The 2014 recruiting period is still (sort of) going on, with a few prospects left who have still not officially signed with schools. But it’s time to move on to 2015, as these schools have already done with fast starts:
Five teams off to a fast recruiting start in the class of 2015
Four SEC schools and the reigning national champions top the early recruiting rankings.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Spor
1. Texas A&M
Commits: 7 | Blue chippers: 7
The Aggies are on top of the class of 2015 at the moment, and it’s easy to see why when you look at their haul. From their first pickup (four-star tight end Jordan Davis, in June 2013) to their most recent (four-star safety Larry Pryor, in January 2014), all seven of A&M’s commits have two things in common -- they’re all either four- or five-stars, and they’re all from Texas. Leading the way is five-star defensive tackle Daylon Mack, who chose the Aggies in October over LSU, Alabama, Texas and Florida State, among others.
2. Alabama
Commits: 7 | Blue chippers: 7
Blue chippers: 7
Both Alabama and A&M boast seven-person classes, with six four-stars and one five-star. The Aggies get the edge in the rankings, but the Tide have a very impressive class in their own right. They received three commitments early in 2013, including five-star Georgia defensive end Mekhi Brown, and look well on their way to compete for their fifth-straight recruiting crown. They hold commitments from players from Alabama, Louisiana and Texas, as well.
3. Tennessee
Commits: 7 | Blue chippers: 4
The Volunteers had one of the most noteworthy classes in the 2014 cycle, bringing in an astonishing 33 commitments (good for a seventh-ranked class) after a season in which they did not make a bowl game. They’re hard back at work on the recruiting trail for the class of 2015, with seven commitments headlined by a few big-time prospects. Four-star wide receiver Preston Williams, one of the top players in the state of Georgia, headlines the class, and four-star offensive tackle Jack Jones gives them a top-10 commitment from their own state.
4. LSU
Commits: 6 | Blue chippers: 4
LSU has the biggest name possible in the 2015 class, grabbing five-star cornerback Kevin Toliver II, considered the top player in the entire class. That comes off the heels of signing 2014 top prospect Leonard Fournette, and the Tigers could end up with a pretty remarkable streak in that regard. Toliver is not LSU’s only five-star commitment in the class, however -- the Tigers flipped 2014 offensive lineman Sione Teuhema from Texas on Signing Day, and also managed to grab his younger brother, 2015 five-star tackle Maea Teuhema.
5. Florida State
Commits: 6 | Blue chippers: 4
The reigning national champions got about as early a start on the 2015 recruiting class as possible, grabbing a commitment from five-star safety Derwin James back in February 2012. That’s not quite the earliest commitment in the class -- David Sills pledged to USC in February 2010 -- but it’s certainly close. James is joined by two other blue-chippers in the secondary in four-star cornerback Tyrek Cole and four-star safety Calvin Brewton, as well as four-star offensive guard Kendrick Norton and three-star quarterback De’Andre Johnson. All five new commitments are from the state of Florida, and offensive tackle Ethan Frith elected to delay enrollment from the 2014 class, so he’ll join in 2015.
