We’re about a month away from the start of the early signing period, and to no one’s surprise, 13 of the top 25 recruiting classes in the 2024 cycle belong to SEC schools. In fact, only two of the 16 programs that will be part of the league beginning next season are outside of the top 40.
Here’s a look at each SEC program and where it stands with flips and potential additions/subtractions. All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite.
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Alabama
National rank: 5th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 92.24
Key targets
- five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton
- top-100 safety Zavier Mincey
- four-star running back Daniel Hill
- four-star defensive lineman William Echoles
- four-star defensive lineman Steve Mboumoua
Is Georgia’s dominance finally causing trouble for Nick Saban’s program on the recruiting trail? Alabama hasn’t had a class finish outside of the top five since Saban took over in 2007, and the Crimson Tide have been outside of the top three only twice (2010, 2018) over that span.
Alabama’s 2024 class ranks fifth overall and fourth in average player ranking, but it does feel notable that only two of the seven in-state recruits who rank in the top 100 nationally are committed to the Crimson Tide. Five-star receiver Perry Thompson flipped to rival Auburn in late January. Last year, Alabama signed five of the 11 top-100 recruits in-state. The state of Florida, Alabama’s second-most fertile recruiting ground from 2018 through 2023, also hasn’t been kind to the Crimson Tide this cycle. They’ve got only one blue-chip commit from the Sunshine State — four-star receiver Jameer Grimsley. Alabama signed four blue-chippers from Florida last cycle.
This year’s group of commitments includes five recruits who flipped from other programs over the summer: top-100 safety Peyton Woodyard (Georgia), four-star safety Rydarrius Morgan (Florida State), three-star tight end Jay Lindsey (Mississippi State), three-star defensive lineman Isaia fa*ga (Utah) and three-star linebacker Justin Okoronko (Maryland). The Crimson Tide are still trying to flip a few more players, including three high-profile defensive linemen in Echoles (Ole Miss), Dealyn Evans (Texas A&M) and Elias Williams (Missouri).
— Daniel Hill (@d1danny3) October 20, 2023
Arkansas
National rank: 23rd
Number of commits: 18
Average player rating: 89.28
Key targets
- four-star athlete Brian Huff
- three-star defensive lineman Kemari Copeland
Sam Pittman built a top-20 recruiting class over the summer, but it’s starting to slip and get picked apart. Less than a week after offensive coordinator Dan Enos was fired eight games into his tenure, and before the Razorbacks finally notched their first league win on the road at Florida, four-star receiver Courtney Crutchfield — arguably the top recruit in the class — decided to reopen his recruitment.
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That means Arkansas’ class includes only seven blue-chip commitments and just two of the five four-star prospects in the state. The next blue-chipper who might stray is four-star linebacker Julius Pope. The Mississippi native has been courted by SEC rival Mississippi State. Pittman already lost one four-star recruit to a Mississippi school in four-star athlete Noreel White, who decided to stay home and play for Ole Miss. The player the Razorbacks are trying to flip is Huff, an Arkansas native committed to Missouri.
Auburn
National rank: 16th
Number of commits: 18
Average player rating: 91.59
Key targets
- four-star running back David Eziomume
- four-star running back Kevin Riley
- four-star tight end Roger Saleapaga
- three-star safety Laquan Robinson
- three-star defensive lineman Brien Taylor
The Tigers scored a big victory recently, snaring top-100 edge rusher Jamonta Waller from Florida’s class. Before that, though, Auburn had three four-star commitments part ways from the program since Oct. 10: running back J’Marion Burnette and cornerbacks Jayden Lewis and Jalewis Solomon (South Carolina flip). Auburn hosted Eziomume (Clemson commitment) and Riley (Miami commitment) in September and could make a push to have either fill the gap vacated by Burnette.
Hugh Freeze has done pretty well recruiting in-state. Five of the 23 blue-chip recruits in the state of Alabama, including two of the five five-stars, are committed to the Tigers. That’s one more than the rival Crimson Tide. Auburn signed 25 percent of its recruiting classes from in-state (32 of 128) from 2018 through 2023 but counted on neighboring Georgia for its majority (40 of 128) over the same stretch.
Florida
National rank: 4th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 92.41
Key targets
- five-star receiver Jeremiah Smith
- five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton
- top-100 defensive back Zavier Mincey
- four-star defensive back Jameer Grimsley
- three-star offensive tackle Favour Edwin
Beating out rivals Florida State and Miami for top-100 defensive lineman LJ McCray was a big victory for Billy Napier, who has eight top-100 recruits in the class (including six on defense). The Gators have seven blue-chip commits from the state of Florida, one shy of Florida State for the most among all FBS programs this cycle.
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The program signed only seven of the 68 top-100 players to come out of the state in the previous four cycles. They’ve got three this cycle and are also in play for a fourth with Mincey (No. 80 overall). Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the nation and an Ohio State commit since December, recently attended the Arkansas game and has been getting recruited by five-star quarterback commitment DJ Lagway.
The Gators lost a commitment over the weekend when four-star cornerback Wardell Mack, a Louisiana native, flipped to Texas. Other possible flip candidates:four-star defensive linemen Amaris Williams and Nasir Johnson. Williams took an official visit to Ohio State on Oct. 21 and is also being pursued by Tennessee. Johnson is taking an official visit to Georgia and has Florida State after him as well.
SWAMP NATION See you this weekend for my official Visit #GoGators 🐊🐊 pic.twitter.com/KAkICHCG26
— Jordan Seaton (@JordanSeaton_) October 4, 2023
Georgia
National rank: 1st
Number of commits: 27
Average player rating: 93.54
Key targets
- five-star athlete KJ Bolden
- four-star receiver Terrell Anderson
- four-star defensive lineman Nasir Johnson
- four-star athlete Kam Mikell
- three-star defensive lineman Michai Boireau
Georgia has added two commitments since the start of the season, with the most recent — four-star cornerback Ondre Evans — coming on Oct. 18. The Bulldogs are trying to flip recruits committed elsewhere and are the favorites to land Mikell, a speedster from Statesboro, Ga., who will announce his college choice on Nov. 23. They also recently made an offer to Anderson, NC State’s top commitment, and are trying to flip Johnson from Florida.
In 2023, five of the 26 players signed by Georgia came from in-state, with neighboring Florida providing the majority of players (nine). This cycle, Georgia has nine in-state pledges, including six blue-chippers. But just two are among the 13 top-100-ranked recruits from the Peach State. Florida State has commitments from four of those 13, including the talented Bolden. Kirby Smart, though, has the No. 1-ranked player from three states committed (Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia) and the No. 2-ranked player from four states (Florida, Virginia, Indiana, Tennessee).
Kentucky
National rank: 21st
Number of commits: 21
Average player rating: 88.90
Key targets
- four-star offensive lineman Andrew Dennis
- three-star offensive tackle Marc Nave
- three-star safety Cam Dooley
- three-star cornerback Tyshawn Sanders
It looks as though the Wildcats will finish outside the top 20 in the rankings for a second consecutive season after signing the No. 14 class in 2022. It’s still a very good class for Kentucky, which had a pair of big moments on the trail in the last two months. First, four-star defensive linemen and twin brothers Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith flipped their pledges from Michigan and then Kentucky beat out Michigan and Penn State for top-100 edge rusher Brian Robinson.
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On3 reported the Smith brothers signed NIL deals with a Kentucky-based auto group for car leases, one of the first such deals at the high school level. Mark Stoops won’t have to fight too hard — it appears — to keep either in the 2024 signing class. But it could be a different deal with a couple of other pledges, including four-star linebacker Elijah Groves, who is being pursued by NC State, and four-star cornerback Terhyon Nichols, an Ohio native who has the in-state Buckeyes still checking in on him.
Merry Flipmas.
Jerod Smith and Jacob Smith flip from Michigan to KENTUCKY. #BBN
MORE: https://t.co/rup4wDBUii pic.twitter.com/ph7TaCjohR
— KSR (@KSRonX) September 16, 2023
LSU
National rank: 11th
Number of commits: 26
Average player rating: 90.61
Key targets
- five-star receiver Terry Bussey
- four-star receiver Dre’lon Miller
- three-star defensive lineman Shone Washington
- three-star defensive lineman Jaden Hamlin
The Tigers are on pace to finish with a top-10 class for the fifth time since 2019 and could move up the rankings if they’re able to haul in a couple of top-100 recruits who are (or were) committed to Texas A&M. They swiped four-star offensive tackle Weston Davis (Texas A&M) and three-star defensive backs PJ Woodland (Mississippi State) and Bernard Causey (Ole Miss) from SEC West rivals last month.
Miller, a Texas native and former Aggie pledge, has been on LSU’s campus quite a bit, including this past weekend for an official visit. Bussey, who committed to the Aggies in late September, is another name to watch for LSU. Aside from hauling in another elite receiver, the Tigers are also looking to add a big defensive tackle from the junior college ranks, and Washington and Hamlin are top-20-ranked players they’ve shown interest in. The most likely recruit to flip out of the class for LSU is four-star cornerback Cai Bates, who has flirted with Florida State, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Alabama.
Mississippi State
National rank: 46th
Number of commits: 16
Average player rating: 87.70
Key targets
- three-star linebacker Tah’j Butler
- three-star offensive lineman Jayven Richardson
- unranked defensive lineman Michael Wallace
- unranked offensive lineman Rodney Newsom Jr.
The Bulldogs’ average class ranking over five previous cycles was 26th, but it’s been a struggle on the field and on the trail this year for coach Zach Arnett. Four-star athlete Braylon Burnside from Starkville recently became the third decommitment since late August. The Bulldogs, who have not had a class outside the top 30 since 2014, lost three-star tight end Jay Lindsey (Alabama) and three-star defensive back PJ Woodland (LSU) to SEC rivals before that. Four-star in-state receiver JJ Harrell is a high-profile recruit whom the fan base is worried about losing next. Most of the potential additions going forward are likely to come from junior college. Butler has been committed to Georgia Tech since April but remains on the radar.
Nine of Mississippi State’s 16 commitments are from the Magnolia State, but just two of the 13 blue-chippers in-state have pledged to the Bulldogs.
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Missouri
National rank: 44th
Number of commits: 14
Average player rating: 88.34
Key targets
- four-star receiver Courtney Crutchfield
- three-star offensive lineman Talan Chandler
Eli Drinkwitz is having a very good season with the Tigers, winning on the field and managing to keep the No. 2-ranked player in the country, five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri, from leaving the state. The Tigers, though, should probably be doing a bit better overall in the Class of 2024. Of the nine blue-chip recruits in the state of Missouri, Nwaneri is the only one committed to the Tigers. Fellow Missouri native and five-star receiver Ryan Wingo picked Texas last month, a tough blow for Drinkwitz and staff.
If Missouri can sway Crutchfield, a former Arkansas commitment, and Chandler, a Colorado pledge since February, the Tigers might be able to avoid finishing outside the top 40 for the first time since 2020. Drinkwitz will probably have to fight to hold on to Brian Huff, a four-star athlete from Arkansas who is being courted hard by the Razorbacks.
Oklahoma
National rank: 7th
Number of commits: 28
Average player rating: 90.63
Key targets
- four-star offensive lineman Grant Brix
- four-star offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis
- three-star offensive lineman Tyler Mercer
The Sooners are well on their way to securing a fourth consecutive top-10 recruiting class, and at this point are simply looking to add one or two more big bodies on the offensive line. Mercer, a Tulane commitment from Texas, could be the next to join the class. Brix, a top-100 recruit and the No. 1-ranked player in Iowa, has visited Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas State and is likely to settle on one of those three. The strength of Brent Venables’ 2024 class is built around elite pass catchers, defensive linemen and the top running back in the cycle.
The Sooners have long relied on the neighboring state of Texas for the majority of their recruits, signing 36 percent of their players over the previous six cycles from the Longhorn State. This cycle, eight commits are from Texas and six are from in-state.
Ole Miss
National rank: 20th
Number of commits: 22
Average player rating: 88.79
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Key targets
- four-star tight end Caleb Odom
- four-star receiver Chance Robinson
- four-star defensive lineman Charleston Collins
- three-star offensive tackle Isaiah Autry
- three-star cornerback Marcellus Barnes Jr.
Lane Kiffin’s program has finished outside the top 25 two years in a row, but the Rebels appear destined to finish in the top 20 — if not higher — if they can pull off a few flips. Odom (Alabama commit), Robinson (Miami), Collins (Arkansas) and Autry (Oklahoma) were all on campus to watch games recently and have been excited by what they’ve seen on the field this season in Oxford. Barnes (Virginia Tech commitment) is being courted hard by Georgia and Ole Miss.
There have been a couple of recent defections, too. Four-star quarterback Trever Jackson, an Elite 11 finalist, dropped out of the class last month, and three-star cornerback Bernard Causey flipped to LSU. One thing Kiffin has done with this class is pounce all over the best players in-state. He’s landed commitments from five of the 13 blue-chippers in his backyard, including the state’s top-ranked player in top-100 defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin. Ole Miss is among the eight SEC schools to accomplish that this cycle.
South Carolina
National rank: 19th
Number of commits: 16
Average player rating: 90.99
Key targets
- five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton
- four-star running back Anthony Carrie
- four-star athlete Daniel Hill
- four-star cornerback Kamron Mikell
- three-star safety Quaysheed Scott
Shane Beamer’s previous two recruiting classes finished in the top 25, and this one is on pace to do so as well thanks to five-star edge rusher Dylan Stewart and top-100 offensive tackles Josiah Thompson and Kam Pringle. Three-star cornerback Karson Hobbs flipped his pledge from the Gameco*cks to Notre Dame recently, but South Carolina could end up making up for his loss by pulling Scott away from Kentucky, beating out Georgia and Colorado for Mikell or adding a transfer.
Carrie, a Michigan State commitment and Florida native, is looking at South Carolina and NC State as potential destinations. Hill, who will announce at the All-American game, has Alabama and Tennessee as his other finalists along with South Carolina. Could any pledges stray? Auburn has definitely kicked the tires on four-star tight end commitment Michael Smith, a Georgia native.
Tennessee
National rank: 13th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 91.70
Key targets
- five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton
- four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams
- four-star tight end Roger Saleapaga
- three-star defensive lineman Nasir Smith
- three-star defensive lineman Trashun Griffin
- three-star cornerback Jaren Sensabaugh
The Volunteers have put together back-to-back top-20 recruiting classes, but climbing into the top 10 for the second cycle in a row is going to require a couple of flips or big wins for uncommitted players. Seaton, a Washington D.C.-area native, is visiting Knoxville the weekend of Nov. 18 after previously visiting the weekend Tennessee beat South Carolina. Williams, who committed to Florida in June, has been to Ohio State twice and will be making an official visit to Knoxville the same weekend as Seaton and the uncommitted Saleapaga from Utah.
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Josh Heupel loaded up at the line of scrimmage with five offensive and four defensive linemen in this class, a top-five receiver in five-star Mike Matthews and the top in-state player in four-star cornerback Kaleb Beasley. In all, Tennessee has snagged pledges from four of the nine blue-chip recruits in the state. A year ago, the Vols signed only two of the 10 blue-chippers in-state.
Texas
National rank: 9th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 91.77
Key targets
- five-star safety Xavier Filsaime
- five-star cornerback Kobe Black
- four-star edge Solomon Williams
- four-star receiver Dre’lon Miller
The Longhorns had a huge win on the trail last month when they beat Missouri for five-star receiver Ryan Wingo and they have a chance to finish in the top 10 for the third straight year. Flipping four-star cornerback Wardell Mack from Florida over the weekend was a nice boost. The Longhorns and USC have kicked the tires on Filsaime (Florida commit) and are considered the leaders to land Black. Although there’s not one particular position Texas loaded up on, its class includes plenty of star power, headlined by five-star linebacker Colin Simmons and five-star offensive tackle Brandon Baker. Running back commitment Jerrick Gibson from Florida is the No. 3 ranked player at his position.
Texas A&M
National rank: 10th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 92.05
Key commitments
- five-star receiver Cameron Coleman
- five-star cornerback Terry Bussey
- four-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley
- four-star defensive lineman Dealyn Evans
- four-star offensive tackle Blake Ivy
With Jimbo Fisher getting let go on Sunday, the Aggies are basically playing defense as the program looks for its next head coach. Of the 20 commitments, eight come from in-state, including Bussey. Those recruits might be easier to hold onto than the out-of-state prospects such as Coleman, an Alabama native who made an unofficial visit to Auburn on Oct. 21 and has taken official visits to Clemson and LSU as well. He’s reportedly also set to officially visit Florida State. Bussey has LSU and Texas after him. McKinley, a Louisiana native, took official visits to Texas, Oklahoma, and Ohio State. Texas A&M lost two commitments in October: top-100 receiver Drelon Miller, who remains uncommitted, and four-star offensive tackle Weston Davis (flipped to LSU).
Vanderbilt
National rank: 38th
Number of commits: 20
Average player rating: 86.87
Key target
- three-star linebacker Jamison Curtis
The Commodores are on pace to finish with a top-40 recruiting class for the second time in three years and for only the second time since 2013. That’s some good news for Clark Lea, who has gone 2-9 and 0-7 in conference play this season. Curtis, a Memphis commitment, attended a Vanderbilt home game recently and is a flip candidate. The top recruit in the class is four-star safety Dontae Carter from Cibolo, Texas. USC recently offered Carter and is trying to get him to flip. The last Vanderbilt commitment — three-star cornerback Jaylin Lackey from Snellville, Ga. — was a recruit the Commodores flipped from Virginia.
GO DEEPERBehind the AP Top 25 ballot: There's still hope for compelling rankings drama(Photo of Kirby Smart: James Gilbert / Getty Images)
