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By Craig Horvat, ESPN staff writer
With the start of the 2024 season fast approaching, the focus has shifted to on-field play and while recruiting has slowed down a bit, it hasn't stopped completely.
Ohio State holds the No. 1 spot in the top 40 recruiting class rankings, but it's a close call with Alabama trailing the Buckeyes. New head coach Cullen DeBoer is quickly erasing doubts about whether he can keep the Crimson Tide recruiting at the high standards set by Nick Saban. They could get even closer to the No. 1 spot with the addition of two big-time outside players in top-five OT Ty Haywood (Texas) and top-three WR Caleb Cunningham (Mississippi).
LSU has risen to third place thanks to some big additions, leading the way in five-star athlete DJ Pickett. The Tigers acquired Pickett over in-state recruits Miami and Oregon, leapfrogging the Ducks into the top five in the process. Tall and smooth-moving, Pickett can play on either side of the defense but is expected to thrive in a secondary where LSU has a rich history of developing players.
Despite losing Pickett, the Hurricanes still had enough wins to move up the rankings. Despite losing a DB target to LSU, Miami was able to nab top-10 CB prospect Javoree Antoine, who was previously committed to the Louisiana State University Tigers.
Two other programs from the Sunshine State, Florida State and the University of Florida, also moved up the rankings. The Gators' class is slowly coming together but is still small, but the addition of WR Vernell Brown III adds another player to the ESPN 300. There's still a lot of work to be done, but they have a quality collection of talent relative to their total numbers.
Tennessee is close to cracking the top 10 thanks to two recent appearances in the ESPN 300. One of those players is LB Christian Gass, who has the ingredients to develop into a versatile playmaker. As a tall player, he can drop and be effective in space, but he can also be active and physical against the run, and has potential as an edge rusher.
New team: Baylor, Florida, North Carolina State University
Team Out: West Virginia, Minnesota, Indiana
coverage:
Ranking of noteworthy new recruits for 2025
CFB Future Power Rankings
Preview all meetings
ESPN 300 Committed: 16
Top offensive prospectsQB Tavian St. Clair
Top defensive candidates: CB Naem Offord
Previous ranking: 1
