2024 College Football Freshman Class Rankings

If there’s one commonality among the contenders in the annual College Football Playoff, it’s that recruiting serves as the foundation for a healthy program and long-term success. Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State are recent examples that demonstrate the importance of identifying and developing elite high school talent from within.

But this is not the only way. Now there are other roads that lead to success in the field. Teams are scrambling to use all roster-building avenues to compete in the CFP expansion.

The Transfer Portal has changed how programs create rosters. Some schools, like Colorado, have gone all out to overhaul their rosters with experienced talent through transfers. Others, like Clemson, lean more on traditional prep recruiting while using the portal sparingly.

Today, we rank the top 25 groups of newcomers — recruits and transfers combined — based on who could see the most impactful immediate returns for 2024.

Employed: WR Ryan Wingo, D Colin Simmons

Texas’ No. 5 recruiting class includes dominant freshmen on both sides of the ball. Wingo is receiving coaching reviews similar to Ohio State’s five-star WR Jeremiah Smith. Wingo’s size, speed and natural pass-catching skills are already elite. Simmons may have a tough time getting meaningful reps because of the talent around him, but his speed, bend and strength are drawing comparisons to Anthony Hill Jr. as a pass-rusher. Both are mature and explosive true freshman playmakers.

Transfer: WR Isaiah Bond (Alabama), WR Matthew Golden (Houston), WR Silas Bolden (Oregon State), TE Amari Niblack (Alabama), DL Trey Moore (UTSA), DL Tiaoalii Savea (Arizona), S Andrew Mukuba (Clemson), CB Jay’Vion Cole (San Jose State), DT Bill Norton (Arizona), DL Jermayne Lole (Louisville)

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, a onetime assistant at Alabama, benefited from the coaching change in Tuscaloosa. Texas land receiver Bonds, who led Alabama with 48 catches, and tight end Niblack, who was among the Tide leaders in receptions and touchdowns. Another coup was to bring Golden Anna from Houston, state. The four-star 2022 recruit was an immediate contributor for the Cougars and should replace lost production in both the passing and return games. Bolden is coming off his most productive season at Oregon State with 54 catches in 2023, doubling his output over the first three years. Defensively, the Longhorns stacked the trenches with run-stuffers. After adding Norton and Sevia from Arizona, Loll was a recent flip from Oklahoma. Texas addressed the void at defensive tackle after losing Byron Murphy and Te’Vondre Sweat to the NFL.