Which teams were the big winners on Signing Day?
College football’s 2016 National Signing Day ended with a familiar face at the top of the team recruiting rankings: Alabama. The Crimson Tide claimed the recruiting national championship for the sixth consecutive season, slightly edging Florida State for the No. 1 spot in the consensus average from the four major services – 247Sports, Rivals, Scout and ESPN. The Seminoles earned the top spot in ESPN’s ranks, but Rivals, Scout and 247Sports gave Alabama the nod at No. 1.
The SEC was one of the big winners of Signing Day, as five teams claimed spots in the top 10. The conference was close to having a couple of other programs in the top 10, with Florida (No. 13) and Tennessee (No. 15) just missing the mark. Michigan and Ohio State carried the banner for the Big Ten with both programs inking top-five classes. Texas at No. 11 was the top Big 12 team in the rankings, while USC at No. 9 earned the best class in the Pac-12.
Evaluating recruiting classes is no easy task, which is why Athlon Sports has looked to the major scouting services to get their take on the best signing hauls of 2016. Every class was listed in a spreadsheet, added to get a point total and averaged by four to create the consensus team rankings for 2016.
Here’s a look at how the four major scouting services rank the college football signing classes for 2016:
College Football's 2016 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings
Rank | Team | 247 | Scout | Rivals | ESPN | |
1 | Alabama | ![]() |
1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2 | Florida State | ![]() |
2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
3 | Ohio State | ![]() |
3 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
4 | LSU | ![]() |
4 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
5 | Michigan | ![]() |
5 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
6 | Ole Miss | ![]() |
7 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
7t | Georgia | ![]() |
9 | 9 | 10 | 7 |
7t | Clemson | ![]() |
8 | 14 | 5 | 8 |
9 | USC | ![]() |
6 | 11 | 8 | 11 |
10 | Auburn | ![]() |
10 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
11 | Texas | ![]() |
13 | 8 | 13 | 10 |
12 | UCLA | ![]() |
11 | 7 | 14 | 15 |
13 | Florida | ![]() |
14 | 10 | 14 | 12 |
14 | Notre Dame | ![]() |
12 | 13 | 12 | 16 |
15 | Tennessee | ![]() |
15 | 17 | 15 | 14 |
16 | Stanford | ![]() |
17 | 15 | 18 | 13 |
17 | Baylor | ![]() |
19 | 19 | 17 | 17 |
18 | Texas A&M | ![]() |
16 | 21 | 16 | 20 |
19 | TCU | ![]() |
18 | 16 | 21 | 22 |
20 | Michigan State | ![]() |
21 | 18 | 20 | 21 |
21 | Penn State | ![]() |
20 | 22 | 23 | 18 |
22 | Oklahoma | ![]() |
23 | 20 | 19 | 23 |
23 | Miami | ![]() |
22 | 37 | 22 | 19 |
24 | Nebraska | ![]() |
24 | 28 | 25 | 26 |
25 | South Carolina | ![]() |
28 | 26 | 26 | 27 |
26 | Arkansas | ![]() |
25 | 32 | 32 | 24 |
27t | Pittsburgh | ![]() |
26 | 27 | 30 | 31 |
27t | North Carolina | ![]() |
33 | 23 | 24 | 34 |
29 | Oregon | ![]() |
35 | 24 | 28 | 32 |
30t | Wisconsin | ![]() |
27 | 25 | 33 | 41 |
30t | Duke | ![]() |
34 | 33 | 31 | 28 |
32 | Arizona State | ![]() |
32 | 36 | 34 | 25 |
33t | Washington | ![]() |
36 | 29 | 38 | 29 |
33t | Kentucky | ![]() |
29 | 39 | 29 | 35 |
35 | Mississippi State | ![]() |
31 | 35 | 36 | 33 |
36 | California | ![]() |
37 | 38 | 27 | 40 |
37 | Utah | ![]() |
30 | 40 | 35 | 38 |
38 | West Virginia | ![]() |
41 | 34 | 39 | 37 |
39 | Louisville | ![]() |
39 | 41 | 37 | 36 |
40 | Iowa | ![]() |
38 | 31 | 42 | 49 |
41 | Texas Tech | ![]() |
46 | 30 | 45 | 42 |
42 | Houston | ![]() |
44 | 51 | 44 | 30 |
43 | Oklahoma State | ![]() |
42 | 43 | 46 | 46 |
44 | Maryland | ![]() |
43 | 55 | 40 | 43 |
45 | Virginia Tech | ![]() |
40 | 56 | 49 | 39 |
46 | Oregon State | ![]() |
52 | 52 | 41 | 45 |
47t | Northwestern | ![]() |
47 | 45 | 47 | 52 |
47t | NC State | ![]() |
57 | 47 | 43 | 44 |
49 | Minnesota | ![]() |
45 | 42 | 50 | 55 |
50 | Arizona | ![]() |
51 | 44 | 51 | 47 |
51 | Iowa State | ![]() |
50 | 46 | 53 | 54 |
52 | BYU | ![]() |
49 | 54 | 48 | 57 |
53 | Missouri | ![]() |
56 | 57 | 52 | 51 |
54 | Washington State | ![]() |
58 | 50 | 54 | 56 |
55 | Indiana | ![]() |
54 | 53 | 55 | 58 |
56 | Vanderbilt | ![]() |
48 | 68 | 59 | 48 |
57 | Wake Forest | ![]() |
53 | 63 | 61 | 50 |
58 | Boise State | ![]() |
62 | 48 | 58 | 68 |
59 | Georgia Tech | ![]() |
55 | 65 | 65 | 53 |
60 | Syracuse | ![]() |
65 | 59 | 56 | 62 |