Another national signing day has come to a close. While the hats and fax machines have long been put away. One thing remains certain. When it comes to high school recruiting, it just means more in the SEC. Here are your SEC NSD 2025 recap and grades.
It Just Means More SEC Teams
The 2024 season may not have been the SEC’s strongest on the field, but it certainly didn’t impact the conference’s dominance in recruiting. When it comes to the top recruiting classes, the SEC remains firmly ahead of the competition. Like in the regular season, Texas and Georgia locked out the top two spots. While other conferences (meaning the Big Ten) made strides, the SEC’s depth and talent pipeline continue to set the standard in college football. Don’t just take my word for it; here are the SEC NSD 2025 numbers to back it up.
A staggering 11 of the SEC’s 16 teams finished in the Top 25, with seven securing spots in the Top 10. In comparison, the Big Ten placed three teams in the Top 10 and had seven ranked in the Top 25 overall. The ACC followed at a distant third with three teams, none inside the Top 10, while Notre Dame and the Big 12 each had just one representative. Here’s a breakdown of the Top 25 by conference.
- SEC: (1) Texas, (2) Georgia, (3) Alabama, (7) Auburn, (8) Florida, (9) Texas A&M, (10) LSU, (11) Tennesee, (16) Ole Miss, (17) Oklahoma, (18) South Carolina, (20) Missouri
- B1G: (4) Ohio State, (5) Oregon, (6) Michigan, (14) USC, (15) Penn State, (22) Nebraska, (23) Washington, (25) Maryland
- Independent: (12) Notre Dame
- ACC: (13) Miami, (19) Flordia State, (21) Georgia Tech
- Big 12: (24) TCU
SEC Tailgate Talk: SEC NSD Grades
The Winners
A school can’t win by the Transfer Portal alone. Sure, Indiana and Colorado were nice stories. But if you want to win a championship, the Transfer Portal is a supplement, not your lifeline. These seven teams have set them up to reinforce their roster with young talent that will be able to contribute on day one and blunt some of the sting for those who decided to take their talents elsewhere via the Transfer Portal.
Texas and Georgia continue to show that they are the new class of the SEC NSD and high school recruiting. Georgia has done that since Kirby Smart came in 2017. Smart consistently has the Bulldogs in the conversation and in the Top 3. That is why he has won two national championships and played for a third. Steve Sarkisian has taken a blueprint similar to his to Austin. Texas has played in back-to-back semifinals and will look to Arch Manning in the fall to carry them to their first national championship since 2005.
The two biggest names on this list to encourage fans: are Auburn and Flordia. Both have had multiple subpar seasons despite dreams of something bigger. Hugh Freeze and Billy Napier need to show more next year, as in signature wins and/or double-digit wins, to earn the right to coach their teams again in 2026.
Still In the Hunt
- (11) Tennesee, (16) Ole Miss, (17) Oklahoma, (18) South Carolina, (20) Missouri
Five teams finished in the second half of the Top 25 ranking. It’s no wonder four of the five were in contention for an at-large bid in the College Football Playoff this season. The floor of the middle of the pack in the SEC is growing. Teams in most conferences would be excited over having a Top 20 class. In the SEC, it just means more.
Lane Kiffin may realize there is more to roster building than just using the Transfer Portal. As Last Word pointed out last week, this year’s portal class was week. We may not see as many big names enter as we did during its first three years. If Kiffin continues to work the high school recruiting game, he may still be able to use the portal to find the golden ticket to the playoff.
More woes for Norman. Oklahoma had the #17 class, which would be good enough for the top spot in the Big 12. But in for the SEC NSD, it’s only good enough for 10th best in the league. Joe Castiglione has to be groaning and maybe even regretting his decision to leave.
Gone Fishing
- (28) Mississippi State, (29) Kentucky, (32) Arkansas, (75) Vanderbilt
The SEC is tough. Not having a strong high school recruiting class and getting fleeced in the Transfer Portal is a surefire way to not being competitive in the SEC. Sam Pittman and Arkansas continue to defy the odds and do it his way. The road is steep, but he seems ready for the job.
Clark Lea caught the lighting in a bottle in 2024 using the Transfer Portal. Vandy was exciting and not just a doormat or laughing stock. Lea hired Barton Simmons when he was hired to rethink high school recruiting and finding success in Nashville. A 75 ranking and being last in the SEC NSD rankings show that they may still be searching for a solution.
Main Photo: Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
