2014 College Football Recruiting Rankings: Top 5 Recruiting Classes – Bama, FSU and LSU Top 3

2014 College Football Recruiting Rankings: Top 5 Recruiting Classes – Bama, FSU and LSU Top 3 : Another National Signing Day has come and gone, and while the SEC may have seen its streak of national titles come to an end, it is clear that the top recruits in the country still believe the conference is still the place to be. Four of the top five teams in my rankings call the SEC home, and not surprisingly, the one lone exception is defending national champion Florida State. On that note, here is a closer look at the five college football teams that have assembled the best recruiting classes for 2014 following National Signing Day.

1.      Alabama Crimson Tide

No matter what you prioritize when it comes to ranking recruiting classes, you have to have the Crimson Tide at the top. After all, Nick Saban and company landed six five-star prospects when no other program landed more than three. In addition, Alabama landed a combined 19 players that were at least four-star prospects, which also led the country. Alabama landed the No. 1 overall prospect in defense end Da’Shawn Hand, the top linebacker in Rashaan Evans and several excellent defensive backs. Perhaps more importantly, the Crimson Tide landed what might be the best offensive line class ever. For a team that prides itself on running the ball, playing defense and winning in the trenches, Alabama basically just landed the building blocks for another run of dominance.

2.      Florida State Seminoles

Fresh off a national title, the Seminoles landed a stout recruiting class that included three five-star prospects. By the way those prospects happen to be running back Dalvin Cook and receivers Travis Rudolph and Ermon Lane, who should be able to fill some holes on the offense left by early departures for the NFL by fitting nicely alongside defending Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston for the next couple of years. In addition to landing some playmakers, Jimbo fisher landed 13 four-star prospects, including offensive lineman Roderick Johnson and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi. In fact, a bulk of FSU’s four-star recruits play along the offensive line or in the front seven, which should help ensure that the Seminoles remain a serious factor for the foreseeable future.

3.      LSU Tigers

Although the Tigers only landed two five-star recruits, both running back Leonard Fournette and receiver Malachi Dupre should make a quick impact. After all, Fournette was the top running back prospect in the country while the 6’4” Dupre has all the tools to be a deadly weapon in the passing game. Meanwhile, Les Miles was able to land four-star dual-threat quarterback prospect Brandon Harris as well as several four-star prospects on the defensive side of the ball headlined by defensive tackle Travonte Valentine. The bottom line is that LSU added to its already-excellent depth on defense with this class while adding some potentially elite playmakers on offense. Watch out for the Tigers.

4.      Texas A&M Aggies

The bad news is that Texas A&M is losing Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel from a team that played next to no defense last season. The good news is that Kevin Sumlin landed a stellar recruiting class that included the top QB prospect in the country in Kyle Allen. By the way, the Aggies also landed defensive end Myles Garrett, who was the No. 2 overall prospect in the country to go along with five-star receiver Speedy Noil. In addition to the five-star prospects, Texas A&M landed 10 four-star prospects, including a pair of offensive lineman, a pair of defensive tackles, a pair of linebackers and a pair of defensive backs. In other words, the offense shouldn’t fall apart completely without Manziel, and the defensive should be improving sooner rather than later. I don’t think the Aggies’ program is going to fade away any time soon.

5.      Tennessee Volunteers

If you need further proof of just how badly the best players in the country want to play in the SEC, look no further than Tennessee’s recruiting class. No disrespect to Butch Jones, but the Volunteers went 5-7 last season, including 2-6 in conference play, but still managed a pair of five-star recruits and a whopping 16 four-star prospects. Running back Jalen Hurd and receiver Josh Malone are the two biggest signings, but more than anything, this class adds a much-needed overall influx of talent to a Tennessee program that has really struggled lately. Jones was really able to add some impact players on the defensive side of the ball, and in a couple of years, this class will likely be viewed as the groundwork for the resurrection of the Tennessee football program.

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