Playoff participants also contend for recruiting title
Study says white men dominate leadership positions in FBS
Teams competing for the national championship this season got good news well before the College Football Playoff — even if they didn’t have much time to celebrate.
The early signing period opened Wednesday with three playoff teams — Clemson, LSU and Ohio State — landing eight of the nation’s top 16 prospects according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.
They worked to sign those recruits while preparing for playoff matchups, one consequence of the early signing period that arrived two years ago. Ohio State faces Clemson and LSU meets Oklahoma in the CFP semifinals on Dec. 28.
“You have 14 guys coming in mid-year, you have award shows to go to and, by the way, once you get off the road you have two weeks to prepare to play Clemson,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.
Those busy schedules haven’t stopped the usual suspects from reaching the playoffs and topping the recruiting rankings each year.
Many of the elite recruits that didn’t choose LSU, Clemson or Ohio State are instead heading to Alabama and Georgia, two other recent playoff participants. Those five programs have commitments from about half the top 50 prospects.
Clemson tops the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings and was followed in order by Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and LSU as of early Wednesday evening. Oklahoma’s class was ranked 11th.
“More teams are recruiting at an elite level,” said Barton Simmons, the director of scouting for 247Sports. “Usually, it’s one, two or three (teams) tops. This cycle there’s legitimately four or five teams recruiting at a national championship level.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he needed a big recruiting haul to replace a senior class that is trying to help the Tigers win their third national title in four years. They signed seven of the nation’s top 29 prospects per the 247Sports Composite.
Ohio State’s class features wide receiver Julian Fleming (No. 2) and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (No. 7). The Buckeyes landed the top uncommitted quarterback Wednesday, C.J. Stroud (No. 87).
LSU signed two of the nation’s top 12 recruits in tight end Arik Gilbert (No. 9) and cornerback Elias Ricks (No. 12).
The top two uncommitted prospects to sign Wednesday were Upland (California) linebacker Justin Flowe and Columbia (South Carolina) defensive end Jordan Burch. Flowe, ranked fourth overall, picked Oregon. Burch, the No. 5 prospect, chose South Carolina.
DIVERSITY STUDY: A diversity study finds that white men continue to “dominate” leadership positions at the Football Bowl Subdivision athletics level.
Wednesday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) issued identical letter grades from last year with a D overall, a C for racial hiring and an F for gender hiring. The study examined positions that include university presidents or chancellors, athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives and conference commissioners, using data submitted by the NCAA.
Richard Lapchick, the institute’s director and lead report author, noted there were some positives such as the highest percentage of people of color serving as athletics directors in the study’s history as well as two black men — Kevin Warren in the Big Ten and Keith Gill in the Sun Belt — becoming the first people of color to serve as FBS conference commissioners.
“Everything else is not good,” Lapchick said.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Safety J.P. Purvis and linebacker De’Monte Russell were taken to the hospital after getting involved in a car wreck Tuesday night. Officials said Purvis’ Nissan Altima collided with the back of the trailer of an 18-wheeler that was being driven by 51-year-old Mark Alan Mace of Sumrall, Mississippi, at about 7 p.m. Russell and Xavier Taylor of Brandon, Mississippi, were passengers in Purvis’ car.
Mississippi State athletic officials said Wednesday that Purvis “is resting comfortably” in a hospital and that Russell was treated and released. Officials said they weren’t authorized to comment on Taylor’s condition.