California, but are without a five-star after the departure of Korey Foreman, the nation's No. 1 overall prospect, earlier in the offseason. USC's revival on the recruiting trail reflects better recruiting locally with 10 California commitments as well as a national scope, including three from Texas and representation in Georgia, Washington, Nevada and even Maryland.
FLORIDA, OREGON - 10
Florida has maintained a stranglehold on the nation's No. 3-ranked recruiting class and Oregon rounds out the top five in the Rivals team rankings. Both 2020 contenders claim 10 commitments from the Rivals250, with the Gators recently landing five-star safety Corey Collier and 25 four-star prospects committed between the two schools.
Collier was a major in-state recruiting victory for Florida. As was Jason Marshall, a South Florida native that picked the Gators over the Hurricanes. Seventeen of Florida's 25 commitments are Sunshine State products. Oregon continues to rely on its success recruiting the Golden State, evidenced by pledges from Troy Franklin, Jaylin Davies, and Kyron Ware-Hudson, who are all top-100 prospects.
MICHIGAN, GEORGIA - 9
Georgia is on the hunt for yet another recruiting championship under Kirby Smart while Michigan continues to assemble a star-studded class with recent momentum on the recruiting trail.
Georgia's class is up to 13 commitments, which includes five-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff and eight four-stars. Among them are several notable, local foundational pieces like David Daniel and Chaz Chambliss, and the stage is set for another big finish for the Dawgs. Michigan holds commitments from nine four-stars, including the face of the class in quarterback J.J. McCarthy as well as elite offensive linemen like Giovanni El-Hadi, Greg Crippen and Raheem Anderson.
OKLAHOMA, MIAMI, NORTH CAROLINA - 8
Oklahoma, Miami and North Carolina each claim eight commitments from the Rivals250. All three teams have caught fire at one point or another during the offseason, most notably the Hurricanes, which are on a serious run recruiting the state of Florida, and the Sooners who nabbed a commitment from five-star quarterback Caleb Williams on July 4 and could be on the verge of adding more five-stars in the aftermath of the Sooner Summit last weekend.
Williams is the face of Oklahoma's 2021 class, along with five-star receiver Mario Williams. The Sooners are tied with Ohio State for the most five-stars in their classes to date, while Lincoln Riley's team remains in contention for more star power in Bryce Foster and Camar Wheaton.
Miami kept James Williams home and has even more local flavor on board with five R250 commits from the city.
Mack Brown is doing an excellent job keeping talent in-state at North Carolina with pledges from Jahvaree Ritzie, DeAndre Boykins, Power Echols, Keeshawn Silver and Raneiria Dillworth. All of a sudden, the Tar Heels seem poised to do damage.
