The biggest 2025 team recruiting surprises in each Power Four Conference

Calling out the good and bad among Power Four Conferences in 2025 class

Nov 9, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team before the start of a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The ink has dried on the Early Signing Period with most of the top players in the 2025 class finding their collegiate fit. Among the Power Four Conferences there were reasons to celebrate, mostly, but some fell way short of reasonable expectations.

We breakdown the good and the bad that caught our eye among the power conferences.

ACC – Clemson – The Bad

Let’s call it like it is, recruiting for Clemson has fallen off in recent years. Fans have to go back to 2021 when three five-stars and 15 four-stars were proudly brought to campus. Since that top five finish, Clemson has hovered at No. 10 or outside it over the last three cycles. The top of each Tigers’ class has been great, but without portal help, the misses show on the field turning in back-to-back nine win seasons after 12 years (2011-22) of 10 or more win campaigns.

The precipitous fall from recruiting glory has finally happened for head coach Dabo Swinney. The 2025 class was ranked No. 26 by 247Sports. Zero five-stars were signed and just six four-star talents were added in a class of 15.

A press release is not necessary, Clemson will hit the portal this offseason. The Tigers have a winning pedigree on their side to make big gains via transfers.

Big 12 – The entire Big 12 – The Bad

A Big 12 interoffice memo may have gone out, but TCU didn’t get it, about abandoning high school recruiting opting for the portal to fill next year’s roster. The Horned Frogs liked what they saw signing 30 with only Kansas State coming close to a traditional full class inking 25. Of the 16 teams, not one, including Colorado, signed a five-star. As a conference, only 40 four-stars were signed. In the Big Ten, the top two performers, Oregon and Ohio State, have 35 total four-stars.

Thanks to volume, TCU was the only Big 12 team to sign a top 25 class. Without a head coach, UCF signed more four-stars (2) than Iowa State, BYU, Oklahoma State, and Kansas with Cincinnati completely missing out.

Big Ten – Oregon – The Good

Top to bottom, there are a lot of positive looks at how the Big Ten performed, especially at the top. Oregon closed so well they ended in the top five leapfrogging Ohio State helping nudge Auburn down into the top 10. The Ducks signed players from 12 different states going coast to coast with three from Florida. The only questionable action for Oregon, signing two quarterbacks; Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele and Akili Smith Jr. It may not happen, but conventional wisdom is one of them will end up transferring.

Ohio State and Michigan reloaded while USC, Penn State, and Nebraska added fantastic talent. Washington (30), Wisconsin (24), Maryland (23), and Rutgers (27) hit the trail hard with strong classes. The same cannot be said for Purdue. The Boilermakers have just eight players in this cycle, good for 104th best, if you will, in the nation. That places extreme pressure on the coaching staff to fill all holes in the portal.

SEC – Oklahoma – The Bad

A recruiting reminder – the Sooners had a top five 2023 recruiting class. In the 2023 haul, Oklahoma signed three five-stars and 14 four-stars. By the star power, the Sooners dropped a little bit in 2024 but still had a top 10 ranking sliding in at No. 8. In the 2024 cycle, OU got one five-star and 18 four-stars.

After the Sooners notched recent top 10 classes, the 2025 class ranked No. 16 nationally. Arguments can be made on OU’s behalf; the 2024 group included 28 total players while the 2025 class had just 18. A look at the portal by Brent Venables and staff can clean up some misses… hopefully.

It is important to note, the blueblood program is no longer going head to head against just Texas in the Big 12 for top talent to win conference titles and get a New Year’s Day bowl, but are now lining up against the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida, and Ole Miss – all teams that outperformed Oklahoma in this go round… oh, and Texas.

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