Breaking down conference recruiting success following National Signing Day
National Signing Day has passed the college football world by for yet another year, and now that the dust has settled, it's evident one conference stood tall above all others.
If the challenge to recruit the highest number of highly touted prospects were a race, the SEC's victory in 2018 couldn't be categorized as anything but a landslide. In regards to prospects listed on the ESPN 300, the SEC brought home almost one-third of the entire field, almost double the number of its next closest competitor.
| Conference | ESPN 300 Recruits | Leading Program |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | 92 | Georgia (19) |
| ACC | 52 | Miami FL (14) |
| Big Ten | 50 | Ohio State (19) |
| Pac-12 | 45 | USC (12) |
| Big 12 | 44 | Texas (19) |
| Independent | 11 | Notre Dame (11) |
| AAC | 1 | Cincinnati (1) |
| Ivy League | 1 | Princeton (1) |
| Conference USA | 1 | Louisiana Tech (1) |
| Mid-American Conference | 1 | Toledo (1) |
* Two recruits remain uncommitted: No. 142 Marcus Johnson (CB), and No. 286 Gabriel Johnson (WR)
The 92 recruits who chose to join SEC schools represent just over 30 percent of the entire ESPN 300 field, followed by the ACC and Big Ten at 52 and 50 recruits, respectively. The SEC also led the way in landing the cream of the crop, bringing in 35 of the top 100 available prospects.
Taking a look at individual programs, the SEC was headed by Georgia with 19 ESPN 300 recruits, with 13 of them coming in the top 100. The Bulldogs weren't alone, as both Ohio State and Texas also managed to bring in 19 ESPN 300 recruits. This resulted in the trio taking the podium with this year's top three recruiting classes.
Related: Alabama's class finishes with lowest ranking since 2007
Every year tends to produce a few recruits that elect to sign outside of the Power-5, and this year was no different. The most noteworthy example is undoubtedly four-star quarterback prospect Brevin White, who famously committed to Princeton while spurning Alabama in the process.