Changing face of college football
results in blue-chip prospects making some surprising choices
[December 04, 2025]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
The changing landscape of college football means the nation’s
premier recruits are no longer signing with the same handful of
programs.
That became particularly apparent this week when the nation’s
top-ranked prospect landed in Vanderbilt of all places.
Vanderbilt parlayed the first 10-win season in school history into a
recruiting coup when Nashville (Tennessee) Christian quarterback
Jared Curtis decided to stay home and sign with the Commodores.
Curtis is the No. 1 overall player in his class according to
composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.
“Being here in Nashville and seeing what Vandy has been doing this
season has been amazing, and over the past few weeks, I felt more
and more that I wanna be a part of that, to be close to home, to
play in front of my family and friends and to be what I love to be,
an underdog,” Curtis said Tuesday in an X post announcing his
decision.
Curtis had been committed to Georgia up until this week. He instead
is taking a chance that he can help Vanderbilt continue to thrive
after star quarterback Diego Pavia’s departure.
“If you’re interested in inheriting success, if you’re interested in
walking into a trophy case that’s already full and a hallway full of
NFL players on the walls, there are other programs where you can do
that,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said Wednesday. “If you can walk
these hallways and see your picture on the wall and if you can look
at an empty case and (see) the trophies that will go in there, if
you want to put your signature on the success, then this is the
perfect place.”
Curtis’ decision wasn’t an aberration. Three of the 247Sports
Composite's top five prospects signed with home-state schools
generally unaccustomed to acquiring five-star recruits.
Houston got the nation’s No. 3 recruit by signing Keisean Henderson
of Legacy the School of Sport Sciences in Spring, Texas. Edge rusher
Zion Elee, rated fifth overall, is going from Baltimore’s St.
Frances Academy to Maryland.
That represents a sea change from just five years ago, when seven of
the 247Sports Composite’s top 10 recruits signed with either Ohio
State or Alabama.
“This is where college football is at now,” said Andrew Ivins, the
director of scouting at 247Sports. “There has been a flattening of
the curve.”
As college programs debate how to construct their rosters in an era
of revenue sharing and determine how much to invest in the transfer
portal, high school recruiting has become a different type of game
in which blue-blood programs don’t have an exclusive hold on the
nation’s top prospects.
“It parallels the NFL,” Ivins said. “Some schools aren’t going to
want to tie up 20% of their budget in a quarterback. They’re going
to want to use it elsewhere. Everyone’s trying to figure out how to
use their money. For programs that haven’t had a ton of success,
it’s easy to rally around a program-changing talent and make that
investment in hopes of breaking through.”
The No. 1 spot in the 247Sports Composite’s team rankings will go to
either Southern California or Oregon, making this the first time
since 2008 that honor has gone to a school from outside the
Southeastern Conference. It could come down to the decision of wide
receiver Chris Henry (No. 10 in the 247Sports Composite), who had
verbally committed to Ohio State but didn’t sign Wednesday and was
still considering both Oregon and USC.
USC and Oregon were followed in order by Notre Dame, Alabama,
Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Miami as of
late Wednesday night.
[to top of second column] |
Houston head coach Willie Fritz yells instructions during the first
half of an NCAA college football game against TCU, Saturday, Nov.
22, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Oregon landed six top-50 recruits in offensive
lineman Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 16), tight end Kendre Harrison (No.
18), wide receiver Jalen Lott (No. 22), edge rusher Anthony Jones
(No. 26), safety Jett Washington (No. 36) and safety Davon Benjamin
(No. 47).
Notre Dame continued its recent pattern of signing
sons of former NFL players by adding wide receivers Kadon Finley and
Devin Fitzgerald, and linebacker Thomas Davis Jr. Fitzgerald is the
son of 11-time Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Finley’s dad is
former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley and Davis’
father is three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis.
Here’s a brief look at each Power Four conference.
SEC
A name worth knowing is defensive lineman Lamar Brown (No. 2 in the
247Sports Composite). He’s committed to LSU but didn’t sign
Wednesday as new Tigers coach Lane Kiffin fills out his staff.
Tennessee landed two of the nation’s top 11 prospects in quarterback
Faizon Brandon (No. 7) and Tristen Keys (No. 11). Texas added
quarterback Dia Bell (No. 9).
Big Ten
Michigan signed two top-10 recruits in edge rusher Carter Meadows
(No. 6) and running back Savion Hiter (No. 8). Henry’s potential
wavering on his Ohio State commitment came after South Florida
announced it was hiring Buckeyes offensive coordinator/wide
receivers coach Brian Hartline as its head coach.
Penn State’s prolonged coaching search after the firing of James
Franklin decimated its class. The Nittany Lions signed just two
players Wednesday.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Consider it one more wrinkle in a bizarre year for this conference.
The two teams facing off Saturday in the ACC championship game —
Duke and Virginia — had the league’s two lowest-rated signing
classes as of Wednesday afternoon.
Miami, Florida State and North Carolina all ranked ahead of Clemson,
which had been the ACC’s heavyweight on the field and on the
recruiting trail for much of the last decade.
Big 12
Texas Tech spent the offseason signing elite transfers that have the
Red Raiders on the verge of a College Football Playoff appearance.
It turns out Texas Tech can sign top recruits as well.
The Red Raiders had the Big 12’s best signing class and added two
top-15 prospects in offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 13) and edge
rusher LaDamion Guyton (No. 15).
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AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker contributed to this report.
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