Jun 24, 2020 - Sports

Ohio State takes early lead in 2021 recruiting

Data: 247Sports; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Here's a quick look at where the 2021 college football recruiting classes stand with six months until the early signing window.

The big picture: The top 10 classes are Ohio State, Clemson, Tennessee, UNC, USC, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Texas and Miami, per 247 Sports.

Five-star recruits: 14 of the 31 five-stars have committed so far. Only two schools have more than one, led by Ohio State (4) and Alabama (2) — whose lack of depth has them currently ranked No. 24. The last time the Crimson Tide finished outside the top five? 2007.

  • Buckeyes dominance: In addition to having the most five-stars (including the No. 1 RB and OG), Ohio State also has the highest ranked four-star, as well as two more five-stars with a 90+% chance of committing.
  • State breakdown: Among the five-star recruits, Florida (6) and Texas (4) are the best represented, followed by four states with three each (California, Georgia, Virginia and Washington).

The backdrop ... "High school juniors who would now be in the thick of recruiting are losing the benefits of in-person recruiting" amid the pandemic, writes the New York Times' Joe Drape.

Go deeper: NFL's top doctor: There won't be "football as usual" in 2020

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