It shouldn’t surprise anybody the 2019 Ohio State recruiting class is currently ranked No. 8, but the effect ESP has had on recruiting may.
The 2019 Ohio State recruiting class is currently listed at No. 8 in the 247Sports Composite. With football season approaching things will soon change the rankings, but to what extent it’s hard to say.
To this point, it would appear the recruiting landscape has changed some this year because of the Early Signing Period.
Since veteran coaches have now went through the recruiting cycle one time with the ESP in play it appears they are making adjustments. One coach in particular has certainly changed his tactics.
First, let’s take a look at the Top 10 teams in the 247Sports Composite along with their number of verbal commitments.
- (1) Georgia 19
- (2) Alabama 21
- (3) Texas 25
- (4) Oregon 20
- (5) Oklahoma 17
- (6) Clemson 22
- (7) LSU 19
- (8) Ohio State 15
- (9) Texas 15
- (10) Auburn 15
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I find it interesting the top 10 schools have 188 recruits verbally committed already. That seems like a high number at this stage in the recruiting cycle. Assuming these schools average 25 players per class, that would mean 75 percent of their scholarship players are on board.
To put that into perspective, it was reported last year that approximately 70 percent of all available scholarship players in the FBS were signed and sealed by the time the Early Signing Period was over
Obviously not every player will honor his committment and sign on the dotted line but most will. In any event, it appears recruiting classes are filling up faster than ever.
One coach who has significantly changed his tactics during the second year of the Early Signing Period is Nick Saban. Those of us who follow recruiting to the point it has become an illness knows the master recruiter usually lags behind early, then picks up elite recruits at the end of the cycle and finishes with the top class.
Last year he once again used that approach and the Alabama recruiting class finished with a No. 5 ranking. This cycle he already has 21 verbal commitments.
Urban Meyer was against the Early Signing Period because he didn’t like how it would speed up the recruiting process. Whether that is a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but things seem to be moving faster on the recruiting trail than in years past.