Read more on signings
* Irish's Kareem Orr to play for Arizona State Sun Devils* Area coaches, players like early signing proposal* Auburn-Florida battles could highlight signing day* List of 2015 SEC football commitments * McKenzie eager to continue family heroics with Vols* UTC 'fighting battles' for 'difference-makers'* Tennessee Vols avoiding recruiting fallout from Bajakian's departure* Brady's recruiting path is different* Toser, Brewer finding scholarships scarce for kickers
Top 5 recruiting classes
RIVALS.COM 1. Alabama 2. Southern Cal 3. Clemson 4. Florida State 5. Tennessee 247SPORTS.COM 1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Southern Cal 4. Tennessee 5. Clemson SCOUT.COM 1. Alabama 2. Tennessee 3. Georgia 4. Florida State 5. Southern Cal ESPN 1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Clemson 4. Georgia 5. Tennessee
This might seem a bit familiar, but Alabama is closing in on college football's top recruiting class.
On the eve of national signing day, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has another assemblage of elite commitments highlighted by nine of the top 53 prospects nationally according to Rivals.com and six of the top 31 according to 247Sports.com. Alabama is expected to wind up No. 1 in the Rivals, Scout.com, 247Sports and ESPN team rankings, which would be its seventh top Rivals finish in the last eight years.
"Alabama's class from top to bottom is once again the most solid," said JC Shurburtt, the national recruiting director for 247Sports. "I think it's a lot like last year's class in that it may not have the elite star power as a couple of other classes, but the guy who's 26th in that class is better than most every team's 15th-best guy."
The Crimson Tide are in the process of landing five-star prospects at quarterback (Blake Barnett), tailback (Damien Harris), receiver (Calvin Ridley), defensive tackle (Daron Payne) and cornerback (Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kendall Sheffield).
Other schools appearing in the top five of the various rankings Monday were Southern Cal, Florida State, Clemson, Georgia and Tennessee. Scout.com has the Volunteers and Bulldogs directly behind Alabama.
"What I like the most about Tennessee's class is that you've got a lot of talented defensive linemen coming in," Shurburtt said. "That's the difference-making area in the SEC. You look at the season Derek Barnett had as a true freshman and realize there weren't many players who came in and did that across the country at his position, so he's a great building block to add a Kahlil McKenzie and a Shy Tuttle.
"Both Kahlil and Shy come from great bloodlines, and those type of guys usually don't bust. I think Tennessee is setting up that defense to be one of the best units in the league, and they already have an offense that is capable of putting up some points."
The biggest potential signing-day jump among SEC schools according to Shurburtt is Auburn, which was ranked 11th as of Monday by Scout and 12th by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN.
"It's because they hired Will Muschamp and Travaris Robinson and have been going to get the guys that Florida would have gotten," Shurburtt said. "That's big, because you're talking about getting the top guys who were going to Florida as well as some top guys who were going to Auburn. That makes for a special class, and I think you will wind up seeing more stars and great players at USC and Auburn compared to Alabama, which is why I might take one of those classes at the end of the day."
Florida, which often had the SEC's highest-rated recruiting classes until Saban came to Tuscaloosa, has been the biggest disappointment this winter due to the transition from Muschamp to Jim McElwain. The Gators entered this week with the league's lowest-rated class but moved past Kentucky and Vanderbilt in the 247Sports rankings Monday night by landing their first four-star commitment, running back Jordan Scarlett of Fort Lauderdale.
All four recruiting services have at least 10 SEC teams among their top 25, with ESPN pegging Missouri as an 11th league member.
"Missouri is just outside the top 25," Shurburtt said, "but if they get Terry Beckner, the five-star defensive lineman from East St. Louis, then they could finish in the top 25. They've shown they don't need top-25 classes to win division championships, but if you have a higher-ranked class, that's obviously more raw talent you have to work with.
"I think Mississippi State also could be considered somewhat of a surprise, because their class started before they had their big season and their No. 1 ranking. It was back last spring when they got off to such a good start."
Mississippi State's class will include a pair of Chattanooga-area players, Signal Mountain tackle prospect Harrison Moon and Baylor quarterback Nick Tiano.
Liner leaving Tide
Rising junior defensive lineman Dee Liner announced Monday via Twitter that he was leaving Alabama. The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder from Muscle Shoals played in just three games this past season, recording his lone tackle against Western Carolina.
Rated the No. 4 defensive tackle by 247Sports and the No. 7 defensive end by Rivals in the 2013 signing class, Liner originally committed to Auburn before switching to the Crimson Tide.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.