Ranking the SEC rosters with the most former top-100 recruits

The SEC’s dominance of college football — and particularly recruiting — is well-known at this point. The league beats it chest ad nauseam about the level of talent its gets from the high school ranks, develops at the college levels, and ultimately puts into the NFL. And how could you blame when you see the results each and every year?

But in the era of the transfer portal, it’s not just about signing high-end high school talent, but also landing the necessary pieces in CFB’s version of free agency. Some of those are diamonds in the rough from smaller programs lower levels, but they can often be former elite recruits who for one reason or another were looking for a fresh start. In the world of recruiting, five-stars are the cream of the crop but top-100 prospects are typically looked as the premier recruits each year. Those players carry with them an expectation of major contributions at the college level and a top-3 round projection in the NFL Draft.

As the college football season nears in the next few weeks, Rivals is looking at which SEC teams have the highest number of those former elite recruits on their rosters.

Alabama – 33

With a combination of holdovers from the Nick Saban’s final few recruiting classes and last year’s inaugural crop under Kalen DeBoer, the Tide continue to lead the SEC when it comes to elite talent on the roster. Of the 33 former top-100 players, 15 are five-stars. That includes homegrown talent like former Five-Star Plus+ wideout Ryan Williams and offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, as well as a handful of former five-stars who transferred in from other schools like LT Overton (Texas A&M) and Domani Jackson (USC).

Georgia – 30

The ‘Dawgs have been equally as impressive when it comes to stockpiling top prospects, with 30 top-100 recruits and 13 ex-five-stars on this year’s roster. That includes a handful of upperclassmen, but also includes a heavy dose of young talent they’ll be counting on to step up this season. UGA’s past two recruiting classes alone have brought in 18 top-100 recruits, and they’ve also added through the portal with the likes of brothers Zachariah Branch and Zion Branch (USC transfers).

Texas – 27

Since Steve Sarkisian’s arrival in Austin, the sheer amount of talent on the Longhorn’s roster has been on a sharp upward trajectory. They’ve landed four consecutive top-5 recruiting classes, including the No. 1 overall class in 2025 — their first in more than two decades. The roster features 10 former five-stars, topped by 2023 No. 1 recruit Arch Manning, stud sophomore pass-rusher Colin Simmons, and linebacker Anthony Hill. The Longhorns also have a ton of young talent in the pipeline, with 15 more former top-100 prospects waiting in the wings from the 2024 and 2025 classes.

Texas A&M – 17

A&M’s 2022 recruiting class was historic — unfortunately for former head coach Jimbo Fisher it wasn’t in the ways he would’ve hoped. Since taking over, Mike Elko’s staff has seen a lot of attrition, including a few former elite prospects from that class. But they’ve also added some major talent through the portal and high school ranks, giving them one of the most impressive rosters on paper in the league. The group includes 17 former top-100 players — a handful of which have stuck around from Fisher’s regime. Among the most notables names: Le’Veon Moss and Bryce Anderson.

But they’ve also loaded up with some high-upside transfers in the past two portal classes that were top-100 prospects out of high school, like Samuel M’Pemba (Georgia), Dezz Ricks (Alabama), Amari Niblack (Alabama), and Scooby Williams (Florida), among others.

LSU – 15

Much like the other programs at the top of the list, the Tigers have been one of the premier programs in recruiting recently. They’ve finished inside the top 10 of the team recruiting rankings in each of the past three years, highlighted by the No. 5 class in 2023. But Brian Kelly and Co. have also had some issues with landing (and then retaining) some of their top-end talent. Five of their top six commitments from that vaunted 2023 class have already moved on to other programs. And still, they’re in the top half of the league when it comes to former top-100 recruits on the roster. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (who signed under the previous staff) and former five-star Harold Perkins are the headliners of the group, But they’ve also brought in highly sought-after transfer Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown and Ja’Keem Jackson — all top-100 prospects at the prep level.

Auburn, Florida – 13

On-field results have been a major mixed bag for both the Gators and Tigers under Billy Napier and Hugh Freeze, respectively. But even amidst a lot of turmoil, they continue to bring in the types of recruiting classes needed to turn things around. Both finished with top-10 classes last cycle despite their struggles on the field, though the Gators look to have turned a corner in the latter half of the year. Auburn’s 2024 and 2025 classes each brought in five top-100 prospects apiece, none bigger than budding star wide receiver Cam Coleman. They’ve also been extremely active in the transfer portal though, signing former Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) and 2022 five-star Jacoby Mathews (Texas A&M), among others.

Much of former’s top-end high school talent has matriculated in during the past two cycles as well, headlined by starting quarterback DJ Lagway, former five-star DL LJ McCray, and 2025 five-star wideout Vernell Brown III.

Tennessee, Oklahoma – 12

These two programs have had similar recruiting profiles in the past few years, but the on-field results have been very different. The Sooners are 22-17 under Brent Venables since he took over in 2022, and the seat in Norman is very warm. Josh Heupel and Tennessee have notched three straight nine-plus win seasons and are coming off a College Football Playoff appearance. But their rosters are strikingly similar, including both having very unheralded high school prospects take over for their former five-star passers that transferred this past offseason. Specific to the Sooners, their former top-100 prospects run the gamut from true freshmen like Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje to multi-year starters like Peyton Bowen and Kendal Daniels.

The Vols have four former five-stars on the roster, all of whom are freshmen or sophomores. Wide receiver Mike Matthews is expected to take on a much bigger role this fall, as are defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs and edge rusher Caleb Herring, a couple of prospects from the Vols’ vaunted 2023 class.

South Carolina – 9

Shane Beamer and Co. have College Football Playoff hopes this season, and a big part of that will be on the shoulders of their former elite recruits. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a top-100 recruit by On3, is a darkhorse Heisman candidate and the engine behind South Carolina’s offense. But a potential X-factor is former five-star Nyck Harbor, one of the fastest players in college football who has yet to reach his full potential. Former top-40 prospect Josiah Thompson will anchor the offensive line at left tackle, while pass-rusher Dylan Stewart and big-time transfers like Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M) and Shawn Murphy (Alabama, FSU) will be counted on to live up to their lofty high school rankings if the Gamecocks are going to achieve their goals.

Ole Miss – 7

Lane Kiffin has cemented his status as the ‘Portal King,’ and that’s reflected fully in Ole Miss’ roster heading into the 2025 season. Of the seven former top-100 recruits in this group, Caleb Odom, Dashawn Womack and Sage Ryan all came from other schools before their latest stop in Oxford. And all bring with them some high expectations due to the rankings they received as high schoolers. As does Suntarine Perkins — one of CFB’s top linebackers — along with freshman wideout Caleb Cunningham and sophomore defensive end Kam Franklin.

Missouri – 6

The Tigers went big in the high school ranks in 2024, signing top-100 prospects Courtney Crutchfield, Kewan Lacy and Williams Nwaneri. All three of those players transferred after less than a year, but Eli Drinkwitz and Co. still boast arguably their most talented roster during his tenure. A big part of that has been finding diamonds in the rough through the portal, as well as landing some former big fish looking for a fresh start. And they’ll be relied upon heavily this year. Offensive lineman Cayden Green (No. 95 in 2023) is a preseason All-SEC selection, while former Georgia five-star Damon Wilson II and Mississippi State’s leading receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. look to be primed for breakout campaigns. Ex-Clemson cornerback Toriano Pride will be another to watch.

Arkansas – 5

Sam Pittman and Co. have struggled to land top talent out of the high school ranks in recent years, signing just one top-100 prep prospect since 2022. But to make up for that, they’ve gone out and landed a handful through the portal to supplement their recruiting. Linebacker Xavian Sorey signed with Alabama out a high school as the nation’s No. 45 prospect in 2021. After three seasons as a reserve in Athens, he transferred to Fayetteville and had a breakout year in 2024 with 99 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. They’re hoping to see similar jumps from defensive back Jaheim Singletary (Georgia), who is in third year in the program and sophomore wideouts Courtney Crutchfield (Missouri) and Jalen Brown (Florida State). The lone top-100 high school signee, Charleston Collins, is looking to build off a freshman season that saw him appear in all 13 games, primarily on special teams.

Mississippi State – 4

After an abysmal 2024 season, Jeff Lebby and Co. are looking to turn things around with a transfer-heavy roster that includes nearly 20 former blue-chippers but only three ranked as top-100 prospects coming out of high school. Two are in the quarterback room with FSU transfer Luke Kromenhoek and true freshman KaMario Taylor, while junior wideout Ayden Williams (Ole Miss) will be looking to get going after a slow start early in his career.

Vanderbilt – 2

Both of the Commodores’ former top-100 prospects come via the transfer portal: ex-Alabama linebacker Keanu Koht and 2021 Notre Dame signee Prince Kollie, who was rated a five-star coming out of high school.

Kentucky – 1

The Wildcats boast just one former top-100 prospect on the roster in a big year for Mark Stoops: Alabama wide receiver transfer Kendrick Law.