College Football Recruiting Shockers: Can USC and Alabama Maintain Their Surprising Early Signing Dominance?

The frenzy we’ve been waiting for is finally here—the early signing period in college football is officially underway. Over the next 72 hours, coaches from coast to coast are scrambling to nail down commitments, hoping to snag that elusive talent who could tip the scales in their favor for a national title run. It’s no secret that December’s early signing window has morphed into the pivotal moment—some might say the real “Signing Day”—where the elite prospects put pen to paper and set the stage for spring enrolment. Leading the charge this cycle is Lincoln Riley and his USC crew, boasting the top-ranked 2026 class, anchored by their jewel, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe, sitting at No. 5 overall in the national rankings. Meanwhile, defending champs Ohio State, perched atop the latest College Football Playoff standings, aren’t far behind with a strong Big Ten class. As the dust settles over these next few days, expect shifting loyalties, surprise flips, and some fierce battles on the recruiting trail—just like Vanderbilt’s savvy snag of five-star QB Jared Curtis from Georgia. Buckle up, folks—these recruiting rankings are about to get wild. LEARN MORE

College football’s early signing period has arrived.

Over the course of the next three days, coaching staffs around the country will land commitments from players that they hope are the missing pieces to their national championship puzzle.

The December early signing period has become college football’s de facto signing day, as most, if not all, of the top recruits in the country will sign during the period so they can enroll with their respective programs in the spring semester. The early signing period runs from Wednesday, Dec. 3 through Friday, Dec. 5.

Lincoln Riley and USC football enter the early signing period with the top 2026 recruiting class, headlined by 247Sports’ Composite ranking’s No. 5 overall-ranked prospect, offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe. Defending national champion Ohio State, the top-ranked team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, currently has the third-best class in the Big Ten, only behind the Trojans and Oregon.

Rankings of the team’s overall recruiting class are expected to change over the next couple of days, as staffs hope to flip commitments to their programs. One early winner of this is Clark Lea and Vanderbilt, which flipped the commitment of five-star quarterback Jared Curtis on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from Georgia.

Here are the current team recruiting rankings, per 247Sports’ Composite rankings:

College football recruiting team rankings 2025

This section will be updated throughout the early signing period. Last updated at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Here’s a look at the top 10 recruiting classes for 2026, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings:

1. USC (No. 1 Big Ten)

Top offensive recruit: No. 5 overall recruit Keenyi Pepe (No. 1 ranked OT)
Top defensive recruit: No. 54 overall recruit Jaimeon Winfield (No. 3 ranked DL)
Commits: 34
Five-stars: One
Four-stars: 20
Top 100 players: 8
Points: 304.15

2. Alabama (No. 1 SEC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 29 overall recruit Ezavier Crowell (No. 2 ranked RB)
Top defensive recruit: No. 13 overall recruit Xavier Griffin (No. 1 ranked EDGE)
Commits: 24
Five-stars: 4
Four-stars: 9
Top 100 players: 10
Points: 300.40

3. Notre Dame

Top offensive recruit: No. 21 overall recruit Ian Premer (No. 1 ranked TE)
Top defensive recruit: No. 8 overall recruit Rodney Dunham (No. 2 ranked EDGE)
Commits: 27
Five-stars: 4
Four-stars: 19
Top 100 players: 5
Points: 298.81

4. Oregon (No. 2 Big Ten)

Top offensive recruit: No. 25 overall recruit Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 2 ranked IOL)
Top defensive recruit: No. 19 overall recruit Antony Jones (No. 5 ranked EDGE)
Commits: 19
Five-stars: 4
Four-stars: 12
Top 100 players: 10
Points: 297.08

5. Ohio State (No. 3 Big Ten)

Top offensive recruit: No. 32 overall recruit Chris Henry Jr. (No. 3 ranked WR)
Top defensive recruit: No. 40 overall recruit Cincere Johnson (No. 3 ranked LB)
Commits: 28
Five-stars: 1
Four-stars: 21
Top 100 players: 6
Points: 295.31

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6. Georgia (No. 2 SEC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 48 overall recruit Kaiden Prothro (No. 4 ranked TE)
Top defensive recruit: No. 28 overall recruit Valdin Sone (No. 2 ranked DL)
Commits: 28
Five-stars: 1
Four-stars: 21
Top 100 players:
Points: 293.75

7. Texas (No. 3 SEC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 16 overall recruit Jeremaine Bishop (No. 2 ranked ATH)
Top defensive recruit: No. 38 overall recruit Tyler Atkinson (No. 2 ranked LB)
Commits: 25
Five-stars: 3
Four-stars: 13
Top 100 players: 5
Points: 292.12

8. Tennessee (No. 4 SEC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 2 overall recruit Faizon Brandon (No. 2 ranked QB)
Top defensive recruit: No. 41 overall recruit TJ White (No. 4 ranked LB)
Commits: 24
Five-stars: 2
Four-stars: 12
Top 100 players: 7
Points: 289.65

9. Texas A&M (No. 5 SEC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 46 overall recruit KJ Edwards (No. 3 ranked RB)
Top defensive recruit: No. 26 overall recruit Tristan Givens (No. 6 ranked EDGE)
Commits: 26
Five-stars: 1
Four-stars: 22
Top 100 players: 4
Points: 284.11

10. Miami (No. 1 ACC)

Top offensive recruit: No. 7 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell (No. 2 ranked OT)
Top defensive recruit: No. 72 overall recruit Keshawn Stancil (No. 5 ranked DL)
Commits: 29
Five-stars: 1
Four-stars: 19
Top 100 players: 5
Points: 280.25