Counter Intel is the smart Ohio State fan's look at recruiting action taking place within the Big Ten and top national programs.
Big Additions in B1G East
It's been a busy few weeks in the Big Ten; especially in the East Division. Since we last looked at the national scene in late June, Ohio State added three new 2022 commitments to its top-rated class. The new additions include four-star cornerback Terrance Brooks, four-star wideout and top target Kojo Antwi, and Colorado offensive tackle Georgie Fitzpatrick. But Ryan Day isn't the only one who's been busy of late.
Michigan, Penn State, and Indiana have also seen some big-time additions to their respective classes. Since the start of the month, James Franklin has added six new players to the 2022 commitment column. The biggest of those would have to be four-star tailback Nicholas Singleton out of Reading, Pennsylvania. The country's No. 6 tailback was very much on Ohio State's radar, but he ultimately chose the Nittany Lions over Notre Dame.
Penn State also added two other four-star commits in Pittsburgh edge rusher Tyreese Fearbry and Florida defensive lineman Zane Durant. JUCO offensive tackle JB Nelson made his commitment on July 2. A pair of other three-star additions came in the form of Philly linebacker Keon Wylie and New York defender Kaleb Artis. The Nittany Lion class is currently sitting at No. 3 in the national team rankings.
Michigan's 2022 class also got better with four new commitments. The biggest of the bunch was four-star Florida edge rusher Mario Eugenio . The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder is ranked No. 282 nationally and also holds offers from the likes of Oregon, Miami, and Arkansas. Three-star Jacksonville linebacker Micah Pollard is the nephew of Braylon Edwards. Just yesterday he announced that he'll be following in his uncle's footsteps. The Wolverines also added another pair of three-stars in Idaho tight end Colston Loveland and Tennessee corner Myles Pollard.
Tom Allen is the other recent headliner in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers have also added four commitments of late as their class is up to No. 5 in the conference and No. 20 nationally. The biggest addition was four-star Indianapolis wideout Omar Cooper, and his July 7 commitment gave Indiana its third four-star in the class.
Fort Wayne offensive lineman D.J. Moore committed just yesterday. The Buckeyes offered Moore early on but the recruitment seemed to come down to the Hoosiers and Boilermakers. Three-star tackle Bray Lynch and Florida corner James Monds III were the other recent pledges. Allen now has 12 commitments in his 2022 class.
Irish Linebacker Class Gets Even Better
Brian Kelly has the nation's top linebacker class, and it got even better yesterday with the commitment from Jaylen Sneed. The Hilton Head, South Carolina prospect checks in at No. 70 in the country, and he's probably going to see his stock rise a bit thanks to some solid camp showings. He became the fourth four-star linebacker to join the Irish's 2022 class. Other recent commits include three-star Florida safety Devin Moore and New Jersey corner Jayden Bellamy.
It's been a fruitful few weeks in South Bend, but the Irish did lose a commitment as well. On Monday it was announced that three-star Georgia edge rusher Darren Agu had backed off of his Irish pledge. The 6-foot-6, 225-pounder is more of a project type, but he's got plenty of athleticism that could translate down the road. His crystal ball is now favoring Vanderbilt.
The good news has certainly outweighed the bad, however. Kelly's class jumped Penn State and is back to up to No. 2 – behind only Ohio State – in the team rankings.
Sooners Win Some, Lose Another
Business has been booming down in Norman as the Sooners have added five new 2022 commitments since the start of July. The biggest bit of news came on Independence Day when four-star Maryland defensive lineman Derrick Moore made his intentions known. He's now the top-rated defensive player in the class. Lincoln Riley also added a pair of four-star offensive linemen in Jacob Sexton and Bishop Gorman's Jake Taylor. OU added a couple three-star pledges as well with in-state wideout Robert Spears-Jennings and Texas athlete Xavion Brice.
The bad news came when the Sooners lost yet another talented wideout. Talyn Shettron is the nation's No. 6 player at the position and the in-state star had been a part of Oklahoma's class since last October. He will instead be playing his college ball for Mike Gundy and the Cowboys. This came just weeks after four-star wideout Jordan Hudson backed off his pledge. He committed to SMU on July 4.
Five-Star Additions for Ducks, Tide
Oregon is on a bit of a hot streak of late, and the biggest commitment for Mario Cristobal's 2022 class came last week when the Ducks landed five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks. Most thought it was coming down to the Aggies and Longhorns for the No. 2 player in Texas, but the Ducks swooped in and stole one. Oregon also added a pair of four-star wideouts in Nicholas Anderson (a one-time ND lean) and Arkansas' Isaiah Sategna.
A five-star in the state of Alabama has decided to play for Nick Saban.....for a second time. Edge rusher Jeremiah Alexander decommitted back in October but is now back in the Tide's 2022 class. Bama is back up to No. 11 in the team rankings and now has three five-star commits in the class.
More Movement in the Team Rankings
Ohio State still has a comfortable lead atop the national team rankings. Ryan Day is up to 17 commitments and should see his class end up with 23-25 new signees. The Irish jumped Penn State to take back the No. 2 spot. LSU, Oklahoma, Florida State, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, and Michigan round out the top 10.
It's been well-documented that Nick Saban tends to catch fire later on in the process, so the Crimson Tide being just outside the top 10 shouldn't come as too big of a surprise. Rutgers has stumbled a bit as Greg Schiano is down to No. 13. Jeff Hafley has the Eagles right behind the Knights. I have no idea what Scott Frost is doing. Nebraska is all the way down at No. 59, behind the likes of Coastal Carolina and Miami (OH). Yikes.
