Bottom two 2024 recruiting classes in each P5 conference (courtesy 247)
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
National rank: No. 57
ACC rank: No. 13
Headliners: WR
Christian Zachary (
No. 102 WR); TE
John Rogers (
No. 39 TE); CB
Jaylin Lackey (
No. 62 CB)
After signing back-to-back classes that ranked outside the top 60 nationally, coupled with a tough 2023 season, Virginia is off to a slow start to the 2024 cycle.
Tony Elliott and company are tied for an ACC-low with just 12 commits, and they are one of just four teams in the conference without a four-star prospect in their class.
From Ivins: “I think senior evaluations are going to have to be big for
Tony Elliott and his staff, but on paper this class looks a little more promising than the one they signed last cycle. I think
Tyler Simmons was a sneaky good get down in the Sunshine State. Like his upside, he just hasn’t faced top-end competition.”
From Wiltfong: “Virginia has had some good early evaluations, like quarterback
Miles O'Neill, only to see those prospects ultimately head elsewhere. Obviously coming off a tough Year 1 of the
Tony Elliott era, it’s been a little bit of a struggle resonating with some top targets on the trail, but UVA did land nearly half the prospects to date that took an official visit in June and they’re battling Maryland for intriguing passer
Khristian Martin moving forward. Keeping Martin in-state could prove to be key down the road, and that’s another area Elliott and company are hoping to see more success, landing coveted guys from home.”
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
National rank: No. 66
ACC rank: No. 14
Headliners: CB Desman Stephens (No. 102 ATH); WR Josiah Martin (No. 110 WR)
Jeff Hafley’s program has 13 commits for the 2024 cycle, but the Eagles are sitting at the bottom of the ACC recruiting rankings. The class took a major hit in June when four-star wide receiver Keonde Henry decommitted and ultimately flipped to Purdoodoo.
From Ivins: “It’s kind of hard to figure out what the plan is when it comes to assembling the class. They got 13 commits from 10 different states and are likely going to miss on the top five-ranked prospects in-state. The loss of Keonde Henry stings. Eagles had been building a fruitful little pipeline into Texas.”
From Wiltfong: “Historically, the Eagles have been a program outside the top 50 in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings because, geographically, there just aren’t a lot of players in the backyard for BC to recruit. The footprint doesn’t lead to a high ranking. However, under
Jeff Hafley and this regime, we’ve seen a spike on the trail as recruiting is very important to them. And moving forward this cycle, they’re in the thick of it for the No. 1 prospect in the state in offensive tackle
Guerby Lambert, as they battle Notre Dame, Ohio State and Harvard for the West Roxbury (Mass.) Catholic Memorial standout. There has been a lot of buzz around the Irish, but the Eagles have done a good job here and landing Lambert would be as big a win for the program as we’ve seen in recent memory.”
BYU COUGARS
National rank: No. 74
Big 12 rank: No. 11
Headliners: TE Ryner Swanson (No. 23 TE); LB Adney Reid (No. 86 LB)
BYU has landed just eight commitments in the 2024 class, with half of those coming during a five-day stretch in mid-June. Kalani Sitake and company beat out Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M and Utah to land one of the nation’s top tight ends in Swanson, a Laguna Beach (Calif.) product who is coming off a big junior season that saw him catch 83 passes for 952 yards and 12 touchdowns.
From Ivins: “Not an easy place to recruit to in the current landscape. BYU went heavy in
the transfer portal last cycle and I expect them to do the same thing again this winter. I’m a fan of
Ryner Swanson, though. One of the more unique profiles in the tight end class with his skiing, surfing and skateboarding background.”
From Wiltfong: “BYU only hosted a handful of official visitors in June, so it seems the timeline for the prospects they’re targeting will be later in the cycle.”
HOUSTON COUGARS
National rank: No. 83
Big 12 rank: No. 12
Headliners: 4-star SAF
Maurice Williams Jr. (No. 151 overall, No. 16 SAF)
Houston has just seven commits in the 2024 class, which is tied for the fewest of any Power Five team. But one of those was a big one as
Dana Holgorsen and company were able to flip a Top247 safety from LSU in Williams, who had been committed to the Tigers for more than a year.
From Ivins: “Kind of surprising to see where they are in the rankings, especially when you compare them to UCF, who has also made the move into the Big 12. Both located in talent-rich metros. However,
Heath McRee might be a steal. He impressed our guys at the Texas 7-on-7 Championship last month.”
From Wiltfong: “Houston had a big flip of in-state four-star
Maurice Williams Jr. from LSU so we see what they’re capable of as they move to the Big 12. Similar to BYU, the Cougars didn’t host that many summer official visits, electing to bring in top targets in the fall and beyond.”
UCLAbia BRUINS
National rank: No. 60
Big Ten rank: No. 15
Headliners: 4-star CB
Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins (
No. 26 CB); OT
Mark Schroller (
No. 23 OT); RB
Cameron Jones (
No. 47 RB); OT
Marquise Thorpe-Taylor (
No. 42 OT)
UCLAbia’s class is on the small side with just nine commits, but the Bruins have the sixth-highest average rating in the Big Ten. The group is headlined by a four-star defensive back in Dunbar-Hawkins and also includes four offensive line prospects as
Chip Kelly’s program is investing heavily in the trenches.
From Ivins: “I’m actually not too concerned about where the Bruins are right now.
Chip Kelly has always taken a different approach to building his roster and has shown that he can get plenty of difference-makers in the portal.
Derrick McFall would be a nice addition. I had him on my ‘Dream Team’ from the OT7 Championship.”
From Wiltfong: “We typically don’t see UCLAbia take off until late in the cycle, and
the transfer portal is really where this program has aimed to build the roster, fresh off signing
a top-10 transfer portal haul in 2023. I imagine we’ll see the Bruins try and run it back again through the portal following the season.”
NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
National rank: No. 62
Big Ten rank: No. 16
Headliners: CB
Jamir Benjamin (
No. 28 CB); TE
Patrick Schaller (
No. 34 TE)
Northwestern was not exactly off to a roaring start to the 2024 class
before Pat Fitzgerald’s firing, and the coaching change has not helped matters in that regard. Four players have decommitted from the program in the wake of the shocking move, dropping the Wildcats to dead last in the Big Ten class rankings.
From Ivins: “Whoever takes over is going to have their work cut out of them, which is going to be the reality moving forward anytime there’s a coaching change just with how accelerated the recruiting process has become. I would anticipate more defections. Can roster holes be filled with transfers? I’m not sure given admission standards.”
From Wiltfong: “Until Northwestern gets their house in order, it’s hard to imagine any kind of success on the trail moving forward. When all this is finally in the rear view, the Wildcats program will have a fresh coaching staff in place that will be able to sell some things several programs in the same lane can’t sell from an impeccable graduation rate, to top-notch facilities, to a track record of being competitive in the Big Ten with players hearing their name called early in the NFL Draft.”
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
National rank: No. 69
Pac-12 rank: No. 10
Headliners: 4-star ATH
Rahshawn Clark (
No. 27 ATH); QB
EJ Caminong (
No. 26 QB)
Justin Wilcox and his staff have picked up eight commitments since the start of June, giving them 10 total commits for the 2024 cycle. The two most recent additions are also the highest-rated players in the class and a pair of Seattle Garfield teammates in Clark and Caminong, the latter of whom joined Cal’s class just two weeks after decommitting from Washington.
From Ivins: “This class would be in much worse shape if it weren't for quarterback commit
EJ Caminong. He’s got some tools and was a nice win for the Bears. I’m interested to see what they do on the offensive line after adding just one high schooler last cycle. They need corner protectors and veterans aren’t easy to court.”
UTAH UTES
National rank: No. 65
Pac-12 rank: No. 8
Headliners: 4-star QB
Isaac Wilson (
No. 20 QB); 4-star WR
David Washington (
No. 46 WR)
Utah has the fewest commits of any Pac-12 team with just eight, but the Utes’ class is headlined by a pair of four-star prospects. That includes one of the top-rated quarterback commits in the conference in Wilson, the younger brother of New York Jets quarterback and former BYU star
Zach Wilson.
From Ivins: “A bit surprising to be ranked behind some Group of Five programs after inking the program’s best class ever last year, but only a handful of guys actually committed. Top247 tackle
Isaiah Garcia kind of the prospect I have circled for them. Given the recent on-field success, the Utes need to keep him home.”
KENTUCKY WILDCATS
National rank: No. 44
SEC rank: No. 15
Headliners: 4-star LB
Elijah Groves (
No. 144 overall,
No. 14 LB); 4-star QB
Cutter Boley (
No. 21 QB); 4-star CB
Terhyon Nichols (
No. 27 CB)
Kentucky’s 14-player class is headlined by a trio of four-star prospects, two of whom committed on back-to-back days to kick off this month in Groves and Nichols.
Mark Stoops and company also beat out Florida State, Michigan, Gaetz State and Tennessee to land the top-ranked prospect in their home state in Boley, a former 2025 prospect who reclassified to 2024.
From Ivins: “Coming out of May, I was a bit worried about the Wildcats, but they quickly answered. Love the two linebackers —
Elijah Groves and
Antwan Smith. Both can run.
Jiquavious Marshall and
Quaysheed Scott, on the other hand, are two defensive backs with traits.
Mark Stoops wants to develop guys.”
From Wiltfong: “This Kentucky class is full of future difference-makers particularly at linebacker in
Elijah Groves and
Antwan Smith who is one of the fastest second-level defenders. Those two and four-star cornerback
Terhyon Nichols are high upside prospects that we’ve seen develop under
Mark Stoops and company and help them win a lot of games. They beat out big-time programs to keep four-star quarterback
Cutter Boley local and college coaches are raving about high tend
Willie Rodriguez behind the scenes. He is specimen that can impact as playmaking pass catcher and as a blocker attached to the line of scrimmage. Past history tells us the Wildcats will have a couple big recruiting wins at the end of the cycle as well.”
MISSOURI TIGERS
National rank: No. 59
SEC rank: No. 16
Headliners: 4-star CB
Cameron Keys (
No. 226 overall,
No. 18 CB); WR
James Madison II (
No. 49 WR)
Eli Drinkwitz and company have been picking up steam on the recruiting trail of late with nine commitments since June 30, bringing the class total to 11. Keys, who committed to the Tigers on the Fourth of July, is the lone four-star prospect in Missouri’s class.
From Ivins: “This might come as a surprise, but I think this class has a little more juice than the one the Tigers assembled last cycle.
Cameron Keys is a potential CB1 while
Cam Dooley and
Jackson Hancock were two more nice defensive evaluations by the folks in Columbia.”
From Wiltfong: “Missouri has had some really nice recruiting wins on the trail this cycle including Top247 cornerback
Cameron Keys and coveted linebacker
Brian Huff among others, and there are two potential five-stars out there the Tigers are in the top two for right now in in-state products in defensive end
Williams Nwaneri and receiver
Ryan Wingo who they could ultimately add down the road.”