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Class of 2022 College Football Team Recruiting Rankings

SI All-American tracks the top recruiting classes ahead of the open period

John Garcia Jr.

June 1 has long been circled in the college football and recruiting world, signaling the end of a 15-month long NCAA recruiting dead period as part of the fallout from the pandemic. 

Programs at every level wrapped up the class of 2021 using primarily a virtual approach considering all in-person recruiting was prohibited from March of 2020 through Monday. As the calendar flips towards the summer, there is anticipation of a relatively fluid month ahead, as programs are clear to host recruits on official and unofficial visits, as well as for prospect camps, for the first time in well over one year.  

SI All-American sets the stage for the slate with its initial class of 2022 team recruiting ranking. The SIAA Top 25 tracks verbally committed prospects from the prep and junior college level through the end of May. It is measured outside of overall volume, with an emphasis on quality, premium position (quarterback, offensive tackle, pass rusher, cornerback) prospects as well as how programs address glaring team needs to date. 

June 2021 Top 25

1. Ohio State

12 Verbal Commitments

The Buckeyes have another national haul on their hands, including the nation's most intriguing quarterback, more elite pass catchers and a trio of Florida defensive back projections.

"Early commitments from top-rated in-state players turned into pledges from from some of the nation’s elite, including Southlake (Texas) Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers, Jacksonville (Fla.) Robert E. Lee cornerback Jaheim Singletary and Austin (Texas) Lake Travis wide receiver Caleb Burton," Andrew Lind of Buckeyes Now said. "And the Buckeyes don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. 

“Of course, there are still a number of holes that need to be filled, including offensive line where Ohio State already holds one commitment from West Chester (Ohio) Lakota West tackle Tegra Tshabola, but is targeting three or four more versatile players who can play anywhere across the line. The month of June should provide some much-needed clarity at both offensive and defensive line, both in terms of where Ohio State stands with each prospect and any sort of pecking order the staff may have.”

2. LSU

13 Verbal Commitments

"LSU is one of the few programs with double digit commits at this point in the recruiting cycle and are not close to finished," said Glen West of LSU Country. "Of the 13 commits the Tigers have secured to this point, nine lie within the Louisiana borders, headlined by quarterback Walker Howard, offensive lineman Will Campbell and safety JaCoby Mathews. There's a little bit of everything in this class as most recently the purple and gold secured a commitment from Jake Johnson, tight end and brother of current LSU quarterback Max Johnson. Expect there to be a continued push for more offensive linemen, help in the secondary, a running back and on the defensive line as well."

3. Georgia

12 Verbal Commitments

Kirby Smart's latest class resembles many of his previous, with the ability to lean on the fertile grounds within state lines and in the region. Quarterback Gunner Stockton may project as the no-brainer class headliner to some, but two-way athlete Malaki Starks is the best on board, overall. UGA went to Texas to secure one of America's top interior defensive line projections in Bear Alexander, who is already complimented by inside-out lineman Tyre West and edge talent Darrius Smith to date.

4. Notre Dame

13 Verbal Commitments

"Notre Dame is off to another fast start, landing both volume (13 commits) and high-end talent," Bryan Driskell of Irish Breakdown notes. "The three-man defensive end class is the best of what is already one of the nation’s best classes. St. Louis big-man Tyson Ford is a powerful edge player that could easily make plays as both a big end and three-technique for Notre Dame. Virginia end Aiden Gobaira had a dominant junior season, and the 6'6", 230-pound edge rusher combines top-notch athleticism, power and a great frame, which makes him one of the best defenders on the East Coast. 

"England-native Darren Agu has played football for just one season, but the 6'6", 225-pound athlete has an incredibly high ceiling. Landing Michigan standouts Josh Burnham and Nolan Ziegler at linebacker gives the Irish one of the best front seven hauls in the country, and they aren’t done yet. Joey Tanona and Ty Chan give the Irish a strong start along the offensive line, Holden Staes and Eli Raridon make up arguably the best tight end tandem in the country and Texas running back Jadarian Price gives the Irish another talented runner."

5. Penn State

11 Verbal Commitments

"Penn State coach James Franklin acknowledged that the 2021 recruiting cycle didn’t go as he wanted, particularly in Pennsylvania," Mark Wogenrich, of All Penn State, said. "That has changed with the 2022 class, which already includes five in-state commits. The Lions addressed major needs on offense, bringing in quarterbacks Drew Allar and Beau Pribula, and top receivers in Ohio’s Kaden Saunders and Pennsylvania’s Mekhi Flowers. Defensive tackle Drew Shelton from IMG Academy is a key defensive player to watch."

6. Oklahoma

9 Verbal Commitments

"Oklahoma loaded up early on offensive talent, landing verbal commitments from three of the nation's top wide receiver prospects in Luther Burden, Talyn Shettron and Jordan Hudson," John Hoover, of All Sooners, said. "Then Lincoln Riley added one of the top all-purpose backs in Raleek Brown, an elite tight end in Jason Llewellyn and an offensive lineman in Demetrius "Pancake" Hunter. 

"But defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has slowly chipped away and now has three of the Sooners' nine commits, adding defensive back Jayden Rowe and linebacker Kip Lewis to last year's pledge from linebacker Kobie McKinzie. Riley might be finished at receiver and isn't looking for a 2022 quarterback, but he does need more linemen. Look for Grinch, however, to be the busier of the two this summer."

7. Rutgers

12 Verbal Commitments

Sure, quarterback Gavin Wimsatt is a true class headliner and brings a national feel to the Rutgers potential reach before all is said and done, but Greg Schiano has again pushed locally. Led by 6'6" tackle talent Jacob Allen, RU has already landed a half-dozen New Jersey prospects as part of one one of the bigger hauls in America. It includes a sizable five-man offensive line haul already college ready from a frame standpoint, as just one is listed under 6'5" tall.

8. Florida State

9 Verbal Commitments

The Seminoles are strong out of the gate under Mike Norvell, with the nation's most explosive prospect already on board in two-way talent Travis Hunter. Multiple quarterbacks, including IMG Academy's AJ Duffy, headline the remainder of the haul. It includes in-state wins at offensive tackle (Aliou Bah) and along the edge (Aaron Hester) while the pass catcher group of Sam McCall and Devaughn Mortimer features the type of dynamic play-making that FSU needs if it is to compete with its in-state rivals for the long haul.

9. Texas A&M

8 Verbal Commitments

Jimbo Fisher is building another top 10 type class in College Station, hitting the big in-state marks as one may expect. It starts with quarterback Connor Weigman and NFL legacy defensive back Bobby Taylor, but features another handful of Texans to date. The haul could eventually see another quarterback join the fold but as it currently stands, few pass catcher units have the size and firepower of A&M's thus far.

10. Texas

8 Verbal Commitments

"Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are loading up on talent on both sides of the ball early on in this recruiting cycle," Matt Galatzan, of Longhorns Country, said. "Things really took off in February when Klein Cain, running back Jaydon Blue, safety Bryan Allen Jr., linebacker Trevell Johnson, and quarterback Maalik Murphy committed to the program. 

"The momentum continued into the spring, when a pair of defensive line prospects in Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy College Prep edge rusher Zac Swanson and Houston (Texas) North Shore defensive tackle Kristopher Ross committed as well. If they can keep things going when the dead period ends this June, and visitors begin to make their way to campus, this summer could be an explosive one for the Longhorns."

11. Mississippi State

12 Verbal Commitments

The in-state haul for Mike Leach already stands at seven, including a massive offensive tackle (Jacarius Clayton) and multiple pass catchers, but the name to keep an eye on most is also the most obvious in Braedyn Locke. The Texas signal caller is coming off of one of America's top junior and sophomore campaigns, combining for nearly 7,500 yards and 90-plus touchdown passes while leading Rockwall (Texas) to strong playoff runs as a starter.

12. Boston College

12 Verbal Commitments

"Boston College has been strong in putting together a class that puts them near the top of the ACC," BC Bulletin's AJ Black said. "They landed a premier defensive tackle in Kwan Williams, have a fast rising wide receiver in Joseph Griffin II, and recently added California defensive back Sione Hala. The Eagles have pushed to build speed on their team and have hit upon that at many of their core positions. 

"They needed two tight ends and landed as many, Matt Ragan and Jeremiah Franklin -- both strong pass catchers who will be looking to replace Hunter Long. The big position to still watch is defensive end, where they haven't landed a commitment yet, but have some big fish out there, including Wilfredo Aybar, who is visiting Chestnut Hill in the beginning of June."

13. Kentucky

10 Verbal Commitments

Outside of Georgia, it's the Wildcats currently tracking as the No. 2 recruiting program in the SEC East. The 10 prospect haul for Mark Stoops' coaching staff already features bookend tackle types in Kiyaunta Goodwin and in-stater Grant Bingham. Volunteer State quarterback Destin Wade is fresh off of a state championship despite not being as heralded as some of his fellow class of 2022 passers.  

14. Baylor 

10 Verbal Commitments

Speaking of state title standouts at important positions, incoming Baylor QB Zach Pyron has only won state titles as a varsity starter over stops at Fyffe and Pinson Valley High School in Alabama. The big, athletic talent appears to have made strong strides following the latest title, flashing consistency throughout the offseason. Baylor already has seven Texans committed in 2022 but it's Missouri's Kaian Roberts-Day, who could project at edge, linebacker, tight end or even running back, who could be the most fascinating to follow for years to come. 

15. Maryland

9 Verbal Commitments

The Terps landed a top 20 class in 2021 and are tracking right along that pace to date under Mike Locksley, who helped secure one of the most impressive passers our staff has seen this offseason in AJ Swann. The Peach Stater lit up the Elite 11 Atlanta regional and was invited to this summers Elite 11 Finals as a result. Maryland is off to a strong start across premium positions, too, with pledges already secured at pass rusher and cornerback in addition to Swann.

16. Oregon

8 Verbal Commitments

"The Ducks locked in Alabama quarterback Tanner Bailey, arguably the most important position for any recruiting class," Ducks Digest's Max Torres said. "This will allow them to build the rest of the class on offense around him, which has already started in DeSoto (Texas) wide receiver commit Stephon Johnson. His stock is only going to rise as more people get eyes on him. Wide receiver has been a pretty pressing need for Oregon in recent years and the staff is off to a solid start filling it. 

"Mario Cristobal would ideally like to have more bodies in the fold at offensive line seeing that a few players from this year's team are likely to test the NFL Draft, but he's off to a good start in massive JUCO offensive lineman Percy Lewis. The Ducks also have a need in the secondary, particularly at safety, and have snagged a solid duo with Trejon Williams and Landon Hullaby. Oregon was also able to grab Gracen Halton from San Diego, who is one of the top defensive line prospects on the entire West Coast. This group has all the makings of another top 25 class. Oregon is in a great spot with blue chip prospects across the country as Cristobal's staff looks to contend heavily for another Pac-12 recruiting title."

17. Michigan

7 Verbal Commitments

"In-state cornerback Will Johnson is the gem of the class as one of the top prospects in the entire country,'" Brandon Brown, of Wolverine Digest, said. "Wide receiver Tyler Morris and defensive back Kody Jones are also nice pulls out of the Chicago area and Tennessee respectively. Unfortunately for Michigan and Michigan fans, Johnson is planning an official visit to USC next month where he’ll link up with fellow top-flight cornerback and good friend Domani Jackson. 

"The Wolverines need to land several defensive backs in this cycle but doesn’t seem to be in great shape with any blue-chippers. Michigan is also struggling to attract top talent along the offensive and defensive lines. The Block M is present on some top lists, but U-M doesn’t seem to be the frontrunner for any elite prospects. With so much turnover on the staff after last year, new relationships need to be built and new foundations need to be laid. Throw in Jim Harbaugh’s uncertain future, despite a new contract, and low expectations for Michigan on the field this fall and success on the recruiting trail could be hard to come by."

18. Arkansas

10 Verbal Commitments

Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks continue to drive momentum with local recruiting, as seven of the 10 early Arkansas commitments come from the Natural State. The group of in-state pledges included two towering tackles in Andrew Chamblee and E'Marion Harris, each 6'6" or taller to go along with coveted running back James Joiner, who is still hearing from several programs.  

19. Oklahoma State

9 Verbal Commitments

The Cowboys are balanced through the nine commitments to date, but they are paced by a headlining QB who doubles as a strong program fit in Garret Rangel, who ahs 77 touchdown passes over the last two years at Frisco (Texas) Lone Star. OSU also has pledges at running back, wide receiver, in the secondary and on the edge. Should it begin to add offensive linemen, it could begin to contend higher up the chain in the Big 12. 

20. Missouri

8 Verbal Commitments

Travis Hunter grabs many headlines at Collins Hill High as a two-way talent, but the prospect getting him the football on offense en route to the 2020 state title game appearance more than holds his own as well. Sam Horn accounted for 43 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards of total offense in 2020 and the numbers could be scarier in 2021 with Ethan Davis now among his top targets. Outside of the future face of the program, Eli Drinkwitz and co. are also doing well at home, with a half-dozen Missourians already on board including inside-out pass rusher Marquis Gracial. 

21. Alabama

6 Verbal Commitments

"Alabama might only have six commitments ahead of in-person recruiting resuming on June 1 but the Crimson Tide has already hit a few home runs on the trail with the likes of quarterback Ty Simpson and in-state standouts, running back Emmanuel Henderson and linebacker Robert Woodyard," Bama Central's Tyler Martin said. "All of those players fill positions where the Crimson Tide could have multiple prospects enter the NFL draft in 2021 or 2022. Moving forward, Alabama needs to continue building in the trenches with prospects like defensive linemen Khurtiss Perry or Walter Nolen, or lay the foundation for another stout offensive line haul with a get like IMG's Tyler Booker. Defensive back is an area of focus as well, with elite USC pledge Domani Jackson taking an official visit to Tuscaloosa June 18-20."

22. Cincinnati

11 Verbal Commitments

Luke Fickell brought in the top Group of 5 class in 2021 and he's well on his way to a repeat if the start is any indication. Not only does UC have volume on its side, with nearly triple the amount of commitments than the AAC's next largest (Tulane, 4), but there are already seven defensive prospects on board in Fickell fashion. Four, led by in-stater Derrick Shepard, project along the defensive front.  

23. Clemson

4 Verbal Commitments

The group is the smallest in the top 25, as Clemson continues to recruit on its own pace, and why not? The Tigers already hold the pledge of one of America's top quarterbacks in Cade Klubnik, who we'll see again at the Elite 11 Finals at the end of the month. 

“The Clemson Tigers need to make a splash in 2022 at the quarterback position, as they did in 2018 (Trevor Lawrence) and 2020 (D.J. Uiagelelei), as the Tigers two most recent signees, Will Taylor and Bubba Chandler, are near locks to be drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft and may never step foot on campus—leaving the Tigers in desperate need of a signal-caller for the 2022 class,” Zach Lentz of All Clemson, said. 

24. USC

5 Verbal Commitments

Domani Jackson is the prize of the in-state Trojan haul and that trip to Alabama has many curious, but the local star secondary prospect out of Mater Dei is still a committed talent to USC at this point. Though it's a smaller group, sure to grow like most this month, the early pledge and peer recruiting prowess of quarterback Devin Brown will be a key as the rest of the class shakes out. We've been encouraged with his progress over an 18-month period on the field, where the Arizona native recently upstaged Texan arms at the Elite 11 Dallas. 

25. Florida

6 Verbal Commitments

“Florida joins a long list of programs that have, for the most part, sat back and waited on in-person recruiting to reopen before loading up its 2022 class,” Zach Goodall, of All Gators, said. “However, the Gators have checked off at least three - perhaps four - of SIAA's premium positions thus far with pledges from QB Nick Evers, DE Francois Nolton Jr., CB Julian Humphrey, and project OT/TE Tony Livingston. UF could use more long-term stability at offensive tackle and will push for blue-chip prospects at the position, no matter which side they play. 

“It wouldn't be a huge surprise to see Florida take two running backs as well after failing to sign a high school prospect in that department since 2019.”

Next group up: UCLA, Arizona, Tennessee, Illinois, Vanderbilt

More from SI All-American

Looking Back at College Football Recruiting in a Pandemic

Perennial Powers to Ramp up Recruiting in June

Top Commitments for Each Top 25 Program

Photo Gallery: Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco

For more on college football recruiting, follow @SIAllAmerican on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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John Garcia Jr.
JOHN GARCIA JR.

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