Compiled by staff writer Craig Haubert, ESPN released their updated 2021 football recruiting rankings on Friday, September 11 (subscription required).
Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, who possesses 16 ESPN 300 commits, held steady at No. 1, followed by Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes and Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers to complete the top-three.
Representing a drop of two spots, the Florida Gators, owners of 11 ESPN 300 pledges, slotted in at No. 7.
Both earning grades of 86 from the publication, Miami cornerback Jason Marshall, Jr. and Loganville, Georgia pro-style quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson are Florida’s highest-rated commits.
Safety Corey Collier, Marshall’s teammate at Miami Palmetto, Fort Lauderdale defensive end Tyreak Sapp, and Powder Springs, Georgia outside linebacker Chief Borders are not far behind, all garnering grades of 84.
247Sports also pegs the Gators’ collection of prospects as the seventh-best nationally, one of the rare occasions where the two services’ rankings align.
Occupying the three spots after Florida, Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes, Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels, and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs rounded out ESPN’s top-10.
Showcasing why the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is considered the pinnacle of college football, the league had 11 of the 39 schools included in the network’s rankings, including eight in the top-25.
Other notables from ESPN include Tom Herman’s Texas Longhorns at No. 13, Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 14, Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners at No. 15, Paul Chryst’s Wisconsin Badgers at No. 17, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 20.
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