Arguably the most hectic stretch on the college football recruiting calendar is at an end as the sport enters a dead period following a near month-long sprint of camps and visits in June.
Hundreds of players have committed to schools during that period, which shook up the top of the 2025 247Sports Football Team Rankings. A lot of the teams you’d expect are at the very top, including Ohio State, which maintains a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot. But there are some surprises creeping up the rankings, too.
These are a few teams off to scorching or historic recruiting starts as the 2025 cycle begins its final approach toward the December Early Signing Period.
Yes, you read that correctly: Rutgers currently ranks just outside the top 10 of the 247Sports Team Rankings for the 2025 cycle. In fact, Rutgers held the No. 9 class exiting the weekend before moves elsewhere bumped them to No. 11. The Scarlet Knights finished the open period with a bang over the weekend, flipping four-star linebacker DJ McClary from Penn State. McClary, a New Jersey native, is the fifth four-star recruit in Rutgers’ class so far. The Scarlet Knights haven’t signed five or more four-star recruits in a single class since 2012, the program’s final year in the Big East.
In-state recruiting has paced Rutgers’ 2025 efforts. The Scarlet Knights currently have commitments from three of the top eight and six of the top 20 players in the state.
247Sports was founded in 2010. The Scarlet Knights have signed just one (2012) Top 25 class during that entire 15-year run. They’re on pace to hit that mark in 2025 if they can just hold on down the stretch.
“Rutgers identified guys early and had many of their commits on campus well before their official visits, and it does a fantastic job when the kids get on campus,” 247Sports National Analyst Brian Dohn said. ” Coach Greg Schiano is a great recruiter who showed he could evaluate talent during his first tenure, and he has an ability to close because parents trust him. Add in Rutgers can now boast a bowl game win over Miami and the coaching staff leaned heavily to incorporate all those factors to build a deep, big class.”
