These days, it’s more of a surprise to see an elite football recruit not committed to an SEC program than it is to see one pledged to any of the league’s 16 schools.
In this cycle alone, five of the top 10 teams in the current Rivals Industry Team Rankings hail from the conference. And if you expand to the top 25, that number grows to 11 — or nearly half. Because of that, when you look up and down the list of committed prospects at any position, you’re likely to see more SEC logos than just about any other.
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As those recruits begin their senior seasons, Rivals looks at which SEC schools hold the highest-rated commitments by position group:
School: American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 4
The Skinny: The nation’s No. 1 quarterback recruit, Bell committed to the Longhorns more than a year ago and has remained locked in ever since. A few other programs have remained in contact with him, but the son of former NBA guard Raja Bell hasn’t visited any other programs since his pledge back in June 2024.
School: Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 37
The Skinny: Texas has gone after the state of Florida hard, not only in this cycle but the last few. That’s especially apparent at running back with CJ Baxter already on the roster and Cooper expected to be next in the pipeline. After committing to the Longhorns in July over Miami, Ohio State, Georgia and dozens of others, Cooper hasn’t totally shut down his recruitment. He is expected to be at the Hurricanes’ season-opener this weekend vs. Notre Dame and plans to see games at Texas, Georgia and potentially Ohio State.
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School: Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, MS)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 7
The Skinny: For the second straight year, a five-star receiver from the state of Mississippi committed to an out-of-state school. Will he sign there, though? That’s the big question around Keys, who gave somewhat of a surprise commitment to LSU back in March. Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami and plenty of others would like to change his mind, but for now he remains solid with the Bayou Bengals.
School: Bowdon (Bowdon, GA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 26
The Skinny: Considered a longtime lean to the Bulldogs, Prothro eventually made the call last month and committed to UGA. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder is one of the nation’s most dynamic pass-catchers, burst onto the football scene last fall with 1,203 yards and 21 touchdowns on 56 receptions for Bowdon.
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School: South Garner (Garner, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 54
The Skinny: Ogboko was one of more than a dozen commitments in June for the Bulldogs, who skyrocketed up to No. 2 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings. The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder has seen a similar meteoric rise up the player rankings, checking in as the nation’s No. 8 offensive tackle prospect. “He’s really filled out his frame impressively over the course of the last 18 months. He carries his weight well and has impressive junior film,” said Charles Power, Rivals’ Director of Scouting and Rankings. “The power and run-blocking ability, alongside the athleticism and upside as a pass-protector stands out to us.”
IOL – Darius Gray (South Carolina)
School: St. Christopher’s School (Richmond, VA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 31
The Skinny: The Gamecocks landed their third five-star commitment is as many classes by beating out LSU, Tennessee, Ohio State and a long list of other offers for Gray. He was a Navy All-American as a junior in 2025. And he starred on both sides of the ball for St. Christopher’s, helping leading them to the state Division I playoffs. He played primarily left tackle on offense and was credited with 50 tackles (17.5 TFLs), eight sacks, and two forced fumbles on defense.
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School: Sierra Canyon (Los Angeles, CA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 19
The Skinny: In terms of eventful recruitments this cycle, Wesley might ultimately take the cake. He reclassified up from the Class of 2027 to graduate this year. Then, he made an early commitment to Oregon where he announced by cannon-balling into a pool with Ducks head coach Dan Lanning. A few weeks later, he removed himself from UO’s commit list, but said they were still his top school. And to top it all off, he committed to Texas over the Ducks on June 22.
School: Northwestern (Miami, FL)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 42
The Skinny: Similar to Wesley, Johnson has had a winding recruitment with plenty of twists and turns — and he might not be done just yet. The massive interior defensive lineman committed to Georgia on June 28 in a huge win for Kirby Smart and Co. Two weeks later, reportedly driven by an increased NIL package from the Longhorns, he flipped his commitment to Texas. His recruitment is over, though. Miami continues to push for another flip, and he will also be back in Miami Gardens for their season opener this weekend.
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School: Grayson (Lawrenceville, GA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 9
The Skinny: Despite a more than three-year relationship with Georgia’s coaching staff, Atkinson instead committed to the Longhorns last month. And he reportedly did so with UGA offering less than half of the NIL money that Texas brought to the table. Kirby Smart and Co. will no doubt pursue this one until the end, but Atkinson sees a bright future for himself on the Forty Acres.
School: Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, CA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 10
The Skinny: California hasn’t been known as fertile recruiting ground for the Aggies historically, but Mike Elko and his staff have changed that the past few years. They signed three of the state’s top 11 recruits in 2025 and then snagged Arrington — the No. 1 player — this cycle. A standout on the track as well, he was the Gatorade California Boys Track & Field POY as a sophomore after capturing CIF titles in both the 100-meter (10.33) and 200-meter (20.55) dashes.
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School: St. Frances Academy (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 16
The Skinny: Alabama has made winning in its own state a priority this cycle, but the Tide have scoured the country for talent as well. Edwards is a prime example of that, bringing Alabama their first commit from Maryland since Monkell Goodwine in 2021. He is one of the headliners of a group that includes three other five-stars and five top-50 prospects in total.
