<
        >
          EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
          Get ESPN+

          Ranking the No. 1 college football recruiting classes in the ESPN era

          Tua Tagovailoa was the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback prospect in the Class of 2017. He has since gone on to star at Alabama and with the Miami Dolphins. Darryl Oumi/Getty Images
          • Craig Haubert, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2020, 03:00 PM
            Close
            • National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU
            • More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
            • Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha
            Follow on X

          With college football's national signing day next week, Alabama and Ohio State own the top two recruiting classes in the 2021 cycle.

          Alabama has brought in the top-ranked recruiting class six times since 2006, the first year in which ESPN has ranked college football recruiting classes and prospects.

          Owning the top class brings great expectations, and as has been the case over the past 15 years, some of these highly touted classes have delivered, while others fell short.

          We take a look back at our past top-rated classes and measure how they stacked up.