How Power Five leagues fared in landing recruits, transfers

FILE -Alabama head coach Nick Saban introduces the Alabama juniors declaring for the NFL draft, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Southeastern Conference schools continue to rule over the recruiting trail, almost as thoroughly as they dominate on the field. Alabama put together the best 2023 class in the country, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)

Southeastern Conference schools continue to rule over the recruiting trail, almost as thoroughly as they dominate on the field.

Alabama put together the best 2023 class in the country, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. The SEC has eight of the top 17 classes, including Georgia at No. 2, LSU at No. 6 and Tennessee at No. 9.

An SEC school has topped the team recruiting rankings every year since 2010, the first year for which the 247Sports Composite has data.

Florida had the nation’s top recruiting class in 2010. Alabama led the recruiting rankings every year from 2011-17. Georgia had the top class in 2018 and 2020, Alabama ranked first in 2019 and 2021, and Texas A&M brought in the best class last year.

With Wednesday making the second signing period and bringing the 2023 recruiting cycle to a close, here’s a rundown of how each of the Power Five leagues fared. Team and player rankings are according to the 247Sports Composite. Team rankings are as of 5 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday.

ACC

CLASS RANKS: 1. Miami (7th overall). 2. Clemson (11th). 3. Florida State (20th). 4. North Carolina (27th). 5. Virginia Tech (35th). 6. North Carolina State (41st). 7. Louisville (43rd). 8. Pittsburgh (51st). 9. Wake Forest (53rd). 10. Duke (54th). 11. Boston College (59th). 12. Georgia Tech (60th). 13. Virginia (64th). 14. Syracuse (80th).

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TOP PROSPECTS: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida (10th overall). Miami OT Samson Okuniola, Thayer Academy, Brockton, Massachusetts (23rd). Florida State WR Hykeem Williams, Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Stranaahan (31st). Clemson DL Peter Woods, Alabaster (Alabama) Thompson (33rd). Clemson DL Tomarrion Parker, Phenix City (Alabama) Central (49th).

TOP TRANSFERS: Florida State CB Fentrell Cypress (formerly at Virginia). Florida State TE Jaheim Bell (South Carolina). Miami OL Javion Cohen (Alabama). Florida State DL Braden Fiske (Western Michigan). Florida State OT Jeremiah Byers (UTEP).

NOTES: Miami coach Mario Cristobal displayed the recruiting process he had shown at Oregon even as the Hurricanes went 5-7 in his debut season. Florida State didn’t do all that great a job at recruiting high school prospects, but Mike Norvell has been as good as just about any coach in the country at mining the transfer portal. The Seminoles will hope their new transfers perform as well as Jermaine Johnson did in 2021 or Jared Verse did last season.

BIG 12

CLASS RANKS: 1. Texas (3rd) 2. Oklahoma (4th). 3. TCU (19th). 4. Texas Tech (26th). 5. Kansas State (32nd). 6. Baylor (34th). 7. Iowa State (38th). 8. West Virginia (47th). 9. Oklahoma State (55th). 10. Kansas (72nd).

TOP PROSPECTS: Texas QB Arch Manning, New Orleans Isidore Newman (1st). Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold, Denton (Texas) Guyer (8th). Oklahoma DE Adepoju Adebawore, North Kansas City (Missouri) (11th). Oklahoma S Peyton Bowen, Denton (Texas) Guyer (16th). Texas LB Anthony Hill, Denton (Texas) Ryan (18th).

TOP TRANSFERS: Oklahoma OLB Dasan McCullough (Indiana). Oklahoma DL Rondell Bothroyd (Wake Forest). Texas WR Adonai Mitchell (Georgia). TCU OT Tommy Brockermeyer (Alabama). Baylor OL Clark Barrington (BYU).

NOTES: Texas now has two of the last three No. 1 overall prospects. QB Quinn Ewers, the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the 2021 class, transferred to Texas after initially enrolling at Ohio State. … Oklahoma’s 6-7 record in coach Brent Venables’ debut season obviously didn’t hinder his attractiveness to recruits and transfers. … A glance at where the Big 12’s incoming members currently stand: UCF was 49th, Houston 56th, BYU 66th and Cincinnati 78th in the team recruiting rankings.

BIG TEN

CLASS RANKS: 1. Ohio State (5th). 2. Penn State (13th). 3. Michigan (18th). 4. Michigan State (23rd). 5. Nebraska (24th). 6. Maryland (36th). 7. Iowa (38th). 8. Illinois (42nd). 9. Minnesota (44th). 10. Northwestern (45th). 11. Rutgers (57th). 12. Wisconsin (58th). 13. Purdue (65th). 14. Indiana (67th).

TOP PROSPECTS: Ohio State WR Brandon Inniss, Fort Lauderdale (Florida) American Heritage (35th). Penn State OT J’ven Williams, Reading (Pennsylvania) Wyomissing (40th). Ohio State CB Jermaine Mathews, Cincinnati Winton Woods (51st). Penn State OL Alex Birchmeier, Ashburn (Virginia) Broad Run (52nd). Ohio State WR Noah Rogers, Rolesville (North Carolina) (53rd).

TOP TRANSFERS: Michigan LB Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska). Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun (Mississippi). Purdue QB Hudson Card (Texas). Ohio State S Ja’Had Carter (Syracuse). Michigan OL LaDarius Henderson (Arizona State).

NOTES: The Big Ten signed none of the top 34 overall recruits and only two top-50 prospects. Michigan’s rank isn’t particularly impressive for a program coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, but the Wolverines did very well in the transfer portal. Indiana and Wisconsin also were very active in the portal.

PAC-12

CLASS RANKS: 1. Oregon (8th). 2. Southern California (12th). 3. Utah (21st). 4. Washington (28th). 5. Colorado (29th). 6. UCLA (37th). 7. Arizona (40th). 8. Arizona State (46th). 9. Stanford (48th). 10. Oregon State (50th). 11. Washington State (63rd) 12. California (86th).

TOP PROSPECTS: Southern California WR Zachariah Branch, Las Vegas (Nevada) Bishop Gorman (4th). UCLA QB Dante Moore (Detroit Martin Luther King) (5th). Colorado CB Cormani McClain, Lakeland (Florida) (13th). Oregon WR Jurrion Dickey, East Palo Alto (California) Menlo-Atherton (21st). Southern California WR Makai Leon, Los Alamitos (California (43rd).

TOP TRANSFERS: Colorado CB Travis Hunter (Jackson State). Oregon DE Jordan Burch (South Carolina). Southern California OT Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M). Southern California WR Dorian Singer (Arizona). Oregon OT Ajani Cornelius (Rhode Island).

NOTES: Colorado coach Deion Sanders made an immediate impact by adding McClain — the top-ranked player who didn’t sign in December — and bringing Hunter with him from Jackson State. Hunter was the nation’s No.1 overall prospect in the 2022 class. … The Pac-12 added a few other top-125 players Wednesday as QB Jaden Rashada (82nd) opted for Arizona State, CB Rodrick Pleasant (91st) chose Oregon and TE Walker Lyons (123rd) picked USC.

SEC

CLASS RANKS: 1. Alabama (1st). 2. Georgia (2nd). 3. LSU (6th). 4. Tennessee (9th). 5. Florida (14th). 6. Texas A&M (15th). 7. South Carolina (16th). 8. Auburn (17th). 9. Arkansas (22nd). 10. Mississippi State (25th). 11. Ole Miss (30th). 12. Kentucky (31st). 13. Missouri (33rd). 14. Vanderbilt (52nd).

TOP PROSPECTS: Alabama DE Keon Keeley, Tampa (Florida) Berkeley Prep (2nd). Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava, Downey (California) Warren (3rd). Alabama S Caleb Downs, Hoschton (Georgia) Mill Creek (6th). Texas A&M DL David Hicks, Katy (Texas) Paetow (7th). Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor, Des Moines (Iowa) Southeast Polk (9th).

TOP TRANSFERS: LSU CB Denver Harris (Texas A&M). Kentucky QB Devin Leary (North Carolina State). Georgia WR Dominic Lovett (Missouri). LSU CB Zy Alexander (Southeastern Louisiana). Texas A&M CB Sam McCall (Florida State).

NOTES: South Carolina landed one of the nation’s top remaining uncommitted prospects Wednesday when the Gamecocks added Nyckoles Harbor, a tight end/edge rusher ranked 23rd overall. Alabama and Georgia are among the schools in the mix for TE Duce Robinson, who is ranked 17th overall. Robinson hasn’t decided on a school and also is considering a pro baseball career.

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STEVE MEGARGEE

Megargee is an Associated Press sports writer covering college and professional sports in Wisconsin, including the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, University of Wisconsin and Marquette.