Every June, college football recruiting takes place in a way that is almost theatrical. By the time you’ve refreshed the page twice, the entire landscape has changed due to the sudden, unpredictable, and occasionally shocking nature of commitments. Currently, over 70% of prospects in the top recruiting pools have already made their decisions. On its own, that figure indicates how quickly programs are progressing. It’s a sprint disguised as a marathon.
The 2027 class rankings place Texas A&M at the top, and it’s truly amazing to watch Mike Elko assemble this team. With the addition of five-star edge rusher Zyron Forstall from IMG Academy, he is heavily relying on his defensive experience. At first glance, Forstall won’t remind anyone of a potential first-round selection; he’s not the kind of physical specimen that stops you in a highlight reel. However, there’s something about his explosive first step and low pad level that causes scouts to repeatedly rewind the tape. Elko has put together what appears to be a trench unit that will be worth watching in the coming years. Kennedy Brown and Mark Matthews, two five-star linemen, join a group that also includes Jayce Johnson, a quarterback who appears to have Cardale Jones’ build and arm strength. It’s still unclear if that translates. Seldom is it this early.
Oklahoma comes in second, and Brent Venables deserves a lot of praise for this. The Sooners overcame a difficult 2024 season to return to the College Football Playoffs, thanks in large part to what turned out to be the best defense in the SEC. He is currently recruiting to keep that identity safe. Cooper Witten, whose father Jason was a well-known tight end in the NFL, has discreetly switched to linebacker, and it seems to fit him better. That can be achieved with a 4.56 forty time and a 4.1 shuttle. Venables seems to know exactly what he’s building, and instead of chasing brand names, he’s building it with patience and specificity.
It is truly difficult to overlook what Jon Sumrall has accomplished at Florida in such a brief period of time. As soon as he arrived, he signed five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, a prospect whose technical foundation coaches refer to as “NFL-ready frame.” That would have been a statement on its own. However, Sumrall relied heavily on running back Andrew Beard, who can catch passes out of the backfield and ran for over 1,200 yards as a junior, and center Peyton Miller, who is ranked #1. In the national rankings, the Gators are currently ranked third. That’s not just encouraging for a first-year head coach in Gainesville. Doubters are long-silenced by a start like that.
Miami, which is currently ranked fourth, has constructed its class in a different way by remaining local while expanding nationally when the ideal prospect emerged. The offensive star is wide receiver Nick Lennear, a 6-foot, 170-pound target who, when given space, transforms short passes into something completely different. The Hurricanes made an appearance in the national championship game the previous season, and there’s a sense that the program is about to enter a new phase where recruiting must match the ambition of the moment rather than just the moment itself in order to sustain success.
As always, Notre Dame is acting like Notre Dame. At 5-11 and 195 pounds, defensive back Xavier Hasan is the type of player whose stats appear normal until you watch him play, at which point coaches begin to say things like “the game slows down for him.” That expression is frequently used. People seem to genuinely mean what they say about Hasan. Even though everything else related to college football has changed over the years, the Irish are still attracting prospects from the Carolinas, Texas, Florida, and Chicago.
Wide receiver Jamier Brown, a burner from the in-state pipeline who runs the 100-meter dash in 10.3 seconds, is another example of Ohio State’s assembly-line strategy. Depending on your perspective on geographic recruiting logic, Michigan’s decision to hire a quarterback from Utah is either inspiring or perplexing in this new era under Kyle Whittingham. Most likely both.
Sumrall at Florida, Alex Golesh at Auburn, James Franklin at Virginia Tech, Matt Campbell at Penn State, and Will Stein at Kentucky are just a few of the new coaches who are making waves far above expectations, according to the larger picture that emerges from this cycle. When it comes to hiring, first impressions are crucial. It’s difficult not to wonder which of these names will still be around in five years and which will have moved on before their recruits ever play a snap as these classes take shape.
