We are less than a month away from the early signing period of College Football. On December 3rd, the early signing period opens, and most College Football teams will sign the bulk of their classes on this day. Since we are so close to the early signing period, here are a few of the story lines. All classes mentioned are based on 247 rankings.
1) Can USC keep the top recruiting class?
USC has had the top class in the 2026 class for a long time. Part of the reason why they are top class is that they have a total of 35 players in their class. The class is impressive as they currently have 21 4-star prospects and 1 5-star prospect. USC is still in the lead, but Georgia's 2nd class is gaining on them and could pass them. Still, a top 5 recruiting class would be a huge win for Lincoln Riley.
2) How many SEC teams will finish with a top 10 recruiting class?
So far, 5 teams are ranked in the top 10 of the 2026 class. Georgia is 2nd, Alabama 3rd, Texas A&M 7th, Texas 8th, and Tennessee 9th. LSU is 12th and Florida is 13th, although both are dealing with coaching changes (more on that later). Still, the SEC is in a prime position to land 5 of the top 10 classes, which is an impressive showing. This shows why the SEC is still the most talented league.
3) How high can Ohio State climb?
The defending National Champion and current number one team has been hot on the recruiting trail. They have secured seven commitments this month alone, bringing their class up to the 6th-best in the country. They still could add many more commitments to this class.
4) What happens to the classes without head coaches?
These are the biggest questions for schools like LSU, Florida, Penn State, and others, as they all fired their head coaches. How do you keep a recruiting class together when those players were already with the previous head coach? It can be extremely difficult to keep those classes together. So far, LSU and Florida have maintained solid classes, while Penn State has fallen off with several de-commitments. Penn State currently has the 59th class, but before Franklin was let go, they had a top 15 class.
5) Can the Big Ten finish strong?
So far, Oregon is the highest-ranked Big Ten class, with the 5th class. Followed by Ohio State, the 6th class, Michigan, the 10th class, and Washington have the 19th class. Minnesota is next with the 28th recruiting class. The Michigan class has trended higher for months, which is a good sign for them. Oregon is a solid top 10 class. Can another Big Ten team crack the top 25? It doesn’t look good, but it's a possibility.