Rivals Rankings Week: Which schools dominate Rivals250?
As Rivals Ranking Week moves along, we take a deeper look at where the players in the new Rivals250 are going to play on Saturdays.
Alabama has a stranglehold on the lead with 16 commitments inside the Rivals250, but right behind the Tide are Clemson, Ohio State and LSU.
USC, which has not won a recruiting title since 2015, rounds out the top five.
Here’s a breakdown of which schools have commitments from members of the updated Rivals250.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE:
Monday: Five-Star Countdown
Tuesday: New Rivals250 | Mind of Mike: Farrell's thoughts
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released | Big movers
Thursday: Defensive position rankings released
Friday: State rankings released
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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ALABAMA: 16
Alabama sits No. 1 in AP Top 25 and should be considered among the favorites to walk away with a recruiting championship in 2021 as well. Nick Saban has helped the Crimson Tide land a nation-leading trio of five-stars and holds a nation-leading 16 commitments from prospects inside the Rivals250.
Among the highlights of the class include two of the nation’s top offensive tackles — newly minted five-star JC Latham and fellow top-10 prospect Tommy Brockermeyer — as well as Dallas Turner, who also recently added his fifth star.
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OHIO STATE, LSU, CLEMSON: 14
Knocking on the door of that No. 1 spot comes a trio of teams in Ohio State, LSU and Clemson, who each hold 14 commitments from Rivals250 players. The Buckeyes have two five-star commitments in their 2021 class, including the nation’s top guard, Donovan Jackson, as well as in-state defensive end Jack Sawyer. LSU and Clemson each have one five-star prospect on board at this stage in the cycle.
LSU’s five-star is Sage Ryan, who picked the in-state Tigers over the Tide on Halloween. Ryan recently earned his fifth star after a stellar senior season. It’s a similar story for Clemson, whose five-star commitment is Barrett Carter, another newly etched five-star who is one of Georgia’s best overall players.
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USC: 13
The Trojans are recruiting well on a regional and national level, which has helped them to 13 commitments in the updated Rivals250 for 2021.
Highlighting the class are Rivals100 prospects Quaydarius Davis (Texas), Jake Garcia (California to Georgia) and Michael Trigg (Florida).
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OREGON: 12
While USC leads the Pac-12 with 13 commitments from players in the Rivals250, Oregon is not far behind with a dozen, including a pair of five-stars in the haul. Those five-stars include Ty Thompson, the nation’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback, as well as newly minted five-star offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia out of Utah, which has been a key recruiting territory for Mario Cristobol.
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MIAMI, FLORIDA: 11
Miami and Florida are leading the way in Sunshine State recruiting and both programs hold 11 commitments apiece in the updated Rivals250 for 2021. Both the Canes and Gators have a five-star on board. Five-star safety Corey Collier picked Florida while five-star star safety James Williams chose to stay home with Miami.
Florida’s 2021 class includes a wealth of in-state talent, but with double-digit prospects in the Rivals250 the Gators extended their recruiting reach into Georgia, Alabama and even up to Pennsylvania.
Similarly, Miami has a strong in-state vibe in its 2021 haul, but did make its way out to Texas for one of the nation’s premier tight ends in Elijah Arroyo, a South Florida native returning home to play college football.
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TEXAS A&M, MICHIGAN, GEORGIA, OKLAHOMA: 10
Rounding out the top teams represented in the updated Rivals250 are Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan and Texas A&M. Georgia and Oklahoma each have a pair of five-stars committed with 10 total players in the Rivals250. Michigan and Texas A&M are each sitting without a five-star — for now — and 10 total pledges in the Rivals250.
The Sooners’ class is highlighted by five-star pledges from Caleb Williams and Mario Williams, the nation’s top dual-threat quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. Georgia’s class is highlighted by Brock Vandagriff, the nation’s top pro-style passer and a one-time Oklahoma pledge. Amarius Mims is the second five-star in the class. He and Vandagriff rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the Peach State rankings.
The Aggies have started to pull away with in-state recruiting with 10 players inside the Rivals250 and four from the Lone Star State. Jimbo Fisher has also dipped into Oklahoma, New York, Colorado and Florida for some marquee talent.
Michigan secured double-digit commitments in the Rivals250 with a 2021 class highlighted by quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Despite an underwhelming 2020 campaign on the field and no shortage of questions regarding Jim Harbaugh’s future in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines’ recruiting class has strong representations in the Rivals250 with big-time pledges nationally, including Florida, California and of course, the Midwest.
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THE REST
Here’s the other college football teams represented in the updated Rivals250:
TENNESSEE: 8
NOTRE DAME, WISCONSIN, NORTH CAROLINA: 7
TEXAS, FLORIDA STATE: 4
WEST VIRGINIA, PENN STATE, NEBRASKA: 3
OLE MISS, ARKANSAS, ARIZONA STATE, UTAH, MISSISSIPPI STATE, MARYLAND, PITT, IOWA, MICHIGAN STATE, AUBURN: 2
CALIFORNIA, KENTUCKY, NORTHWESTERN, UCLA, WASHINGTON, MISSOURI, RUTGERS, INDIANA, STANFORD, N.C. STATE, SMU: 1