January Recruiting Winners: Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson start new year hot
While they were still sewing up the 2023 cycle, a handful of schools made big moves in January toward their 2024 classes.
There’s still more than 10 months to go until the Early Signing Period and another full year before the 2024 cycle is completed, but these five programs got an early jump in the new year that has pushed them up near the top of the rankings.
EARLY 2024 ON3 CONSENSUS TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS
1. Georgia
2024 Commitments in January: 3
Avg. Rating Per Commit: 93.96
Fresh off the No. 2 class in 2023 — with five-star tight end Duce Robinson still on the board — Georgia sits atop the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings for 2024 and could be on pace for one of the best recruiting classes ever. They’ve already got an early start on that, with three commitments in the month of January. Four-star safety Peyton Woodyard kicked things off by announcing for the Bulldogs at the All-American Bowl, choosing Kirby Smart and Co. over USC, Texas, Notre Dame, and more.
A week later, the Bulldogs pulled in On3 Consensus No. 3 safety Jaylen Heyward, and two weeks after that, the country’s No. 6 athlete, Dwight Phillips, pledged to the ‘Dawgs. Add in five-star cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, who chose Georgia over Alabama on Feb. 1, and there is an elite secondary class shaping up in Athens.
2. South Carolina
2024 Commitments in January: 3
Avg. Rating Per Commit: 92.83
The Gamecocks pulled off one of the biggest wins of the 2023 cycle on Wednesday by beating Oregon, Michigan and Maryland for five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor. But Shane Beamer and his staff have been far from slouching in 2024.
After getting an early commitment from four-star QB Dante Reno in July, Beamer and Co. went out in January and landed On3 top-40 prospects Kam Pringle and Wendell Gregory, along with four-star tight end Michael Smith. Arguably more impressive is that the latter two came out of the talent-rich state of Georgia, choosing the Gamecocks over the in-state Bulldogs and a host of other programs.
3. Louisville
2024 Commitments in January: 1
Avg. Rating Per Commit: 96.84
Louisville kept it short and sweet in January, with only one commitment. But it’s hard to imagine a bigger one than five-star linebacker TJ Capers. The nation’s No. 1 player at his position is a monster for Miami (Fla.) Columbus High, and he chose the Cardinals over the hometown Hurricanes, as well as Florida, Georgia, Michigan State and others.
4. Clemson
2024 Commitments in January: 3
Avg. Rating Per Commit: 91.54
Keeping with the ACC theme, January was very kind to Clemson as Dabo Swinney and his staff closed out on three of their top targets. Four-star Woodstock (Ill.) tight end Christian Betancur kicked things off, choosing the Tigers over Oregon and Dan Lanning.
Then, in a pair of surprise announcements after Clemson’s junior day, the Tigers also landed four-star safety Noah Dixon and On3’s No. 14 defensive lineman, Champ Thompson.
5. Florida
2024 Commitments in January: 1
Avg. Rating Per Commit: 93.56
Florida finished just outside the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings in Billy Napier’s first full class, but the 2024 cycle is a loaded one in the Sunshine State, and the Gators are looking to take advantage. They have early on, including landing four-star Largo (Fla.) linebacker Adarius Hayes, On3’s No. 3 linebacker in the 2024 class.
He joins a group that also features elite quarterback DJ Lagway, top-40 prospects Myles Graham and four-star running back Chauncey Bowens. The Gators currently sit at No. 3 in the team rankings as we begin February.