Everyone loves to stare at the star counts. You see a school like Georgia or Alabama land five or six "five-star" kids and you immediately assume the national title is a foregone conclusion. But if you actually look at the 2024 cfb recruiting rankings through the lens of what happened on the field this past season, the story isn't just about who finished first on National Signing Day. It’s about who actually survived the transition to the big stage.
Recruiting has changed. It's not just "sign a kid and see him in three years." It’s "sign a kid, keep him from transferring for six months, and hope he can play against 23-year-old men immediately." Honestly, the 2024 cycle was probably the most chaotic we’ve ever seen because it was the first one where NIL and the portal didn't just supplement the rankings—they basically dictated them.
The Heavyweights at the Top (And the Names You Know)
Kirby Smart and Georgia finished the cycle at the absolute summit. They didn't just win; they dominated the composite rankings by stacking talent at positions that usually take years to develop. We're talking about guys like Ellis Robinson IV, the number one cornerback in the country. When you see a kid like that on film, you realize why the 2024 cfb recruiting rankings had Georgia so far ahead. He’s a plug-and-play defender who looks like he’s been in a college weight room since middle school.
But it wasn't just the Bulldogs. Alabama, even with the earth-shattering transition from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer, managed to keep a massive chunk of their class together. That’s a miracle in the modern era. Ryan Williams—the 17-year-old phenom who reclassified just to get to Tuscaloosa faster—proved that "rankings" sometimes understate how good a kid actually is. He wasn't just a top recruit; he was the best player on the field in some of the biggest games of the year.
The Final Top 5 Breakdown (High School Only)
- Georgia: 28 total commits, 5 five-stars. They won the "average rating" battle too.
- Alabama: 26 commits. They lost some to the portal (like Julian Sayin to Ohio State), but the core stayed.
- Oregon: Dan Lanning is becoming a monster on the trail. Getting Gatlin Bair and Elijah Rushing was huge.
- Ohio State: They landed Jeremiah Smith. If you haven't seen his highlights, do yourself a favor. He might be the best receiver prospect in a decade.
- Miami: Mario Cristobal is still "The Closer." Bringing in Justin Scott and Armondo Blount showed Miami can still outmuscle the big boys for interior linemen.
Why "Transfer Rankings" Are the New Secret Sauce
You can't talk about the 2024 cfb recruiting rankings anymore without looking at the "Transfer Team Rankings." If a coach ignores the portal, he’s basically fired. Look at Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin didn't have a top-10 high school class, but he finished with the #1 transfer class in the country.
He brought in guys like Walter Nolen (formerly the #1 recruit at A&M) and Princely Umanmielen. If you combine their high school class with their portal haul, Ole Miss had a roster that was essentially a top-3 talent group. That’s the "new" way to recruit. You let other schools develop the freshmen, then you buy the finished product when they’re juniors. Sorta cynical? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.
The "Bust" Narrative and the Pressure of NIL
We have to be real here: some of these rankings are going to look stupid in two years. In the 2024 class, several five-star players have already transferred. Julian Sayin, the elite QB who signed with Alabama, was in the portal and at Ohio State before he even finished his first semester.
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When a kid is getting a seven-figure NIL deal before they take a snap, the pressure is immense. If they aren't the starter by week 4, their "people" start looking at the exit. This makes the 2024 cfb recruiting rankings a moving target. The team that "won" in February might have lost those same players by May.
What Really Happened With the "Surprise" Classes
Auburn and Nebraska were the two biggest shocks for me. Hugh Freeze pulled a top-10 class at Auburn despite the program being in a bit of a rebuild. Landing Cam Coleman (the #2 WR) right out from under the noses of several rivals was a statement.
And then there’s Nebraska. Matt Rhule getting Dylan Raiola to flip from Georgia was the recruiting story of the winter. Raiola wasn't just a five-star; he was the symbol of Nebraska's return to relevance. He chose the "legacy" path over the "sure thing" at Georgia. It’s those kinds of moves that make these rankings more than just numbers on a spreadsheet.
Key Players Who Lived Up to the Hype in 2024:
- Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State): Totaled nearly 1,000 yards as a true freshman. Absolute freak.
- Dylan Stewart (EDGE, South Carolina): Looked like a future #1 overall NFL pick from week one.
- Ryan Williams (WR, Alabama): Became a household name before he was old enough to vote.
- Colin Simmons (EDGE, Texas): Led the Longhorns in sacks for a good portion of the season.
How to Actually Use These Rankings
If you're a fan trying to figure out if your team is actually "back," don't just look at the total points. Look at the Average Player Rating.
A team like Ohio State only took 23 players, whereas some schools took 30. The Buckeyes' average rating was actually higher than almost everyone's. That means their "floor" is much higher. You'd rather have 20 elite dudes than 30 "okay" ones.
Also, pay attention to the trenches. A lot of teams (like Florida State) struggled this year because they relied too much on "skill" transfers and didn't recruit enough high school offensive linemen. The 2024 cfb recruiting rankings showed that Georgia and Texas are still the kings because they prioritize the big guys.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you're following recruiting moving forward, here's what you should actually track:
- The "Re-Recruitment" Window: Watch the 15 days after the spring game. That is when the 2024 class actually "finalized" their rosters.
- Blue-Chip Ratio: Your team needs at least 50% of its roster to be 4 or 5-star players to realistically win a title. Use the 2024 rankings to see if your team hit that mark.
- NIL Collective Strength: If a school's collective is quiet, they aren't landing the top-50 kids. It’s a pay-to-play world now.
- Early Enrollees: Kids who show up in January (like most of the top 2024 kids did) have a 70% higher chance of starting as freshmen.
The 2024 cfb recruiting rankings are a snapshot in time, but the real winners are the ones who can keep those players in the building. As we head into the next season, keep an eye on those "True Freshman All-Americans"—they are the ones who turned those star rankings into actual points on the scoreboard.