Top of the class: Superlatives from the 2023 recruiting cycle

With the second National Signing Day coming to close, it’s time to hand out the (figurative) hardware. The 2023 cycle was one that featured a number of twists and turns, some major decommitments and flips, and plenty of intrigue down the stretch.

A handful of schools made major additions to their programs over the past few months, with some of their top signees expected to make early impacts at the college level. Without further ado, we’re breaking down the 2023 class superlatives.

Most five-stars: Alabama (7)

It would be hard to overstate how impressive the finish Alabama put together in the 2023 cycle was. Flipping five-star Kadyn Proctor (No. 9 in the Consensus) from Iowa was massive — both literally and figuratively. And he adds to a class that features seven of the country’s top 32 prospects. EDGE Keon Keeley (No. 2), safety Caleb Downs (No. 5), defensive lineman James Smith (No. 24), and EDGEs Yhonzae Pierre (No. 26) and Qua Russaw (No. 27) fill out what could be one of the best defensive classes Nick Saban has ever assembled. And that’s saying something.

Honorable mention: Georgia (4), Texas (4)

Best receiver room: Ohio State

Newly appointed Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline continues to recruit the wide receiver position at a level I’m not sure we’ve ever seen before. In addition to On3 five-star Noah Rogers, Hartline also reeled in top-50 prospects Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss, who was a standout at the All-American Bowl earlier this month.

Honorable mention: Texas, USC, Florida

Under-the-radar stars: Florida, Tennessee

Billy Napier’s first full class in Gainesville has been a bit of an up-and-down roller coaster (see: Cormani McClain and Jaden Rashada). But one thing the Gators have done is identify talent that other programs — and the rest of the recruiting industry — has missed on. On3 five-star receiver Eugene Wilson III has the potential to make both instant and long-term impact at a major position of need, and cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson (No. 40) made his case during all-star week as one of the country’s top cover corners. Defensive linemen Kamran James and Kelby Collins and interior mauler Roderick Kearney also look to be freshmen who could crack the two-deep and see the field early on as well.

Much of the same can be said for the Volunteers, who signed six players that On3 is highest on of any recruiting service in the industry. At the top of that list is five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the No. 1 player in the On300. But On3 five-star Daevin Hobbs, wideout Nathan Leacock, EDGE Caleb Herring, and cornerbacks Jordan Matthews and Rickey Gibson are just a few who project as impact players at the college level. In On3’s own team rankings, the Vols have the No. 7 class nationally.

Honorable mention: Penn State, Georgia, South Carolina

Most impactful flip: Oklahoma, Colorado

You could make the case for UCLA and five-star quarterback signee Dante Moore here, and it would be hard to argue against. Players of Moore’s caliber don’t often end up in Westwood, especially at that position. But the flip of five-star Denton (Texas) Guyer safety Peyton Bowen from Notre Dame to Oregon and then eventually Oklahoma carries a little more weight. Not only was losing him a crushing blow for the Fighting Irish, but he’s a player who can instantly impact the game in multiple facets for the Sooners.

Oklahoma’s defense needs an all-out revamp after last season’s debacle, and Bowen is the kind of player who can both make plays in the secondary and on special teams in the return game.

You can’t talk about flips in the 2023 class without Cormani McClain, though. The five-star cornerback flipping from Miami to Colorado was one of the biggest recruiting stories in recent memory, only topped by his future teammate, Travis Hunter, flipping from Florida State to Jackson State last year prior to transferring to Boulder. Landing McClain is only a sign of things to come for Deion Sanders in Boulder, and like at Jackson State, you can never count him out of any recruitment.

Honorable mention: UCLA

Best defensive class: Alabama

What Kirby Smart and Georgia put together on the defensive side of the ball this cycle is impressive, but it simply pales in comparison to what Nick Saban did. Alabama signed the No. 2, 5, 18, 24, 26 and 27 players in this class, and all will play in Saban’s defense. If it weren’t for Texas A&M’s 2022 class (which has since seen some defections), this might be the greatest assembling of defensive recruits we’ve ever seen.

With some departures (both to the NFL and the transfer portal) don’t be surprised if we see a number of Alabama’s top signees on the field in year one.

Honorable mention: Georgia. Between these two programs, 11 of the top 20 defensive prospects in the On3 Consensus are headed to Tuscaloosa or Athens.

Best offensive class: Texas

While picking the best defensive class was a relatively easy choice, that wasn’t the case on the offensive side. The five-star group this cycle leans a little more heavily to defense, and the top playmakers on offense spread out to more teams than their defensive counterparts. USC, Alabama and a few others made strong cases, but the class heading to Austin to play for Steve Sarkisian won out.

The Longhorns are the only program with three five-star offensie signees: Five-Star Plus+ QB Arch Manning, running back Cedric Baxter and wide receiver Johntay Cook. Add in electric wideout Ryan Niblett, there’s some serious firepower there to work with. All four could potentially see the field in year one.

Deepest class: Alabama, Georgia

Surprise, surprise: Alabama and Georgia currently sit at No. 1 and No. 2 in the team recruiting rankings, and they also have the two deepest classes in the cycle. And to be honest, it’s not all that close. The Crimson Tide have 21 signees inside the final On300 rankings, while Georgia features 19. Both sit at roughly 75 percent of their class being ranked among the top 300.

Texas and Ohio State are the next closest with 15, but Kirby Smart and Nick Saban continue to dominate recruiting at a level we haven’t seen consistently before.

Late risers: Auburn, Nebraska

In the midst of coaching changes this fall, both Auburn and Nebraska struggled mightily on the recruiting trail. For programs who have both routinely brought in top-20 (and top-10) recruiting classes in recent years, sitting among the 40s prior to the Early Signing Period was unwelcome territory.

Both have made a late push up the rankings though, with Auburn currently sitting at No. 16 and Nebraska just outside the top-25 at No. 27. The Tigers finished with am impressive nine four-star prospects in their class, including flipping coveted EDGE Keldric Faulk from Florida State, cornerback Kayin Lee from Ohio State and defensive lineman Darron Reed from LSU. New head coach Hugh Freeze has never had trouble bringing in talent, and that won’t be an issue at Auburn either.

Up in Lincoln, Matt Rhule has made some serious chicken salad out of well, you know. The Huskers’ class never materialized under Scott Frost, as his job status constantly clouded their efforts. After hovering in the 50s and 40s of the team rankings for most of the year, Nebraska has made a major jump over the past month while Rhule has landed four-stars Malachi Coleman, Princewill Umanmielen, Cameron Lenhardt and Demitrius Bell. Add on some high-upside three-stars, and this high school class for Nebraska has some strong potential to be one we look back on in a few years.