Team rankings: Alabama holds top spot
With a flurry of recent commits and our updated post-summer class of 2015 prospect rankings, the Rivals team rankings have seen some movement over the past few weeks. Here is an update on the top 10 as we stand entering the high school football season, roughly six months in advance of National Signing Day.
(Note: Top 10 below as of 7 a.m. ET, Friday, Aug. 22. Click here for complete, real-time rankings.)
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1
The Crimson Tide maintain their hold on the Rivals.com team rankings' No. 1 position. Leading the way for Alabama are three five-star commitments with Texas safety Deionte Thompson (above) receiving his fifth star and moving up 33 spots in the Rivals100. Thompson was not the only mover for the Crimson Tide. Quarterback commitment Blake Barnett moved to the top dual-threat quarterback in the country and jumped 18 spots to No. 37 in the country, and offensive guard Richie Petitbon move up 22 spots to No. 35 in the country.
2
Athlete Ray Ray McCloud III (above) leads the movers and shakers for the Clemson Tigers. He only moved up eight spots, but he grabbed the coveted fifth star. Linebacker Chad Smith and wide receiver Deon Cain also made big moves of their own. Both moved up to the 6.0 4-star level and jumped more than 100 spots and into the Rivals100. Quarterback Kelly Bryant slid to the 5.8 4-star level, but the Tigers have plenty to boast about with 10 commitments in the Rivals250.
3
Nipping at Clemson's heels are in-state rival South Carolina. The Gamecocks are only 82 points behind the Tigers despite top prospect Shameik Blackshear dropping 31 spots to No. 58 in the Rivals100. South Carolina holds strong with three total prospects in the Rivals100 and nine making the Rivals250. The Gamecocks also get a nice bump from the junior college ranks with three four-star recruits, and it also does not hurt that the Gamecocks have more commitments than anyone else in the Top 10 at 27 pledges.
4
The Aggies continue to be a hot team on the recruiting front with Texas trio Daylon Mack, DaMarkus Lodge, and Kyler Murray leading the charge. The Aggies also saw safety commitment Justin Dunning earning a 72-spot jump in the rankings and move to the 5.9 4-star level. The Aggies currently have three commitments in the Rivals100 and nine making the Rivals250. Just outside the Rivals250 linebacker Richard Moore also gave the Aggies a boost as he earned his fourth star.
5
Georgia is the fourth SEC program to make the top five. The Bulldogs are led by five-star standouts Trenton Thompson and Terry Godwin. They also received a boost with the recent additions of Jonathan Ledbetter and Natrez Patrick (above). Ledbetter did take a slide as did offensive tackle Pat Allen in the recent update, but Patrick moved up 18 spots and to the 6.0 4-star level. The Bulldogs currently have five commitments in the Rivals100 and seven in the Rivals250.
6
Penn State continues to lead the way for the Big Ten. The Nitany Lions are headlined by quarterback Brandon Wimbush (above), who moved up 27 spots in the latest Rivals100 release. Running back Saquon Barkley also earned a move up the rankings, jumping 48 spots to No. 117 in the Rivals250. Barkley also moved up to the 5.9 4-star level. Offensive tackle Sterling Jenkins moved down 92 spots and to the 5.8 4-star level, but Penn State is looking good with 10 commitments in the Rivals250.
7
Coach Butch Jones and the Volunteer staff continue to turn heads on the recruiting front. The Vols picked up a big-time commitment from Kahlil McKenzie and he moved up 22 spots and earned his fifth star in this round of rankings. Tennessee also saw quarterback recruit Quinten Dormady (above) earn his fourth-star after a strong spring and summer. The Volunteers currently have three commitments in the Rivals100 and four in the Rivals250. Tennesee also has a commitment from highly touted junior college running back Alvin Kamara.
8
The Seminoles had some pretty dramatic movements both up and down during this round of meetings. Derwin James (above) moved up more than any other previous 5-star to the No. 4 position. Then quarterback Deondre Francois earned 5.9 4-star status and moved into the Rivals100. Wide receiver Auden Tate also moved up 32 spots in the Rivals250 to No. 164 and running back Johnny Frasier jumped into the Rivals250. On the other hand, cornerback Tyrek Cole moved down 115 spots with quarterback De'Andre Johnson also falling 24 spots. The Seminoles class still packs plenty of punch with six commitments in the Rivals250.
9
The Auburn Tigers saw a little movement in the latest rankings. Running back Kerryon Johnson (above) moved up eight spots while offensive guard Tyler Carr moved down seven. Overall, the Tigers stayed pretty steady with three commitments in the Rivals250 and two making the Rivals100. The nation's No. 1 junior college prospect Jovon Robinson headlines a solid group of 19 commitments with Mississippi Gulf Coast duo Jason Smith and Tony Bridges also adding some punch from the JuCo ranks.
10
The Trojans saw quite a bit of movement in the latest rankings update. A pair quarterbacks provided the most action with Ricky Town moving down 42 positions and to the 5.9 4-star level while Sam Darnold (above) moved up from the three-star ranks into the Rivals250 at No. 193. Trojan commitments Tristan Payton, Clayton Johnson, and Noah Jefferson also earned their fourth stars this round. USC may come in at No. 10 on the list, but with only 16 commitments the Trojans have the second highest average star rating with a 3.88 average.
Jason Howell
Mid-South Recruiting Analyst
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