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We're officially in the crunch zone. With National Signing Day set to kick off bright and early Wednesday, Feb. 5, coaches are scrambling to add last minute recruits to the fold. Before this past weekend we checked in on how the MAC recruiting classes were stacking up against one another, and since then we've had some movement. Be forewarned, these rankings are changing constantly between now and Signing Day. Just in the time it took me to write this post the rankings changed dramatically and I had to rewrite the post.
Western Michigan has all but wrapped up the crown of best recruiting class in the MAC thanks to the addition of wide receiver Javonte Seaburry, a 3-star recruit who was once committed to the national champions, Florida State. Considering how full Fleck's class is at WMU, it's unlikely we see another addition between now and Signing Day, so as long as he can keep anyone from deflecting before they can sign their Letters of Intent, he will have pulled off the unthinkable (a top-60 recruiting class, coming off of a 1-11 season in his first year as a head coach).
Ohio shot up four spaces to No. 4 as 247Sports added in several commits that hadn't been listed. With Ohio moving up, Buffalo, Toledo, Ball state and Northern Illinois each slid down a spot to round out the top six. Bowling Green stood still at No. 7, still proving that winning a MAC Championship does nothing for helping the recruiting process.
Where the most movement occurred is at the bottom of the rankings. Miami slipped a spot to No. 11 after losing 3-star WR Sam Martin to Rutgers. Kent State shot out of last place, into No. 10, but that appears to be a case of 247Sports correcting its calculations because there have been no new confirmed commitments for the Golden Flashes.
EMU has bulked up its numbers, but still remains near the bottom. However, it's Akron, coming off it's best season in years, that currently has the worst class. The Zips' will need to pull out some magical tricks to avoid laying an egg on NSD. It's rather interesting to see too. The Zips, as I mentioned, are coming off their best season in a long while, and as it currently stands are considered a favorite to make some noise in the MAC East next season. Whether it's a case of Bowden not being able to seal the deal, or Akron's previous woes still holding the program down, it's cause for concern for Zips' faithful. While having the best recruiting class doesn't guarantee success, having an awful recruiting class can't help your chances of winning.
| Team | Total | Five Star | Four Star | Three Star | Avg | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Michigan | 28 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 80.28 | 153.35 |
| 2 | Toledo | 21 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 77.7 | 110.42 |
| 3 | Buffalo | 22 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 77.56 | 109.95 |
| 4 | Ball State | 17 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 78.24 | 106.22 |
| 5 | Northern Illinois | 18 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 78.29 | 104.37 |
| 6 | Ohio | 22 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 75.96 | 102.54 |
| 7 | Bowling Green | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 77.85 | 97.83 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 77.28 | 90.84 |
| 9 | Central Michigan | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 77.47 | 90.46 |
| 10 | Kent State | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 78.47 | 84.87 |
| 11 | Miami (OH) | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 76.56 | 76.73 |
| 12 | Eastern Michigan | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 77.46 | 72.95 |
| 13 | Akron | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 77.77 | 69.58 |
It's important to note, because I keep hearing grumblings about this (BTW, you're more likely to have your comment heard by actually commenting on an article, rather than tweeting at us) these are not definitive. Some recruits might not be listed in 247Sports rankings yet. Don't get bent out of shape. Until players sign it's really all conjecture anyway.
We will do a final recruiting class rankings post the night of or the day after National Signing Day, and will show you how the MAC is stacking up compared to other conferences as well.
