CBS Sports Top 25 College Football Team Recruiting Rankings

By Staff Report Jan 9, 2012, 11:37pm

Alabama wins national championship and now tops CBS Sports College Football Team Recruiting Rankings powered by Tom Lemming.

The updated CBS Sports Top 25 College Football Team Recruiting Rankings are out, and two teams have enjoyed a significant rise.

Alabama and California are No. 1 and No. 9, respectively, following huge recruiting hauls over the past 10 days.

Shaq Thompson, Grant
Shaq Thompson, Grant
Photo courtesy of U.S. Army
Both the Crimson Tide and Golden Bears received verbal commitments from players making announcements at various All-American games.

Landon Collins, the nation’s No. 12 recruit, chose Alabama over LSU, while Cyrus Jones, a Top 100 athlete, also committed. Additionally, Alabama recently flipped T.J. Yeldon, previously committed to Auburn. He helped boost Alabama over Michigan and Texas.



On Saturday, California received commitments from three Top 100 recruits at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl: Jordan Payton (No. 81), Ellis McCarthy (No. 8) and Shaq Thompson (No. 5).

"They had the biggest jump of all,” said Lemming.

With nearly two dozen Top 100 recruits still uncommitted, final team rankings are hard to predict right now, according to Lemming.

“It could lead to a fascinating Top 10 because there are not many definites,” Lemming said. “It will be a fascinating National Signing Day.”

CBS Sports Top 25 College Football Recruiting Rankings


1. Alabama


Top 100 Recruits
No. 12 Landon Collins, DB
No. 23 Geno Smith, DB
No. 62 Chris Black, DB
No. 88 Cyrus Jones, ATH
No. 83 Dillon Lee, LB

2. Texas


Top 100 Recruits
No. 9 Johnathan Gray, RB
No. 13 Cayleb Jones, WR
No. 39 Connor Brewer, QB
No. 42 Malcom Brown, DT

3. Michigan


Top 100 Recruits
No. 33 Terry Richardson, DB
No. 61 Kyle Kalis, OL
No. 79 Erik Magnuson, OL
No. 94 Mario Ojemudia, DE

4. Florida


Top 100 Recruits
No. 14 D.J. Humphries, OL
No. 20 Matt Jones, RB
No. 34 Kent Taylor, TE
No. 59 Jessamen Dunker, OL
No. 76 Antonio Morrison, LB

5. Ohio State


Top 100 Recruits
No. 3 Noah Spence, DE
No. 46 Tommy Schutt, DL
No. 57 Adolphus Washington, DL
No. 63 Sevon Pittman, DE

6. LSU


Top 100 Recruits
No. 2 Gunner Kiel, QB
No. 54 Vadal Alexander, OL
No. 58 Avery Johnson, WR
No. 93 Trey Granier, LB

7. Miami


Top 100 Recruits
No. 65 Deon Bush, DB
No. 77 Jelani Hamilton, DL

8. Oklahoma


Top 100 Recruits
No. 47 Durron Neal, WR
No. 75 Ty Darlington, OL

9. California


Top 100 Recruits
No. 5 Shaq Thompson, RB, S
No. 8 Ellis McCarthy, DT
No. 69 Freddie Tagaloa, OL
No. 81 Jordan Payton, WR

10. Florida State


Top 100 Recruits
No. 4 Mario Edwards, DE
No. 11 Jameis Winston, AL
No. 29 Dante Fowler, DL
No. 100 Mario Pender, RB

11. Texas A&M


Top 100 Recruits
No. 51 Trey Williams, RB
No. 73 Matt Davis, QB

12. Clemson


Top 100 Recruits
No. 19 Travis Blanks, DB

13. South Carolina


Top 100 Recruits
No. 24 Shaq Roland, CB/WR

14. Virginia Tech

Highest rated recruit: No. 131 Jarontay Jones, DE



15. Notre Dame


Top 100 Recruits
No. 17 Jarron Jones, OT
No. 35 Tee Shepard, CB
No. 74 Deontay Greenberry, WR

16. Auburn


Top 100 Recruits
No. 30 Zeke Pike, QB
No. 66 Jaquay Williams, WR
No. 68 T.J. Davis, DB
No. 89 Ricky Parks, ATH

17. Southern California


Top 100 Recruits
No. 28 Jordan Simmons, OL

18. Georgia


Top 100 Recruits
No. 6 John Theus, OL
No. 26 Keith Marshall, RB
No. 64 Jonathan Taylor, DL 
No. 97 Jordan Jenkins, DL

19. Tennessee


Highest rated recruit: No. 106 Ladarrell McNeil, RB


20. Virginia

Top 100 Recruits
No. 50 Michael Moore, DE
No. 56 Eli Harold, DL

21. Oregon


Top 100 Recruits
No. 48 Byron Marshall, RB
No. 96 Dwayne Stanford, WR

22. Arkansas


Top 100 Recruits
No. 91 Jonathan Williams, RB

23. Vanderbilt


Top 100 Recruits
No. 38 Brian Kimbrow, RB

24. TCU


Top 100 Recruits
No. 85 Tyler Matthews, QB

25. Stanford


Top 100 Recruits
No. 15 Barry Sanders, RB
No. 55 Jordan Watkins, DE