Signing Day's race for No. 1: Georgia battling to finish on top in 2025's ranking of best recruiting classes

The Bulldogs are battling new SEC rival as well as a few familiar foes to finish No. 1 in the 2025 recruiting rankings

By Anna Adams

Dec 3, 2024 at 10:15 am ET • 3 min read

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As Tuesday gets underway, Georgia is atop the national recruiting rankings for the 2025 class ahead of Wednesday's Signing Day. Georgia leads Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, and Auburn, respectively, in total team points.

Here's a closer look at how the race to finish No. 1 might shake out.

Current 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings:

1. Georgia (305.14 points)

2. Alabama (302.50)

3. Ohio State (302.10)

4. Texas (297.77)

5. Auburn (294.60)

There are just 10 team points separating No. 1 and No. 5. For comparison, there are 20 points between the No. 6 team (LSU) and No. 10 (Tennessee). So the race at the very top is tight.

The biggest question to ask heading into the final stretch: Can anyone catch Georgia?

The key names to piecing together the puzzle are unsurprisingly all five-stars: uncommitted defensive lineman Justus Terry of Manchester (Ga.); Tennessee offensive tackle commitment David Sanders of Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day; and Ohio State cornerback commitment Na'eem Offord of Birmingham (Ala.) Parker.

Terry will announce his decision on Friday, Dec. 6, and Georgia is the unanimous 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite despite late pushes from Auburn and Texas. The addition of Terry would give Georgia 310.96 points if all else stays the same.

MORE: VIP intel on Sanders, Terry, Offord and 50 more prospects ahead of Signing Day

Sanders will sign on Wednesday, and if Ohio State flips him from the Vols, the Buckeyes would have 308.81 points if all else stays the same, which is almost two points shy of the Dawgs in this scenario. This also includes the Buckeyes hanging onto Offord, whom 247Sports National Analyst Tom Loy has forecasted to flip to Auburn on the 247Sports Crystal Ball.

So where's the hope for Ohio State?

This brings us to the next duo of names: four-star running backs Ousmane Kromah, a Georgia commitment, and Anthony Rogers, who is uncommitted. Auburn has been a threat to Georgia for Kromah down the stretch, while Rogers is a heavy lean to the Buckeyes. If Georgia loses Kromah -- but still accounting for gaining Terry -- and Ohio State gains Rogers and Sanders and keeps Offord, the Buckeyes would have 310.56 points and the Dawgs 308.43.

What would make it even more interesting is if the above scenario comes true, plus Georgia flips four-star Florida State defensive line commitment Kevin Wynn, then the Dawgs would have 310.49 points. We're talking about tenths of a point determining No. 1 in this case.

AUBURN AND TEXAS'S DARKHORSE CHANCES

You'll note that Auburn was linked to multiple aforementioned prospects. Can the Tigers, now No. 5, jump to No. 1?

If Auburn lands Terry, Kromah, and Offord, it would have 309.73 points if all else stays the same for Auburn's class, and that would likely give Auburn the No. 1 class regardless of what else Georgia and Ohio State or others do.

If Texas, now No. 4, lands Terry, plus uncommitted five-star athlete Michael Terry III, a Texas lean, then the Lornhorns would wind up with north of 310 points if all else stays the same. That'd give the Longhorns ammunition to finish No. 1.

HISTORY

In the 13 cycles of 247Sports history, Georgia has finished No. 1 three times, including 2024.

Alabama has finished No. 1 nine times, including six consecutive times from 2012-2017.

Texas A&M (2022) is the only other program to nab a No. 1 finish.

AVERAGE RATING PER COMMITMENT AND FIVE-STARS

Another reliable metric for assessing top programs is average rating per commitment, which negates volume of a class and focuses on the individual talent.

Oregon (93.63 rating per commitment) leads all schools, followed by Alabama (93.20), Texas (93.07), Georgia (92.88), Ohio State (92.79), and Michigan (92.225), respectively.

Oregon has the least amount of commitments (17), while Georgia (28) has the most. Of course, maintaining a high average with a higher volume of commitments is even more impressive, so hats off to the Dawgs.

Still another way to measure cream-of-the-crop recruiting classes is the number of five-stars. Once again, Kirby Smart's program presently leads the way.