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SIAA Team Recruiting Rankings: Programs Poised to Climb List

SI All-American delves into the programs looking at climbing the fresh top 25 rankings released this week.
John Garcia, Jr.|
SIAA Team Recruiting Rankings: Programs Poised to Climb List
SIAA Team Recruiting Rankings: Programs Poised to Climb List

It's been a bit over 24 hours since SI All-American released its initial top 25 football recruiting class rankings for the 2021 cycle and we've already seen some movement. 

Georgia and Alabama added pass catchers Tuesday morning while Wisconsin and Oregon added offensive tackles to the commitment list in the evening, including the pledge of SI99 member and No. 4 offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. 

Each of the four programs were top 25 members chasing Ohio State atop the list, but they're not alone among those we expect to climb up the list in the coming months. We'll track these in the order of their debut ranking in the Top 25. 

No. 2 Alabama

As is the case with plenty of programs already threatening the top spot, there aren't a lot of spots remaining in the class to add to. However, UA already holds more premium position prospects than No. 1 OSU and is targeting more to wrap things up including several SI99 members. In-stater and cornerback projection Ga'Quincy McKinstry is high on this list in a recruitment involving Nick Saban directly. Fellow in-staters Lee Hunter and Armoni Goodwin, each Auburn commitments, have been hearing from 'Bama as well. Outside of state lines, former OSU commitment Tunmise Adeleye and fellow Texan Shemar Turner are in the mix for the Crimson Tide as well as Floridian SI99 members Xavian Sorey and Terrion Arnold as priority prospects. UA is technically in on even more prospects finalists lists like No. 1 edge JT Tuimoloau, No. 2 RB Camar Wheaton, No. No. 3 offensive tackle Amarius Mims, No. 5 OT Tristan Leigh, No. 6 IDL Maason Smith and No. 8 WR Brian Thomas. 21 spots are already filled here but there is room to chase down the Buckeyes in the coming months. 

No. 3 Clemson

The Tigers typically bring in smaller classes and this cycle doesn't appear to be much different. Still, there is room to move up with just 15 on the commitment list as of this writing. Nearly half the class is made up of SI99 members but there are just a trio of premium position players, something CU is looking to change in chasing Leigh's commitment at tackle. Top 10 safety Nyland Green, who can also potentially fill a cornerback spot, is still very much in play as is fellow top 10-er among safety projections in Derrick Davis. The secondary is really the biggest position of need for the Tigers, with prospects like top 10 Nickel and SI99 member Sage Ryan also in the mix along with out-of-state defensive backs Andrew Mukuba and Kamari Lassiter. Clemson doesn't miss much on the trail and the secondary unit looks like it will be replenished in short order. 

No. 4 Georgia

The 'late' momentum is already underway at Georgia, adding defensive lineman Marlin Dean (again) to the commitment list in the last week followed by emerging Alabama wideout Jackson Meeks Tuesday. But UGA needs to hit on bigger SEC battles to climb the list. With several major targets within state lines still in the mix, headlined by No. 1 LB Smael Mondon and Mims. But the Bulldogs are also major players against Alabama and others in the SEC for Sorey and Arnold while remaining in the running for Thomas, Green and Alabama edge rusher and SI99 member Jeremiah Williams. There's no doubt the Bulldog group is on the way up, but is there a shot at the top? If so, hitting on the potential package deal of No. 1 IDL prospect Korey Foreman and Smith may be the clincher. That's a dog fight with LSU and USC as it currently stands. 

No. 5 LSU

Segway right into the Bayou Tigers, there is some room for movement here too. The Tigers are the program coming off of hosting Foreman, Smith and a host of other targets and commitments over the weekend thanks to quarterback pledge Garrett Nussmeier. Uncommitted SI99 tight end Michael Trigg, working with USC and South Carolina as a public top three, was also in town. Athletic Texas offensive tackle prospect Savion Byrd may have spent the most time around Nussmeier on the trip in a recruiting battle shaping up to be an Oklahoma, SMU, LSU, Texas battle. Beyond Smith, other in-state prospects who are high on the board and spent time near campus this weekend included Ryan and Thomas, who are considered Tiger leans at this time. The Tigers also sit as a finalist for former Florida edge commitment Bryce Langston, Wheaton and Leigh, who was in town with family, in the trenches. We don't see LSU ducking out of the top five of the rankings any time soon. 

No. 7 Florida

The Gators have a class threatening capacity and is swinging for the fences to try to fill the remaining spots. It won't be easy, but they're in the thick of the mix for Arnold and Sorey while potentially front-running for Adeleye -- though neither of the trio seems poised to make a public pick in the coming weeks. Adeleye has already been public about a signing day timeline. Landing another pass rusher, potentially former pledge Langston or Williams would also help their cause for positive movement on the list. Mondon has the Gators in his group of finalists, technically, too. Adding any combination of the premium position types could land the program in the top five come signing day but the program is headed in the right direction after finishing seventh last cycle.

No. 8 Oregon

If Florida misses on some of its final top-tier targets, the Ducks could be in position to vault over the SEC East program considering their continued quality at premium positions, like landing Suamataia Tuesday night, along with some targets still on the board. UO has double-digit premium position prospects in their current 19-man class, one of the highest clips in the country. Los Angeles cornerback prospect Ceyair Wright and speedy wideout Dont'e Thornton aren't hard to project to the Ducks while they technically remain in the running for SI99 members Tuimoloau and No. 1 interior OL projection Bryce Foster up front. 

No. 10 Oklahoma

The Sooners are not far off from the Sooner Summit event where a bevy of top prospects made the trip to Norman and the SI network has personal accounts of the time from guys like play-making slot Jalil Farooq, Byrd, Leigh and others. Wheaton, maybe the top target on the board, was also on hand and seems like a relatively safe bet for Lincoln Riley's program at this time. Foster is one the program has long been in good position for and they're still in the conversation for Williams out of Alabama. It doesn't hurt when trend-setting QB commitment and No. 1 overall prospect Caleb Williams is at the helm of events like the Sooner Summit and organizing trips to personally recruit more prospects in his own Friday Night Lights tour.

No. 13 Auburn

Don't be fooled by Auburn's lack of volume on their current commitment list. No top 25 program has fewer pledges on board than AU's 13, but we know the Tigers are in position to make their move this fall. They're in the thick of battles against SEC foes for some of the top prospects in America including Mondon, Mims, McKinstry and Williams, with a legitimate chance to snag at least one away from a rival -- it seems to happen each cycle. Three of those four play premium positions, too, so it doesn't take much to see why AU is on this list of potential movers. Lesser-known battles for other premium position types include that with Clemson and others for Lassiter and with Penn State for offensive tackle Diego Pounds. A climb feels inevitable for Gus Malzahn's group following 2020's No. 8 finish.

No. 15 USC

We've mentioned some of the bigger battles USC is facing -- Foreman, Smith and Trigg among SI99 members. When the in-stater decommitted from Clemson in the spring, USC became the knee-jerk reactionary favorite, but has it faded? Foreman has been to Athens and Baton Rouge in the last few weeks for detailed peer recruiting visits. This is following summer rumors that he was gearing up to spend the entire fall playing high school ball in the South. Honorable mention off-ball LB Ethan Calvert has the Trojans in the mix as does the aforementioned Thornton and there is space in the class to fill in most of these names if the Trojans can close.  

No. 18 Washington

When two of the top 10 overall prospects lie within state lines -- Tuimoloau and Egbuka -- it's hard not to envision the Huskies improving their recruiting ranking moving forward. While both are uphill battles with juggernaut Ohio State as the primary competition, UW is also courting additional prospects with the potential to create movement. There are just 15 verbal commitments in to date, so names like Calvert and edge Logan Fano could prove to be big pieces of the class at cycle's end. 

Top 25 Class Breakdowns

No. 1-No. 5 | 5-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25

More SI All-American Coverage

The Latest on the Top 5 Uncommitted SI99 Recruits

Top WR Corps Already Committed to P5 Programs

Senior Prospects SIAA Wants to see in Action

Inaugural SI All-American SI99 Released

Prospects Knocking on the Door of the SI99

College Programs Dominating the SI99

SIAA's 2021 Rankings by Position

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Follow SI All-American's college football and basketball recruiting coverage here on SIAllAmerican.com as well as on social media, @SIAllAmerican on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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John Garcia, Jr.
JOHN GARCIA, JR.

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