Which teams have the early lead in recruiting for the 2025 class?
Cody Nagel
High school football recruiting soon takes a backseat as the spring transfer portal window opens Tuesday, but that does not mean staffs across the country are completely neglecting roster management for the future. The chase for the recruiting champion in the 2025 class is heating upas anew No. 1 sits atop the team rankings.
Ohio State surged to the top spot with recent commitments in April, passing Notre Dame, which long held the position following a strong early start to the 2025 cycle. Momentum will continue to build for the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish, as well as other power programs this spring with the start of the contact period on Monday. Coaches can once again make in-person visits off campusfor the next five weeks.
The early signing period is 33weeks away with the new start date moved to Dec. 4 for the 2025 class. So, which teams have the early edge in the recruiting race?
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Below is a look at the top 25 recruiting classes for the 2025 cycle as ofMonday (April 15) at12:25 p.m. ET:
25. TCU Horned Frogs — 103.41
24. Duke Blue Devils — 108.81
23. Oregon Ducks — 110.37
22. Wisconsin Badgers — 117.43
21. North Carolina Tar Heels — 122.33
20. SMU Mustangs — 124.32
The early haul of commitments for Oregon in the 2025 class is small up to this point, but four of the five rank as four-stars. That group includes Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Preparatory wide receiver Cooper Perry, who announced his pledge to Dan Lanning and the Ducks last week. The average Composite rating per commit for Oregon ranks eight-best nationally.
19. Baylor Bears — 124.58
Commits: 8
Recruiting is not an issue for Baylor under head coach Dave Aranda, however, consistent on-field results are a concern as the Bears enter a crucial 2024 season. Baylor sits inside the top 20 of the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class despite just one new commitment since the end of February. Alvin (Texas) Iowa Colony three-star defensive lineman Christopher Johnson ended a lengthy drought for the Bears with his pledge in early April.
18. Texas Longhorns — 133.20
Commits:6
Texas sits just inside the top 20 of the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, but its average Composite rating for the six early commits ranks fourth-best nationally.Four of the Longhorns commits are Top247 prospects with Dallas (Texas) Skyline Elijah Barnes being the latest newcomer on Friday. Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the staff proved they can hang with the other SEC powers ahead of its conference move in July.
17. Tennessee Volunteers — 135.28
Commits:7
Tennessee already landed Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy five-star quarterback George MacIntyre back in January and continues to build its 2025 class around the blue-chip recruit. Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth Top247 defensive lineman Ethan Utley became the latest in-state commitment for the Volunteers in late March. That addition gave Tennessee three early Top247 pledges in the 2025 cycle. Head coach Josh Heupel and the staff in Knoxville secured a top 15 class nationally in the previous cycle.
16. Miami Hurricanes — 137.61
Commits:7
Miami nearly doubled its number of commitments in the 2025 class during the pastthree weeks. The Hurricanes addeda trio of new pledges in the cycle with Leo (Ind.) Top247 tight end Brock Schott being the latest on Saturday. Mario Cristobal helped secure back-to-back top 10 classes nationally in the previous two cycles and could be in position for a third-straight. Four of the seven early commitments for Miami rate as four-star recruits.
15. UCF Knights — 140.22
Commits:8
UCF proved it can be one of the best recruiting programs in the Big 12 with an impressive haul in the 2024 cycle. Now, the Knights are backing up those efforts with another strong class of early commitments for 2025. UCF added two new pledges so far in April with Cincinnati (Ohio) Anderson three-star tight end Caden Piening and Covington (Ga.) Newton three-star defensive lineman RyShawn Perry locked in on the Knights. UCF currentlysits second among Big 12 programs in the 2025 team recruiting rankings.
14. Texas A&M Aggies — 141.29
Commits:7
Texas A&M made a big jump up the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class with a pair of new commitments on Sunday. Corona (Calif.) Centennial quarterback Husan Longstreet — one of the toppassers in the cycle — made his pledge to the Aggies. The four-star prospect ranks as the No. 5 quarterback and No. 28 overall recruit in the 2025 class. Denton (Texas) Ryan offensive tackle Marcus Garcia also announced his commitment to new head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M.
13. Georgia Bulldogs — 151.26
Commits:7
Georgiadropped outside the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, but the Bulldogs are still in position to finish with one of the best hauls this cycle yet again. Kirby Smart and the staff in Athens secured the No. 1 signing class nationally for the 2024 cycle. Georgia got a boost in the current 2025 class with Hillside (N.J.) four-star edge rusher Darren Ikinnagbon making his commitment this past weekend at the spring game. He is the fourth top 100 recruit to join the Bulldogs class this cycle.
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders — 153.60
Commits:10
Texas Tech is on track to secure the top-ranked class in the Big 12 for the second consecutive cycle. The Red Raiders are the only conference member with double-digit commitments so far in the 2025 class, but gained just one new pledge since the beginning of February. Texas Tech is accustomed to fast starts on the recruiting trail under Joey McGuire and could see another influx of commitments this spring and summer. Mineral Wells (Texas) three-star athlete Preztynn Harrison joined the Red Raiders early haul in late March.
11. Wake Forest Demon Deacons — 162.50
Commits:14
Wake Forest benefits from an earlyhaul of 14 commits up to this point in the 2025 class to position itself just outside the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings. Head coach Dave Clawson and the Demon Deacons added five new pledges since the beginning of April. Anderson (S.C.) Westside three-star quarterback Cutter Woods is among those recent commitments having announced his decision last week. The South Carolina Player of the Year threw for at least 3,000 yards the past two seasons.
10. Syracuse Orange — 166.23
Commits:12
Only four programs nationally own more commitments in the 2025 class than Syracuse. New head coach Fran Brown and the staff in Upstate New York climbed up the team recruiting rankings with 11 pledges since the beginning of March. They held just one prior to this hot stretch. Atco (N.J.) Winslow Township three-star wide receiver Marcus Upton is the highest-rated commit in the class so far for Syracuse. The Orangehave never finished inside the top 30 of the team recruiting rankings inthe modern era.
9. Auburn Tigers — 182.09
Commits:10
More than half of the early commitments in the 2025 class for Auburn are Top247 prospects. The Tigers' recruiting efforts under Hugh Freeze continue to produce favorable outcomes as Auburn looks to get back into SEC title contention. Mobile (Ala.) Williamson four-star offensive tackle Carde Smith became the latest Top247 pledge for the Tigers last week, bringing the total to six. If Auburnholds steadyin the current team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, it would secure back-to-back top 10 hauls nationally.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions — 193.18
Commits:12
Penn State made astrong effortin February to climb into the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class. The Nittany Lions still hold a respectable position in the race despite just one new commitment since the beginning of March. Elba (Ala.)four-star running back Alvin Henderson ended a bit of a drought for James Franklin and Penn State by announcing his pledge last week. He joins Jersey City (N.J.) Henry Snyder four-star linebacker DJ McClary as the Nittany Lions' two Top247 recruits in the 2025 class.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide — 197.78
Commits:10
Alabama typically did not make its big recruiting push until the summer months under Nick Saban. However, new head coach Kalen DeBoer and the staff in Tuscaloosa are wasting no time putting together astrong early haul in the 2025 cycle.Since the beginning of March, the Crimson Tide added eight new commitments, including four Top247 prospects. Eastman (Ga.) Dodge County four-star linebacker Darrell Johnson headlines the class up to this point as one of four top 100 recruits locked in to Alabama.
6. Oklahoma Sooners — 207.35
Commits:13
Oklahoma continues to add to its 2025 recruiting class withfour new commitments since the beginning of March. The Sooners picked up a pledge from Humble (Texas) Atascocita four-star running back Tory Blaylock at the end of the previous month to help maintain their spot in the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings. Oklahoma holds just two commitments from Top247 prospects at this point in the cycle, but ranks second in the SEC team race.
5. Clemson Tigers — 215.85
Commits:11
Clemson ranked second nationally in the 2025 team recruiting rankings at the beginning of March. But with only one new commitment since that point, the Tigers have lost a few spots in the race for the No. 1 class. Still, Dabo Swinney and the staff at Clemson hold a strong early haul, which includes seven Top247 commits. Cedartown (Ga.) four-star safety Tae Harris is the newest member of the Tigers' class after announcing his pledge in mid-March. Clemsonowns the highest-ranked 2025 recruiting class in the ACC.
4. USC Trojans — 218.71
Commits:12
USC is among the hottest teams on the recruiting trail in April withsix new commitments in the 2025 class since the beginning of the month. The Trojanssoaredup the team rankings and into the top five forthis current cycle.Lincoln Riley and USC also made big moves in March, adding a trio of top 100 recruits, including flipping Manchester (Ga.) five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry from Georgia. There is still a long way to go until the end of the 2025 cycle, but the Trojans are tracking to potentially build their highest-ranked recruiting class since Riley arrived in 2022.
3. LSU Tigers — 235.03
Commits:12
Brian Kelly and LSU maintain their spot in the top three of the team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class. A pair of five-star commits — Belleville (Mich.) quarterback Bryce Underwood and Duncanville (Texas) wide receiver Dakorien Moore — headline the early haul en route to Baton Rouge. The Tigers added three more four-star pledges to the class since the beginning of March, including Top247 offensive tackle Tyler Miller from Laurel (Miss.)LSU looks to secure its third consecutive top-10 recruiting class.
2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish — 249.85
Commits:19
Notre Dame still has the largest haul of early commitments up to this point as itapproaches20 pledges in the 2025class. The Fighting Irish held the No. 1spot in the team recruiting rankings for most of the earlyportions of the cycle, but added just two new pledges since the beginning of March. Notre Dame holds commitments from five Top247 recruits so far after landing Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph's Prep School safety Anthony Sacca in late March.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes — 255.50
Commits:13
Ohio State grabbed a hold of the top spot in the early 2025 team recruiting rankings with a pair of new commitments on Saturday shortly after the spring game. The Buckeyes added to their list of Top247 pledges this cycle with Washington (Okla.) tight end Nate Roberts joining the significant early haul. Ohio State also landed Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius three-star safety Cody Haddad. Not onlydo Ryan Day andOhio State occupy the No. 1 ranking in the 2025 recruiting race, they also own the highest average Composite rating per commit in the class — 94.69.
