Texas A&M officially lands best football recruiting class ever
Texas A&M’s already historic 2022 football recruiting class officially can add another title to its list of accolades.
It’s now the best recruiting class ever, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.
The Aggies entered the day with six five-star signees. That number grew by two after A&M added Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Shemar Stewart, the On3 Consensus No. 3 player in the country, and five-star safety Jacoby Mathews, the nation’s second-best safety and top player in Louisiana.
The Aggies didn’t get five-star linebacker Harold Perkins, who signed with LSU. But that doesn’t take away from what Jimbo Fisher and his staff accomplished with the 2022 class.
“I think they see the vision we have,” Fisher said. “I think they see the commitment we have. And I think they see the staff that can get them there and the things that go on. And the past recruiting classes. You live in vision, you live in circumstance. I think we’re living in vision. We see it. I think it’s right there. We just got to finish it.”
So, just how good is the Texas A&M class from a historical perspective? After today’s moves, the group now sits at No. 1 overall, ahead of Alabama’s 2021 class.
“We got most of the guys that we need,” Fisher said. “The class is coming together, hitting a lot of needs, a lot of areas, offense, defense, skill guys, big guys, everything across the board. And we’re just very happy and pleased. And hopefully, we’ll develop these guys the right way that we can climb to the top of college football the way we want to get to.”
| Team | Year | Score | 5-stars | 4-stars | |
| 1 | Texas A&M | 2022 | 96.097 | 8 | 20 |
| 2 | Alabama | 2021 | 95.993 | 5 | 20 |
| 3 | Alabama | 2013 | 94.853 | 7 | 16 |
| 4 | Alabama | 2017 | 94.749 | 7 | 17 |
| 5 | Georgia | 2018 | 94.622 | 9 | 15 |
| 6 | Alabama | 2014 | 94.465 | 10 | 14 |
| 7 | Alabama | 2019 | 94.018 | 3 | 23 |
| 8 | Florida | 2010 | 93.752 | 6 | 17 |
| 9 | Georgia | 2020 | 93.656 | 5 | 14 |
| 10 | Alabama | 2015 | 93.632 | 6 | 16 |
Bama’s 2021 recruiting class full of impact stars
Nobody has dominated the recruiting trail over the past 20 years like Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide has landed No. 1 classes in eight of the past 13 recruiting cycles. But the 2021 class is the highest-ranked ever.
It was a class that was 93% blue chips and featured three Five-Star Plus+ recruits in offensive tackles JC Latham and Tommy Brockermeyer and EDGE Dallas Turner.
Turner made an immediate impact and was selected to the All-SEC Freshman team by conference coaches and made three starts. Latham saw action in 14 games as a true freshman, and Brockermeyer redshirted.
Other five stars, such as cornerback Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry and receiver Ja’Corey Brooks, played roles in helping the Crimson Tide reach the national championship game.
It’s a class that is expected to keep the Tide in the title hunt for years to come.
Tide’s 2013 class featured Derrick Henry
Alabama’s 2013 recruiting class ranks third overall in modern recruiting history. And you could make an argument that it was one of the most impactful of the past 20 years.
It’s a class that produced four SEC titles, two national championships and Heisman Trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry over the course of five seasons.
Other big names from the 2013 class included first-round pick in defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, Butkus Award-winning linebacker Reuben Foster, first-round tight end pick O.J. Howard and star running back Alvin Kamara before his eventual impact transfer to Tennessee. Heck, four-star safety Eddie Jackson had a good college career and has become a mainstay on the Chicago Bears’ defense.
Bama’s 2017 class lived up to hype
The Crimson Tide’s 2017 class is just percentage points behind the 2013 class and is the fourth-best in On3 rankings history. But you could make a serious case that no class impacted a program more than this one.
The 2017 recruiting class consisted of the likes of quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones, Heisman Trophy-winning receiver DeVonta Smith, Biletnikoff Award-winning receiver Jerry Jeudy, first-round offensive tackles Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills, first-round running back Najee Harris and many others.
The class also produced on the field; it won two national championships, played for another in 2018 and some members of the class were still around for this season’s run to the championship game.
The 2021 class may be the highest-rated in the On3 rankings, but the 2017 class was one for the ages.
UGA’s 2018 recruiting class group paved way to title
Georgia’s 2018 recruiting class ranks fifth in On3’s ranking history, and you could see proof of how impactful it was in this season’s national championship game.
So many highly ranked players from the 2018 class were key parts of the Dawgs’ title run. They included running back Zamir White, All-American offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer, Outland Trophy-winning defensive lineman DL Jordan Davis, starting linebacker Quay Walker, impact running back James Cook, second-team All-SEC linebacker Channing Tindall, return specialist Kearis Jackson, first-team All-SEC punter Jake Camarda and many more.
Also, don’t forget that the 2018 class also included Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Justin Fields before he ended up at Ohio State. It also included five-star cornerback Tyson Campbell, who started every game in 2020 and was drafted in the second round in 2021 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Plus, former four-star EDGE Azeez Ojulari was a second-round pick and led the New York Giants in sacks in 2021.