Texas, Texas A&M and UCF highlight the biggest team rankings risers of the summer

June, July and August have become the prime months for teams to make their move in the recruiting rankings, and the 2024 cycle is no different. Hundreds of FBS recruits made their commitments during those three months, adding to schools’ respective recruiting class and shaking up the team rankings we saw during the spring.

A couple of programs in particular made major hay during those months — albeit part of that is due to slow starts this spring. But each has now moved into the top-25 of the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings as we officially end the summer this weekend.

Here are five programs who have made the biggest jumps between June 1 and mid-September:

Texas

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 16 (+32)

The Longhorns came into the summer with just three commitments — one of whom has since parted ways with the program. Texas hosted a huge number of visitors in June though, and it paid off with 15 commitments between June 1 and early September, when they beat out Oklahoma for four-star EDGE Zina Umeozulu.

Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Colin Simmons was the biggest piece to the puzzle, but Texas now has 11 blue-chip commitments in the cycle, with eyes on a few more. Five-stars Brandon Baker, Kobe Black and Ryan Wingo are all considered Longhorns leans at this point. And landing all three would go along way in pushing Texas to another top-five recruiting class.

Central Florida

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 25 (+15)

Gus Malzahn was a dynamo recruiter during his time Auburn, regularly pulling in top-10 recruiting classes. He’s transferred that over to Central Florida, which has one of the deepest talent bases in the country to work with.

The Knights have the wind of moving to the Big 12 at their back, and it showed this summer as they cleaned up on coveted recruits. Between June 1 and late August, UCF landed 16 of its 18 commitments, including eight four-stars, which would be a program record if each signs with the Knights.

Key wins among that group were safety Jaylen Heyward, who they beat Miami for, and tight end Kylan Fox, who they beat in-state foe Florida State with.

Texas A&M

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 5 (+11)

There has never been any issue at Texas A&M when it comes to amassing talent under Jimbo Fisher. The Aggies landed the No. 1 recruiting class ever in 2022 and have a top-five class this year as it stands. Whether Fisher will be around to coach them depends on how things play out the rest of the year, but the Aggies continue to stockpile talent.

In July, they shocked the recruiting world by landing five-star wideout Cam Coleman, considered to be a strong Auburn lean. A little less than two months later, they pulled off a late stunner to nab five-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley — considered a Texas lean. In total, 15 of the Aggies 21 commitments have come since the beginning of June. Now the question remains: Can they hold onto them?

Oklahoma

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 8 (+9)

Brent Venables and Co. flexed their recruiting muscles in a big way last cycle, ending with the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class. It featured three five-stars and 15 blue-chippers in total. Beating that haul in 2024 was always going to be a tall task, but the Sooners are yet again on the verge of securing a top-10 class.

Five-Star Plus+ DL David Stone choosing OU over Miami was the highlight of the summer in that regard, but the Sooners have also added four-star pass-rushers Nigel Smith and Danny Okoye to a very good defensive class. Not to be outdone, OC Jeff Lebby and the Sooners offense has amassed some weapons this summer with elite running back Taylor Tatum, four-star tight end Davon Mitchell, and wideouts Ivan Carreon and Zion Ragins, among others.

Miami

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 18 (+8)

While rivals Florida and Florida State have had two of their best recruiting classes in recent memory, Miami has tailed off a bit in the 2024 cycle. Mario Cristobal and Co. finished No. 8 in 2023, but have had to overcome a lot of questions about Miami’s on-field product leading into the season.

Even with all of that swirling, the ‘Canes did some serious damage during the summer. Elite four-star wideout Joshisa Trader added his name to the class in mid-July, while On3 top-50 prospect Marquise Lightfoot chose the Hurricanes over Ohio State earlier in the month.

Four-star running back Kevin Riley and and top-100 safety Zaquan Patterson gave Cristobal and his staff huge wins at big positions of need, as well.

With 22 commitments already, the Hurricanes will be hunting for some major targets to close the cycle, including projected On3 five-star safety Zay Mincey and On3 five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray.