USC inks No. 1 recruiting class in 2026, a first for non-SEC school in modern era: Here are top 5 classes
Lincoln Riley's 35-man recruiting class is one of the biggest in the country and made history.
Absent much drama, Wednesday's National Signing Day was a celebration of the work programs have done to assemble top-ranked classes.
The Early Signing Period's Wednesday start (Dec. 3-5) formally began the closing stretch of the 2026 recruiting cycle for most prospects headed to power-conference schools. For some programs, it marked an important turning point with an eye toward next season. Conference championship games, bowls and the College Football Playoff still await, but Wednesday allowed for a pause and celebration for teams that feel better positioned for the future based on this cycle's recruiting haul.
One of those teams is USC, which entered Wednesday ranked No. 1 nationally and indeed had enough happen elsewhere to confirm it would finish with the No. 1 class in the country. The Trojans snap the SEC's 17-year streak of inking No. 1 classes and are the first non-SEC program since Miami in 2008 to finish on top. We have begun to consider the modern recruiting era as beginning after 2010.
The recruiting wins of this cycle reflect the work Riley and his staff have done to modernize that department. Passing the baton to Grant Hughes, here's what you need to know about each of the top five classes as of lunchtime Wednesday (USC will keep its No. 1 spot, but there may be scant changes yet in the rest of the top five).
1. USC Trojans
Total commits, average 247Sports Composite rating: 35, 91.80
Top commit: Keenyi Pepe (No. 5 overall, No. 1 offensive tackle)
Lincoln Riley's fifth recruiting class at USC is nothing short of historic. The Trojans clinched the top-ranked recruiting class for the first time since 2006, marking the first non-SEC school to claim No. 1 since Miami in 2008. It's also USC's first top-five finish since 2018.
The surge coincides with a clear shift towards in-state recruiting. Only seven of USC's 28 commits (25%) in its 2025 class were from California, the lowest of the 247Sports era (since 2010). That number has skyrocketed to 20 of 35 commitments (57.1%) in 2026, the highest marks of Riley's tenure.
2. Oregon Ducks
Total commits, average 247Sports Composite rating: 21, 93.29
Top commit: Anthony Jones (No. 19 overall, No. 5 edge rusher)
Oregon has the smallest class among the top-10 teams with just 21 commitments, yet it boasts the nation's second-highest average commit rating at 93.29.
The Ducks are on pace for a third consecutive top-five finish under Dan Lanning and are poised for their highest ranking of the 247Sports era at No. 2. Oregon also landed three 247Sports five-stars — its most ever in a single cycle.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
Total commits, average 247Sports Composite rating: 23, 92.98
Top commit: Xavier Griffin (No. 13 overall, No. 1 linebacker)
Alabama has finished with the No. 1 overall class 10 of the last 15 cycles entering 2026 and narrowly missed another top-ranked haul this time around.
The Crimson Tide secured commitments from three five-star recruits in 2026, including Jackson (Ala.) running back Ezavier Crowell, the fourth-highest-ranked running back to commit to the school in the modern recruiting era (since 2000).
Alabama also dominated the state of Georgia, landing seven players from the Peach State -- its most since 2012 -- including three of the state's top-10 recruits, more than any other program.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Total commits, average 247Sports Composite rating: 27, 92.67
Top commit: Rodney Dunham (No. 8 overall, No. 2 edge rusher)
Notre Dame has secured two top 10 recruiting classes since Marcus Freeman became head coach at the end of the 2021 season, but the 2026 recruiting cycle is setting new benchmarks in South Bend. The Fighting Irish are positioned for its first top-five class since 2013 and lone top-five class of the 247Sports era.
Dunham of Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park headlines a trio of five-star commits for the Irish. The program only landed one 247Sports five-star from 2020-25.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
Total commits, average 247Sports Composite rating: 30, 91.76
Top commit: Valdin Sone (No. 28 overall, No. 3 defensive lineman)
Georgia is positioned for its lowest-ranked recruiting class since Kirby Smart's first signing group in 2016 after five-star quarterback Jared Curtis flipped to Vanderbilt on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs now have just one five-star pledge in their 2026 class: Dyke (Va.) Blue Ridge School defensive lineman Valdin Sone. Georgia hasn't signed fewer than three five-stars in a single cycle since 2017.
Check out the top 10 classes below, and be sure to stay with us throughout the rest of the early National Signing Day as these rankings will likely change. Click the link at the end of the table to see where your team ranks if it is not inside the top 10.
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