Now that National Signing Day has come and gone, we analyze the top 10 college football recruiting classes of the 2022 cycle.
In a short time, college football recruiting has drastically changed. NIL is part of the conversation in nearly all major recruiting battles and also looming is the transfer portal, which is college football’s version of free agency.
Both of those things have impacted college football recruiting in their own way. NIL has given certain teams an advantage, even if what those schools are doing is totally above board. Players have always been paid to go places, now it’s just legal.
The transfer portal has changed college football recruiting too as some programs are focusing as much on transfers as incoming freshmen. USC and Nebraska are examples of schools that didn’t sign huge classes but have added guys from the portal.
Recruiting, despite the changes, is the lifeblood of college football and while there is still one five-star on the market in 2022 in Josh Conerly Jr., the other top recruits have all signed and it’s the perfect time to break down college football’s top 10 recruiting classes by looking at gems, sleepers and blue-chip ratios of all the top recruiting classes.
(All rankings via the On3.com consensus rankings for 2022)
10. North Carolina — Signees: 17; Blue-Chip ratio: 70%
The Skinny: The 2022 season didn’t go as well as expected for North Carolina but the Tar Heels had a great recruiting class, signing the top-ranked class in the ACC, as well as one with a really solid blue-chip ratio.
North Carolina isn’t a program you expect to land a top-10 college football recruiting class and you have to give Mack Brown the credit he’s due. The man can recruit.
The Tar Heels landed nine recruits ranked in the top 200 overall and two of those were running backs, as well as a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, and a defensive lineman, plus a cornerback and a linebacker.
You need elite players at key positions and North Carolina added them in 2022.
Gems: OT Zach Rice (5-star, No. 19); DL Travis Shaw (4-star, No. 53)
Zach Rice has NFL potential written all over him and so does Shaw, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound monster who is rated as a five-star recruit and top-5 D-lineman by 247 sports.
Sleepers: EDGE Beau Atkinson (4-star, No. 348); QB Conner Harrel (3-star, No. 535)
Atkinson is a guy that Michigan really wanted. It thought the 6-foot-6 edge rusher reminded them of Aidan Hutchinson. But Mack was able to keep him home and Harrell is a dual-threat quarterback to keep an eye on.
9. Michigan — Signees: 22; Blue-chip ratio: 59%
The skinny: After Michigan and Jim Harbaugh overhauled the coaching staff, the Wolverines started the 2022 recruiting class behind the 8-ball but rallied for a top-10 group.
Michigan landed the best player from the state of Michigan in Will Johnson and also closed really strong on early signing day with three signees in the top 150.
With Harbaugh back in the fold and on the heels of a win over Ohio State and a College Football Playoff appearance, the arrow is pointing up.
Gems: CB Will Johnson (5-star No. 18); DE Derrick Moore (4-star No. 37)
Five-star cornerback Will Johnson is 6-foot-3 and set the tone with his commitment following the Wolverines 2-4 season in 2020. He should start right away. And with Michigan’s biggest need at edge rusher where Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo are off the NFL — Moore, who dominated at the Under Armour All-American game, is a perfect fit.
Sleepers: CB Myles Pollard (3-star No. 584); DB Damani Dent (3-star No. 684)
Pollard is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback that was criminally underrated throughout the 2022 recruiting class and he’s got a bright future. Dent was one of the fastest risers in the entire 2022 class and had Oregon, Miami, and Florida all pushing hard for his commitment, which the Wolverines held onto. He could see the field much sooner than people expect.
8. Oklahoma — Signees: 21; Blue-chip ratio: 80%
The skinny: Brent Venables had a lot of rebuilding to do in terms of the 2022 class when he took over the head coaching job at Oklahoma for Lincoln Riley who left for USC. But despite a slew of decommitments, Venables did an incredible job down the stretch, landing six commitments in the late-signing period to get the Sooners a top-10 college football recruiting class.
Oklahoma landed nine recruits in the top 200 and that haul includes quarterback Nick Evers, as well as a couple of running backs, a wide receiver, and some very talented defenders such as Gentry Williams and Jaren Kanak. The Sooners also flipped a trio of defensive linemen on National Signing Day giving them a really strong class despite zero five-star signees.
Gems: QB Nick Evers (4-star, No. 128); DB Gentry Williams (4-star, No. 77)
Evers was a big addition for the Sooners and gives them a talented quarterback to build around for the future despite all the losses resulting from Riley’s departure. Evers is a dual-threat quarterback and ranks No. 8 at his position. He’s also got tons of upside. Williams was another big key for the Sooners. He was wavering some and was formerly a five-star recruit but is still the top-ranked addition in the 2022 class.
Sleeper: EDGE Kevonte Henry (4-star, No. 263); DB Jamarrien Burt, (3-star, No. 454)
There aren’t many “sleeper” candidates when you have 17 four-star commitments but one name that is ranked outside the top 200 is Kevtone Henry and the Michigan flip comes to OU with an incredible amount of upside. He’s still raw but he could prove to be one of the biggest steals in college football’s 2022 recruiting class. Another guy to watch is Jamarrien Burt, who also joined the class on signing day. He was once committed to Florida and offers a lot of position versatility, so he should find a role in the secondary down the line.
7. Penn State — Signees: 25; Blue-chip ratio: 60%
The Skinny: Penn State’s class is really strong and is maybe the best recruiting class James Franklin has put together in Happy Valley. Penn State added elite talent at quarterback, wide receiver, and running back (Drew Allar, Kaden Saunders, and Nick Singleton), plus landed the junior college offensive tackle in JB Nelson, as well as Drew Shelton, another tackle who ranks 130th overall. The class has three five-star commitments and it’s scary to think what Penn State could do it if got back to winning double-digit games consistently.
Gems: EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton (5-star, No. 23); QB Drew Allar (5-star, No. 28)
Singleton was a huge addition at running back but he’s not even the only top-150 recruit at that position. Allar was a monster get for Franklin and is ranked fourth among quarterbacks in the 2022 recruiting class. Adding the fourth-ranked quarterback and the No. 3 edge rusher is an incredible feat for Penn State.
Sleepers: EDGE Ken Talley (3-star, No. 371); LB Keon Wylie (3-star, No. 519)
Penn State’s class is loaded with elite offensive talent but the defensive haul is really solid too and two guys who should have a good shot to be more productive than their rankings suggest are Ken Talley and Keon Wylie. Both are in-state recruits and that made their signings even more critical.
6. Notre Dame — 21 signees; Blue-chip ratio: 80%
The skinny: Early on in the 2022 recruiting class, Notre Dame was ranked really high as in the top two. That was never going to last, but in a year when the Irish lost their head coach, Brian Kelly, to LSU, signing the sixth-best college football recruiting class is a huge win.
Notre Dame doesn’t have any five-star signees (according to consensus rankings) but the Irish have some really talented football players and many of the studs are in the trenches at linebacker, defensive line, offensive line, and tight end.
The Irish have built a big team over the years but that’s probably because they know size and speed are required to compete with the big boys for a national championship.
Gems: LB Jaylen Sneed (4-star, No. 33); LB Joshua Burnham (4-star, No. 109 overall)
This is subjective of course, but these are my two favorites in Notre Dame’s 2022 recruiting class. Sneed is a five-star prospect according to On3’s own college football recruiting rankings and you can see why. He’s going to be outstanding and could easily be a first-round pick down the road. Joshua Burnham is ranked outside the top 100 but he’s another versatile linebacker. He was a high school QB and can play multiple positions on defense.
Sleepers: QB Steve Angeli (3-star, No. 603); DB Jayden Bellamy (3-star, No. 445)
A sleeper can really be defined as anyone that is going to outplay their recruiting ranking and two very good candidates to do that are Angeli and Jayden Bellamy.
Angeli is following Tyler Buchner, who is expected to be the next big thing at quarterback for Notre Dame, so there won’t be pressure on him to play right away. However, he’s better than his ranking and when he does see the field, he could surprise some people.
Bellamy is a versatile defensive back and part of a solid secondary haul, even if it doesn’t include any top-200 recruits. He’s ranked outside the top-400 but his versatility, and the fact that he enrolled early, gives him a chance to play early. Plus, he looks like a four-star recruit and I expect him to play like one.
5. Texas — Signees: 28; Blue-chip ratio: 79%
The skinny: Steve Sarkisian’s first full recruiting class with Texas was pretty impressive as the Horns landed two five-star prospects and made a splash on each signing day.
Texas flipped Terrance Brooks from Ohio State on Early National Signing Day and also signed three top-100 offensive linemen, which should make new starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was originally part of the 2022 class, very happy.
Basically, when you include Ewers as part of this class, Texas did as well as just about any college football team on the recruiting trail in 2022 and with all this talent, Sark needs to deliver a winner in Austin.
Gems: OL Devon Campbell (5-star, No. 13); OT Kelvin Banks (5-star, No. 17)
I’m sure that Sark tried to learn a few things from Nick Saban over the years. One thing that’s always been true about Alabama under Saban is that it has had elite talent along the offensive line. Quarterback play is important. But you have to protect the quarterback and also be able to run the ball. With Campbell and Banks, the top-ranked players at their position, Texas should be able to do just that.
Sleepers: QB Maalik Murphy (4-star, No. 223); EDGE Ethan Burke (3-star, No. 359);
Murphy was once rated as a five-star prospect in his own right and is a really good addition by Sarkisian. He’ll probably have to wait his turn in Austin because it’s hard to see him beating out Ewers in a year or two but you can never have enough QB depth, as long as you can keep it. As far as Burke, he was a Michigan commitment until Early Signing Day when the Horns flipped him and the 6-foot-7 pass rusher is another that reminded the Wolverines of Aidan Hutchinson.
4. Ohio State — Signees: 21; Blue-chip ratio: 90%
The skinny: It was a typical recruiting class for the Buckeyes. There’s plenty of elite talent on both sides of the ball and a ridiculous blue-chip ratio. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes also did really well to flip Devon Brown from USC. When Clay Helton was fired, OSU worked its way out of a jam since Quinn Ewers was supposed to be its 2022 QB commit. All in all, it’s hard to find anything to complain about especially as Ohio State continues to get the best players in Ohio.
Gems: ATH Sonny Styles (5-star, No. 4); LB C.J. Hicks (5-star, No. 14)
Styles and Hicks should both be future first-round picks and both are exactly the type of defender you need in today’s era of wide-open college football. Styles is projected as a safety and is one of the best players at his position and in the state of Ohio. The same can be said about Hicks, who is a true three-down defender.
Sleepers: DL Caden Curry (4-star, No. 131); WR Caleb Burton (4-star, No. 156)
It’s a joke to call either of these guys sleepers. Curry and Burton could headline most of the 2022 college football recruiting classes. They are that talented. Curry is a talented pass rusher and Burton might be as talented as any wideout in this class. That’s why I have a feeling each could play better than their ranking suggests.
3. Georgia — Signees: 29; Blue-chip ratio: 79%
The skinny: Georgia recruits, as well as any college football program in the country, and in 2022 the Bulldogs signed a big class with 29 total players. The overwhelming majority of those were blue chips and the Dawgs landed an impressive 11 top-100 recruits, as well as four that were ranked as five stars. All four are on the defensive side of the ball and right now, it’s safe to say no defense recruits and churns out more NFL-caliber defenders than UGA. However, don’t sleep on the offense, especially quarterback Gunner Stockton and tight end Oscar Delp.
Gems: DL Mykel Williams (5-star, No. 11); S Malaki Starks (5-star, No. 6)
Both Williams and Starks should push for playing time right away and they aren’t the only supremely talented defenders coming to Athens. Williams is 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, while Starks is 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, and can fly. This is a class that should include multiple first-round picks and it wouldn’t be shocking if Williams and Starks were among them.
Sleepers: WR Dillon Bell (3-star, No. 415), RB Andrew Paul (3-star, No. 420)
Georgia didn’t make a ton of noise on National Signing Day but the Bulldogs added two key signings that are better than their ranking. Bell was pursued hard by other major programs but re-affirmed to Georgia late. He can play in the slot, or even at running back and he’s dynamic. Georgia also beat out Michigan and Clemson for Paul, who is a big back with speed that should fit in perfectly in Georgia’s power rushing attack.
2. Alabama — Signees: 25; Blue-chip ratio 92
The skinny: Alabama’s 2022 recruiting class isn’t quite as good as the historic haul the Crimson Tide landed in 2021 but it was an incredible group of signees all the same.
There were 17 recruits signed that ranked in the top 100 overall and four five-star prospects — two on the offensive side of the ball, as well as two on defense. Alabama got two elite edge rushers (Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell), an elite offensive tackle (Tyler Booker), and a quarterback it beat out Clemson for (Ty Simpson).
Gems: EDGE Jeremiah Alexander (5-star, No. 15), QB Ty Simpson (5-star, No. 22)
It’s hard to envision a better scenario in recruiting than signing the No. 1 edge rusher and the No. 1 quarterback but that’s exactly what Alabama did according to the On3 consensus rankings — the only rankings that account for 247, ESPN, Rivals, and On3.
Simpson seemed destined for Clemson before Saban flipped him, keeping the quarterback pipeline stocked with elite talent. Simpson can sit for a year and be ready to take over in 2023 after Bryce Young moves on to be the No. 1 pick.
Sleepers: DL Isaiah Hastings (4-star, No. 143); TE Danny Lewis (3-star, No 573)
Again, with Alabama there are really no true sleepers, and believe it or not, Hastings and Lewis are two of the lower-ranked recruits. Hastings was a great find and the Tide focused on him after missing on some other targets such as Walter Nolen. Hastings is 6-foot-4, 290, and can play all along the D-line. He also has barely scratched the surface. Lewis is a three-star recruit but is the recruit Brian Kelly danced for, so that tells you all you need to know about his talent as a late-riser. Yet, the moves weren’t enough which is almost as hilarious as Kelly’s dance.
1. Texas A&M — Signees: 29; Blue-chip ratio: 97%
The skinny: If you haven’t heard, Texas A&M signed that greatest class in the history of college football recruiting — at least in the history of the 247 sports composite rankings.
The haul for A&M is truly staggering. The Aggies have a blue-chip ratio of 97 percent and after looking like they might miss out on multiple five-star recruits on National Signing Day, Jimbo Fisher and company held the commitment of Shemar Stewart and also landed Jacoby Mathews from LSU’s own backyard.
Fisher has all the tools he needs to win a national title including an elite quarterback in Conner Weigman who is also part of this historic class that features eight five-star commitments which equals the total of Georgia and Bama combined.
Gems: DL Walter Nolen (5-star, No. 2 overall); QB Conner Weigman (5-star, No. 26)
Walter Nolen was one of the biggest prizes in the entire 2022 recruiting class and he’s the top-ranked signee for the Aggies. He’s the kind of player who can literally do it all on the defensive line. He can rush the passer, stop the run, and is destined to be a top-10 pick. He was the Arch Manning of 2022 defensive lineman. Weigman is the missing piece. The Aggies have everything else they need to end their national championship drought. They haven’t had a truly elite, first-round caliber QB and Weigman is it, which is why the Aggies weren’t all that interested when Quinn Ewers entered the transfer portal.
Sleepers: EDGE Enai White (4-star, No. 49); CB Bobby Taylor (4-star, No. 232)
It sounds pretty ridiculous that the 49th-ranked prospect in 2022 would be a “sleeper” but I really feel like he’s going to outplay his ranking. White was a big win for the Aggies, getting him out of Pennsylvania which shows the reach A&M now has. Along with about 10 other elite defenders, White has first-round potential. Taylor is another solid defender for the Aggies but probably doesn’t get talked about enough. Yet, he’s a top-150 talent and both of these guys, as crazy as it sounds, are probably underrated.