All eyes were on the Aggies on National Signing Day and they rose to the occasion. Texas A&M came into Signing Day with the No. 2 overall recruiting class but, thanks to additions from five-stars Shemar Stewart and Jacoby Mathews, the Aggies have claimed the 2022 team recruiting championship. In fact, this Texas A&M recruiting class ranks fourth all-time behind the Alabama 2021 and 2017 class and Georgia's 2018 class.
This is Texas A&M's first No. 1 recruiting class. The program has never finished with a class ranked higher than No. 6, a feat the Aggies accomplished four times. During his time as head coach at Florida State, Jimbo Fisher never had a No. 1 recruiting class but did finish No. 2 twice and had five top-five classes.
Walter Nolen is the crown jewel of this recruiting class. The No. 2 overall prospect in the Rivals250 challenged Travis Hunter for the top spot in the Rivals250 after an outstanding performance at the Under Armour All-American Game earlier this year. The Aggies held off Tennessee, Michigan, Alabama and Florida to land Nolen's commitment.
Stewart is the other five-star defensive lineman heading to College Station. The duo of Nolen and Stewart will team up with Rivals100 defensive linemen Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Anthony Lucas and Enai White in addition to four-stars Malick Sylla and Jadon Scarlett to make what looks like the best defensive line haul in the 2022 recruiting class.
NATIONAL SIGNING DAY SCHEDULE: Announcement Guide
ONE-ON-ONE COACH INTERVIEWS: Rutgers' Greg Schiano | Clemson's Dabo Swinney | Vanderbilt's Clark Lea | Illinois' Bret Bielema | West Virginia's Neal Brown | Virginia's Tony Elliott | Indiana's Tom Allen | Utah's Kyle Whittingham | South Carolina's Shane Beamer | Arizona's Jedd Fisch | Stanford's David Shaw | Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman | Florida State's Mike Norvell | Michigan State's Mel Tucker | Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series
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Still on the defensive side of the ball, five-stars Denver Harris and Mathews lead the way in the secondary. Rivals250 defensive backs Bryce Anderson, Marquis Groves-Killebrew and Bobby Taylor will play major roles on the Aggie defense in the years to come. Also keep an eye out for do-everything athlete Deyon Bouie to possibly see time in the secondary as well as receiver.
Five-star receiver Evan Stewart, one of the fastest players in the nation, is Texas A&M's highest-ranked signee on the offensive side of the ball. The combination of him and No. 47 overall prospect Chris Marshall should turn into one of the most difficult pairings in college football, much to the delight of quarterback signee Conner Weigman (No. 35 in the Rivals250).
The tight end tradition at Texas A&M is in good hands with signees Donovan Green and Jake Johnson, the No. 1 and No. 4 tight ends in the nation. The Aggies also went across the Atlantic to bring in tight end Theodor Ohrstrom, a four-star from Sweden.
The offensive line is also getting some impressive signees with Rivals100 tackles Kam Dewberry and Patrick Williams Jr. heading to College Station. Along with three-stars Hunter Erb and Mark Nabou, these four offensive linemen should help keep Weigman upright while opening big running lanes for Rivals250 running back signee Le'Veon Moss.
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2. ALABAMA
In their fourth straight top-five finish, the Alabama Crimson Tide landed at No. 2 in the 2022 team recruiting rankings. This crop of Alabama recruits, featuring four five-stars, 17 four-stars, and 20 members of the Rivals250, is good enough for the fifth highest rated recruiting class of all time.
Alabama's offensive haul is led by five-stars Elijah Pritchett and Aaron Anderson. Pritchett, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the Rivals250, is joined by Rivals250 guard Tyler Booker and three-star Dayne Shor on the front line. They'll be charged with protecting quarterback Ty Simpson, No. 34 in the Rivals250. Alabama is bringing in an impressive group of receivers with a good mix of speed and size. Anderson, Isaiah Bond (No. 70 in the Rivals250), Kobe Prentice (No. 78 in the Rivals250), and Kendrick Law (No. 100 in the Rivals250) are some of the fastest receivers in the nation. Rivals100 receiver Amari Niblack is a huge target with a unique size/speed combination. Running back Jamarion Miller, a Rivals250 prospect, will play an important role in Alabama's backfield with the departure of Camar Wheaton. Expect to see Rivals100 athlete Emmanuel Henderson also see time in the backfield.
The Alabama defense is already stocked with highly rated prospects and more are on the way. Five-stars Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Alexander are two of the most impressive edge defenders in this class and seem like great fits for the Crimson Tide's style of defense. Top-50 prospect Shawn Murphy will also help solidify Alabama's linebacker corps. On the defensive line, massive Rivals100 defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis leads the charge along with Rivals250 prospects Khurtiss Perry and Isaiah Hastings. The Alabama secondary is getting reinforcements with Rivals100 cornerback Earl Little, Rivals250 members Antonio Kite and Trequon Fegans along with three-star Jake Pope.
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3. GEORGIA
Georgia fans are still on cloud nine after winning the national championship so not finishing atop the team rankings shouldn't sting as much. The Bulldogs have a lot to be excited about with this haul of recruits. With five-stars Mykel Williams, Bear Alexander, Jaheim Singletary, Marvin Jones Jr. and Julian Humphrey leading the way, Kirby Smart and his staff signed more five-stars than any other program this year. Williams, Alexander and Singletary all finished in the top-10 of the Rivals250 and a total of 11 members of this Georgia class finished in the Rivals100.
This class of future Bulldogs is heavy on defense with all those five-stars at the front of the pack. Malaki Starks, No. 61 in the Rivals250, is expected to thrive as a linebacker or safety in Athens. Joining Singletary and Humphrey in the secondary is Rivals250 No. 41 Daylen Everette and four-star Ja'Corey Thomas. The five-star trio of Williams, Alexander and Jones will be teaming up with Rivals100 defensive tackle Christen Miller, Rivals250 defensive end Darris Smith, and three-stars Carlton Madden Jr. and Shone Washington.
Georgia's dominant group of tight ends will get even stronger with the addition of Rivals250 tight end Oscar Delp. Running back Branson Robinson, the No. 38 prospect in the Rivals250, is a near perfect fit in the Georgia backfield and the offensive line is also getting huge additions from Rivals250 prospects Earnest Greene, Aliou Bah and Jacob Hood. Record-breaking in-state Rivals250 quarterback Gunner Stockton also signed with the Bulldogs, hoping to continue the streak of success Peach State natives have had under center for Georgia.
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4. OHIO STATE
With the end of the 2022 recruiting cycle, Ohio State extended their current streak of top five recruiting classes to three. Even more impressive, the Buckeyes have claimed a top five recruiting class nine of the past 11 years. Defense led the way in this class with five-stars Alex "Sonny" Styles and CJ Hicks in addition to defensive ends Kenyatta Jackson and Caden Curry. All four rank inside the top 75 of the Rivals250. A trio of Rivals250 defensive backs in Jyaire Brown, Ryan Turner and Kye Stokes should provide early returns for Ohio State as well.
Quarterback Devin Brown is a key signee for the Buckeyes. The former USC commit finished the rankings cycle at No. 36 in the Rivals250 and his arrival should lessen the sting of the Quinn Ewers transfer. Rivals100 receivers like Kaleb Brown and Kyion Grayes along with Rivals250 receiver Kojo Antwi and four-star Caleb Burton will help keep the Ohio State receiver corps among the very best in the nation. Ohio State's offensive line is counting on recruits like four-star George Fitzpatrick and Rivals250 members Tegra Tshabola and Carson Hinzman to bring more stability to the group down the road.
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5. TEXAS
After two-straight recruiting classes that finished outside the top-10, Steve Sarkisian and his staff have led the Longhorns back inside the top-five. Landing a signature from five-star Devon Campbell locked in their lofty ranking this year and keeping the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country away from rival Oklahoma surely felt just as good. Joining Campbell on the offensive line is a stellar group that includes Rivals100 prospects Kelvin Banks and Neto Umeozulu along with Rivals250 prospects Malik Agbo and Cole Hutson and four-star Cameron Williams. Rivals250 quarterback signee Maalik Murphy should be excited about the group tasked with protecting him.
Leading the way on defense is Rivals100 defensive back Terrance Brooks. The in-state signee flipped his commitment from Ohio State to the Longhorns on the first day of the Early Signing Period in December. Louisiana native J'Mond Tapp is the highest-ranked defensive lineman Texas is bringing in with this 2022 class. Rivals250 defensive linemen Justice Finkley, Jaray Bledsoe and Ethan Burke will help anchor the front line.
