You're not going to believe this, but Alabama has the No. 1-rated recruiting class again in 2023. Assuming the Tide hold on to that spot through the finish line in February -- although the vast majority of recruits will be off the board today, so it feels pretty safe -- it'll be a nice recovery for Nick Saban's team after slipping to an embarrassing No. 2 ranking in 2022. It would be the 10th recruiting national title since Nick Saban's Crimson Killing Machine became fully operational in 2008.
Far too often, that's where recruiting coverage ends.
Signing day is Christmas in, uh, December, on every college campus, not just for those inside the top 10.
For starters, here are the top five classes for all 10 FBS conferences as of press time. (All rankings via the 247Sports Composite ranking.)
American
1. Memphis
2. UTSA
3. Tulane
4. SMU
5. Temple
ACC
1. Miami
2. Clemson
3. Florida State
4. North Carolina
5. Louisville
Big 12
1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. TCU
4. Texas Tech
5. Baylor
Big Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Michigan
4. Michigan State
5. Iowa
Conference USA
1. Louisiana Tech
2. FIU
3. Western Kentucky
4. Liberty
5. Middle Tennessee
MAC
1. Central Michigan
2. Western Michigan
3. Eastern Michigan
4. Miami (Ohio)
5. Ohio
Mountain West
1. Colorado State
2. Boise State
3. San Diego State
4. Air Force
5. Fresno State
Pac-12
1. USC
2. Oregon
3. Utah
4. Washington
5. UCLA
SEC
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. LSU
4. Tennessee
5. Florida
Sun Belt
1. Arkansas State
2. Appalachian State
3. Southern Miss
4. Georgia State
5. Georgia Southern
The FBS top 10:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Miami
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Notre Dame
7. Ohio State
8. Oklahoma
9. Tennessee
10. Clemson
And the Group of 5 top 10 (overall rank):
1. Memphis (55)
2. UTSA (56)
3. Tulane (64)
4. SMU (66)
5. Boise State (67)
6. Temple (71)
7. Arkansas State (73)
8. Florida Atlantic (74)
9. Rice (75)
10. Central Michigan (77)
-- Sonny Dykes continues to hit his first year at TCU out of the park. Capitalizing on the Frogs' undefeated regular season and the program's first College Football Playoff berth, TCU's current class (ranked No. 19) would be the best in program history.
-- Mario Cristobal's first season on the field was a rough one, but recruits are buying the vision. His third-ranked class is on pace to be Miami's best since winning the 2008 recruiting national title.
-- Two-time defending Pac-12 champion Utah is on pace to sign the first top 25 class (No. 21) in program history.
-- Joey McGuire's first full class at Texas Tech (No. 25) could be the program's first in the top 25 since 2011.
-- Other first-year coaches that brought a big Signing Day bump with them: Jay Norvell, Colorado State (No. 64, up 18 spots from 2022), Mike Elko, Duke (No. 50, up 11), and Mario Cristobal, Miami (No. 3, up 13).
-- Kansas State (No. 34) is on track to sign its highest-rated class since 2004.
-- Minnesota (No. 36) is in line to secure its best class since 2009.
-- Northwestern (No. 43) could ink its best class since 2001.
-- Wake Forest (No. 49) could sign the first top-50 class in program history.
-- UTSA's class will easily be the best in the program's decade-long history.
-- Central Michigan signed no class rated higher than No. 88 from 2022 to 2010. The '23 group ranks No. 77.
-- And because we know you're curious, Coach Prime's initial Colorado class checks in at No. 58 at press time, equal to the 25-man class signed in 2022. Time will tell how much this 13-man class grows, which will ultimately set the floor for his first full class in 2024.