Teams Trending Up & Down 2024 College Football Recruiting

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2024 college football recruiting: Schools trending up, down​

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The college football season is still young, but the early signing period is not too far away. Teams are running out of time to strengthen their recruiting classes with the end of the cycle rapidly approaching and 90 percent of the ESPN 300 currently committed.

Programs like Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State remain a consistent presence near the top of the 2024 class rankings as we venture into the final months. Several others can feel good about the foundation they built. Conversely, there are other programs with quite of a bit of work to do. Here is a look at five classes that have exceeded expectations and five with concerns that still need to be addressed:

Five schools with 2024 classes trending up​

Florida State Seminoles​

2023 rank: No. 18
Current rank: No. 7

The Seminoles haven't finished with a top-10 class since 2017. It's clear, after winning several big recruiting battles, that Mike Norvell is restoring Florida State as a national power on the field and in recruiting. One of the most notable wins came when they beat out programs like Georgia and Ohio State for five-star K.J. Bolden, a versatile athlete who projects to the secondary. The Seminoles will need to work to keep his commitment, but Bolden projects to be their first five-star signing since 2017. They've also flipped some key prospects such as Landen Thomas, the top tight end in the nation out of Georgia and pulled high three-star OL Manasse Itete from USC in an overall down year for offensive line prospects.

NC State Wolfpack​

2023 rank: No. 38
Current rank: No. 36

The ranking differential is negligible, but the Wolfpack are moving in the right direction with a class headlined by a pair of ESPN 300 prospects. The recent addition of three-star LB Joshua Ofor serves as a reminder that this is a good, underrated class. He lacks ideal measurables at 6-foot, 205 pounds, but posted excellent testing numbers this offseason and is an active defender on film and can bend and use his hands well. The class also includes Jonathan Paylor, a nice in-state win that brings game-breaking speed, posting multiple 100-meter times under 11 seconds and one of the five fastest posted 40-yard dash times on the camp circuit this offseason. Some might use the ESPN 300 as a line of demarcation, but NC State has added great value beyond the rankings. QB Cedric Bailey enters with plenty of experience and success as a multi-year starter for South Florida power program Chaminade-Madonna. The Wolfpack also landed a verbal from Brody Barnhardt, who is arguably the best and most versatile player on a Providence Day (NC) squad that includes Michigan QB commit Jadyn Davis and 2025 five-star David Sanders. Barnhardt could develop in the mold of former Wolfpack standout defender Tanner Ingle. NC State's class might not end up in the top 25, but the pieces are here to make this program better.

Texas Tech Red Raiders​

2023 rank: No. 24
Current rank: No. 23

Texas Tech is moving up off the strength of the addition of five-star WR Micah Hudson. When Joey McGuire, a successful, former Texas high school coach with strong networking skills, took over the Red Raiders program, the expectation was he would succeed on the recruiting trail. That showed with their top-25 class last cycle, but the program made a statement with this latest addition. Hudson, a target with big-play speed, excellent high-point ability and great ball skills, is the Red Raiders' highest-ranked commit in the ESPN 300 era. He gives the program an elite receiver and can be a building block going forward to further strengthen current and future classes. Hudson elevated the class, but he's not the only strength. ESPN 300 Edge defender Cheta Ofili and QB Will Hammond have proven to be excellent early evaluations and additions. They have only seen their stock rise since committing.

Tennessee Volunteers​

2023 rank: No. 16
Current rank: No. 6

The Vols currently sit on the cusp of the top five and are in great position to sign their first top-10 class in nearly a decade (2015). It can be easy to forget this program was in disarray in recent years. From its bungled coaching search after the 2017 season to its parting with the previous staff due to NCAA violations, Josh Heupel took over a proud program that was hardly at its peak. In a short time, he and his staff have managed to push those missteps into the rearview and formulated success on the field and in recruiting. After a five-year span where the top prospects in the state left, the Volunteers are set to sign the No. 1 player in Tennessee for the second year in a row in DB Kaleb Beasley. They also pulled five-star athlete Mike Matthews out of Georgia and added rangy edge defender Jordan Ross of Alabama.

UCF Golden Knights​

2023 rank: No. 43
Current rank: No. 24

UCF is no longer recruiting like an overachieving Group of 5 program. Instead, it's recruiting with the top programs in the country and is positioned for a big jump in the rankings and competing for the top class in the newly realigned Big 12 Conference. UCF hasn't needed to go far for talent. Eight of their nine four-star commits are from either Florida or Georgia, including No. 2 safety Jaylen Heyward, who at one point was committed to top-ranked Georgia. Gus Malzahn's tenure at Auburn had its highs and lows, but it's unsurprising to see the success he is cultivating with the Knights after speaking with high school coaches across Florida and Georgia. Coaches have said that when UCF recruits their players, they see a more relaxed version of Malzahn leading this program who is enjoying the process more. It's certainly netting positive results, as this program is poised for its highest finish, by a wide margin, in the ESPN 300 era.

 

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Five schools with work to do on their 2024 class​

Colorado Buffaloes​

2023 rank: No. 23
Current rank: N/A

The Deion Sanders-led Buffaloes are shaking up college football with their fast start to the 2023 season. While their on-field success has surprised many, a quick scan of their current recruiting class is equally surprising, but not in the same manner. At this stage, Colorado has only two commitments from players inside the ESPN 300 and less than 10 overall commits in the class. While their results could be viewed as disappointing, there is a bubbling 'wait for it' aura to the class.

The transfer portal will be a factor again in continuing to rebuild this program but expect them to also shake things up on the recruiting trail over the final months. Coach Prime shocked the recruiting world when he signed five-star Travis Hunter at Jackson State and elevated Colorado's class into the top 25 last cycle. That came after taking over the program and landing several key prospects including current standout freshman Dylan Edwards, a top-10 RB, and flipping five-star CB Cormani McClain from Miami. Recruits are taking notice and they recently attracted several to Boulder, including ESPN 300 OL Jordan Seaton, Tennessee athlete commit Boo Carter, and Alabama DL commit Jeremiah Beaman. Expect Colorado to make some noise again and rise in the rankings before the cycle is over.

TCU Horned Frogs​

2023 rank: No. 19
Current rank: No. 39

A top-20 finish last cycle combined with a national championship appearance would seem to point to an equally strong performance on the recruiting trail. So far, the Horned Frogs have found some success with a pair of ESPN 300 offensive weapons in WR Gekyle Baker and RB Jeremy Payne. Four-star QB Hauss Hejny is undersized but has a quick release, good mobility and seems like an ideal fit. While there are positives to the class, it seems more indicative of a class for a program on the rise, not one coming off a season where it busted into the College Football Playoff and signed one of the top classes in the nation. Expect TCU to rise some and be active in the portal, but the chances of matching last year's class are slipping out of reach.

Texas Longhorns​

2023 rank: No. 3
Current rank: No. 17

Texas is off to a strong start on the field in 2023 and landed arguably the nation's best pure edge rusher in five-star Colin Simmons, so this is not a sign of a program in demise. It is a program showing signs of moving in the right direction, but is this class a big enough piece of the puzzle to help keep propelling it forward as it moves to the SEC? Yes, it beat future conference rival Alabama this season, but navigating a full SEC schedule will bring new challenges as it enters a conference where six programs currently have classes ranked within the top 10. The Longhorns have a good class with some big pieces like in-state CB Kobe Black and top-10 WR Ryan Wingo still in the mix, but there is work to still be done over the final months to continue to close the gap on its very soon-to-be conference rivals.

USC Trojans​

2023 rank: No. 10
Current rank: No. 19

Much like Texas, USC is trying to recapture past glory and finally break into the CFP. The Trojans signed a top-10 class this past cycle that included the No. 1 prospect, QB Malachi Nelson, and the No. 1 WR, Zachariah Branch, who is already having an impact. Despite signing four prospects amongst the top 40 nationally in 2023, their highest-ranked current commit is DE Kameryn Fountain at No. 82. The Trojans continue to add more impressive skill talent, including a pair of top-20 receivers, but are they upgrading in the trenches enough to succeed consistently in their new conference and reestablish themselves as a consistent national title contender?

Two of their ESPN 300 commits are lineman, but the big men additions have not matched the perimeter talent. While the top two linemen in the country both are out of California -- OL Brandon Baker and DL Aydin Breland -- both look poised to sign elsewhere. USC signed one of the best crops of newcomers for 2023, and will again have to work the portal to supplement this 2024 class.

Utah Utes​

2023 rank: No. 20
Current rank: N/A

Is this a disappointing class or simply business as usual in Salt Lake City? Utah never seems to be in a rush, even despite most other programs adopting to an accelerated recruiting calendar. The Utes won 11 games and achieved a top-five Associated Press ranking in 2019, but that recruiting class had less than 10 commits heading into November. A year ago, seven of their nine four-star signees came aboard in November or later. Utah has clearly made it work, managing consistent on-field success and an ability to close well, finishing with a top-20 class in 2023. That said, it feels like the Utes are playing with fire with this approach. They again have a smaller class as September ends and features just one ESPN 300 commit, in-state OT Isaiah Garcia. The expectation is this class will fill out and rise, but with less than 30 undeclared prospects in the ESPN 300, the pool is shallower and the task more difficult. This situation might cause other programs to break out in a full sweat. While Utah has been here before, beads of sweat could be formulating here as well.