2010 Class Rankings | 1-10

By Charles Drake

Photo from GatorCountry.com

1. Florida |
Number of commits: 28 (11 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Urban Meyer
Headliner: ATH Ronald Powell
Sleeper: OLB Darrin Kitchens
Missed on: OLB Christian Jones (Florida State)

Feeling: The #1 class in America squeaks past Texas and USC for the top spot based on quality of depth. The Gators secured one of the top defensive line classes seen in recent memory, put together a top 5 receiver class, loaded up on quality secondary players, adding a couple excellent OL prospects, hit on their #1 running back in Mack Brown, and signed a lot of versatile athletes all while dealing with coaching questions. Just an excellent job by the staff holdovers of not only keeping this class together but adding the pieces that give UF one of the most impressive groups of recent memory.


2. Texas |
Number of commits: 25 (3 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Will Muschamp
Headliner: OLB Jordan Hicks
Sleeper: S Bryant Jackson
Missed on: OT Jake Matthews (Texas A&M)

Feeling: An overall impressive haul for the Longhorns. Mack Brown and staff again loaded up with some of the states best players and even went up to Ohio and grabbed a 5 star talent in Jordan Hicks. The wide receiver class is the best in the nation, the defensive line and linebacker classes are elite, they got a top flight kicking prospect late, and the Texas staff got one of the top signal callers in the nation with Connor Wood.


3. Southern Cal |
Number of commits: 20 (2 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Ed Orgeron
Headliner: OT Seantrel Henderson
Sleeper: CB Nickell Robey
Missed on: ATH Ronald Powell (Florida)

Feeling: The early January coaching change at USC could have been a problem for most incoming staffs, but the new regime hit the ground running and closed like gangbusters. Lane Kiffin and company loaded up on offensive talent and secured a pending verbal from one of the top players in the nation, Minnesota OT Seantrel Henderson. Added to that they signed the best tight end class in the nation, firmed up the top QB on their board in Jesse Scroggins, won battles for 3 of the top receivers in this class (Woods, Prater, Ambles), signed two dynamic running backs, and also added some quality defensive depth with impact players Hayes Pullard, George Uko, Nickell Robey.


4. Auburn |
Number of commits: 32 (5 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Trooper Taylor
Headliner: RB Michael Dyer
Sleeper: CB Jonathan Mincy
Missed on: DT Byran Jones (Arkansas)

Feeling: Hit needs big time with a top offensive line class, the top running back in the nation, the top JUCO QB, a top 5 linebacker class, a top 5 receiving class, and some solid defensive lineman. The Tigers took a couple questionable signees that the staff may regret later in order to add more depth, but overall hit a homerun with the 2010 class. Gene Chizik and his staff proved they can recruit the southeast with the best of 'em.


5. Alabama |
Number of commits: 26 (8 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Kirby Smart
Headliner: CB John Fulton
Sleeper: DT Brandon Ivory
Missed on: OL James Stone (Tennessee) and OT Shon Coleman (Auburn)

Feeling: The Tide filled a glaring need in the defensive backfield with the top DB class in the nation. Saban and staff also added a top QB prospect in Phillip Sims, a solid OL group, two versatile backs, a solid receiving group, a couple jack LB prospects in Hubbard and Hill, a top flight kicking class, and much needed TE depth. The late Keenan Allen saga was out of their hands, but losing on Stone and coming on too late for Shon Coleman hurt their ranking. Overall, still a top 5 class that met their biggest need at DB quality and depth.


6. Tennessee |
Number of commits: 25 (8 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Lance Thompson
Headliner: WR Da'Rick Rogers
Sleeper: WR Matt Milton
Missed on: MLB Michael Taylor (Florida)

Feeling: An amazing job by Dooley and staff of holding steady and actually adding onto a solid early enrollee group with Rogers, WR Justin Hunter, DB Eddrick Loften, RB Rajion Neal, and in state OL James Stone. The Vols missed on quite a few LB prospects which will hurt in the future, but did well overall in getting a top 2 WR class, a very nice OL group, a top flight QB (Bray) with depth behind him (Nance, Simms), an underrated RB (Neal), one of the top kickers in Mike Palardy and a couple excellent DE's (Miller, Smith).


7. UCLA |
Number of commits: 23 (1 early entrant)
Best Recruiter: Wayne Moses
Headliner: ATH Anthony Barr
Sleeper: LB Jordan Zumwalt
Missed on: QB Brett Nottingham (Stanford)

Feeling: What a close to this class the Bruins had, coming out of nowhere to land in the top 10. The glaring miss for Neuheisel and staff was the defection of QB Brett Nottingham. Outside of that, the UCLA staff should be applauded for their effort. Included in this class is a top RB group (Jones, Barr, James), a nice haul at LB, some solid DL prospects, some top flight DB signings, a serviceable OL group, and one of the most underrated WR's in the country (P.Richardson).


8. Louisiana State |
Number of commits: 29 (2 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Frank Wilson
Headliner: S Eric Reid
Sleeper: S/LB Luke Muncie
Missed on: WR Trovon Reed (Auburn)

Feeling: Miles and staff had another stellar National Signing Day with the additions of DE Ego Ferguson, DL J.C. Copeland, WR Kadron Boone, and WR Jarrett Fobbs. The superlatives of this group don't end there as the Tigers gained signatures from a versatile RB group, an excellent DB class, an excellent OT prospect in Evan Washington, a couple LB's that will add nice depth, and a nice TE group. Missing on WR's Trovon Reed, Justin Hunter, and Mike Davis shouldn't hurt now with Tolliver and Randle in place, but could hinder the Tigers in the future although the late addition of Boone and what's to come in the 2011 class will help.


9. Oklahoma |
Number of commits: 29 (5 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Bobby Jack Wright
Headliner: RB Brennan Clay
Sleeper: DT Torrea Peterson
Missed on: WR Kyle Prater (Southern Cal)

Feeling: The Sooners didn't have many "big time" names ink, but added a lot of top tier prospects that could prove this class as an underrated one. The class starts with a top RB class, a QB with the frame and canvas you look for, a top OL group, and an excellent DB class. Added onto those strong groups are a top 5 TE class, an underrated DL class, a versatile group of athletes, and some LB's that can run sideline to sideline. As in most cases, the coaching of this group will determine greatly the extent of the 2010 OU classes contributions in the next 3/4 years.


T10. Florida State |
Number of commits: 24 (4 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: James Coley
Headliner: CB Lamarcus Joyner
Sleeper: ATH Greg Dent
Missed on: DE Corey Lemonier (Auburn)

Feeling: With the staff in question for much of the 2010 recruiting cycle, new Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff did an amazing job of signing a top 10 class. The Seminoles needed defensive help and they got some with one of the best defensive classes in the nation. Headlining the group are MLB Jeff Luc, CB Lamarcus Joyner, and OLB Christian Jones. The 'Noles also added a top DB class, an excellent trio of WR's (Johnson, Dent, Green), a couple big targets at TE (Tye, Sessions), some nice DT prospects, and a bruising RB prospect in Debrale Smiley. The one glaring miss for the 'Noles in 2010 was their inability to close on some top DL prospects. That said, this is another great building block for what is now a full FSU staff of recruiters.


T10. Penn State |
Number of commits: 20 (6 early entrants)
Best Recruiter: Larry Johnson
Headliner: OLB Khairi Fortt
Sleeper: OL/DT Daquan Jones
Missed on: DT Sharrif Floyd (Florida)

Feeling: The top QB class in the nation as the PSU staff secured Letter's of Intent from two of the top prospects in the country. Added to the QB depth are two excellent LB prospects with Mike Hull and Khairi Fortt, two underrated DE signees (Royer, Olaniyan), the top FB in the nation (Zwinak), a top RB in Silas Redd, one of the top OL classes, an excellent TE haul, and some versatile athletes (Kenney, Pullium, Norwood).