Ranking nation's 10 most-talented teams
Travis Haney
ESPN INSIDER
With dozens of top players, such as QB AJ McCarron, Alabama again is loaded with talent.
I appeared on a radio show earlier in the week, and the hosts reminded me that there are only about 100 days until the college season begins. We can make it, right?
Along with the approaching season, more and more top 25 rankings will begin popping up. Heck, I'm convinced that colleague Mark Schlabach will start compiling one for 2014 before the 2013 season is even done.
Now that were talking about rankings, here's my take on a top 10: ranking the most-talented teams in the country. The basis? I researched and cross-pollinated Schlabach's most recent top 25, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 50 draft prospects and positional prospectus, and the past four years of ESPN.com recruiting class rankings.
The results were at times predictable -- but there were a few surprises, including some more heat for a veteran Big 12 coach to win big. As a byproduct, the "Talented 10" could indicate underrated and overrated teams this fall -- that is, if coaching and the schedule mesh well with personnel.
Here's a look at the nation's 10 most-talented teams heading into the 2013 college football season.
[h=3]1. Alabama Crimson Tide[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 2
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 6
Kiper's positional prospects: 16
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 1.75
This comes as no shock for college football's current king of the mountain. The Tide do not have any glaring holes, a result of how well coach Nick Saban and his staff have recruited and developed players.
<OFFER></OFFER>
The supposed soft spot is the offensive line, where the Tide will replace two NFL first-rounders and former Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones. But Alabama still has Cyrus Kouandjio, Kiper's top tackle and No. 4 overall prospect, and third-rated senior guard Anthony Steen. So, a drop-off is not anticipated.
And why would there be? Not with linebacker C.J. Mosley putting off the NFL for another year, a returning quarterback in AJ McCarron who threw 30 touchdowns and just three picks, and emerging, young skill players such as Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon. No, the Tide are not going anywhere.
[h=3]2. Texas Longhorns[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 13
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 16
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 6.5
Surprised to see the Longhorns appear so high on the list? They actually have the richest senior class of any team I researched, as judged by the five rated positional prospects, including Jackson Jeffcoat, the No. 1 defensive end.
Coaches all over the country tell me how difficult it is to find defensive tackles, and yet Texas has three rated prospects even after Brandon Moore surprisingly left school early. The program is solid at running back, with Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, and David Ash is the fifth-rated quarterback prospect for the 2015 NFL draft.
What are the Horns doing with all of this talent? They won nine games last season, but losing their final two Big 12 games, to TCU and Kansas State, took away some of the their steam. They've bounced back from the five-win season of 2010, sure, but the results still do not reflect the talent level.
That's one reason why coach Mack Brown has given coordinator Major Applewhite license to run a tempo offense. But what about Manny Diaz's defense, the injury-rattled unit that ranked 84th in 2012 in yards-per-play allowed? That's the side of the ball that will dictate whether Texas will win its first conference title since 2009.
[h=3]3. LSU Tigers[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 16
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 1
Kiper's positional prospects: 18
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 9.75
LSU fans might seem spoiled, trying intermittently to run their title-winning coach out of town. But when you delve into the level of talent that arrives and departs on a yearly basis, it makes sense why there would be some unrest and crankiness with last season's Chick-fil-A Bowl appearance (let alone a loss).
The Tigers lost a record nine players to the NFL, but they still return five of Kiper's rated seniors, seven in the 2015 class and six in the 2016 group. That's balance. The defense lost both of its elite defensive ends, its leading tackler, a first-round safety and two corners (if you count Tyrann Mathieu). Yet this season the secondary will feature prospects Craig Loston at safety and sophomore corners Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins, the Nos. 1 and 6 corner prospects in their class, respectively. Not many programs could see that much skill walk out the door and still be considered a conference contender.
[h=3]4. Florida State Seminoles[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 14
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 3
Kiper's positional prospects: 14
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 4.5
Considering the above numbers/rankings, there is no reason for Florida State to lose games the way it did to NC State in 2012 or Virginia in 2011. Injuries and inexperience played a part in those losses and others, but the Seminoles are better on paper than any team in the ACC. At least FSU managed a BCS berth -- and win -- last season, but it should have been a bigger year.
There's still plenty of remaining talent, with defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and offensive tackle Cam Erving landing in Kiper's top 20. Quarterback Jameis Winston is the talent X factor for the 2013 team. If he blossoms into this year's version of Johnny Manziel or Marcus Mariota -- and a lot of people I've talked to think he very well could -- then FSU could again sneak into the national title conversation. It just has to stop losing when it's the favorite.
[h=3]5. Georgia Bulldogs[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 7
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 0
Kiper's positional prospects: 14
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 8.25
This is another sometimes-restless SEC fan base, because the Bulldogs are always close to the top -- and they were never closer than in 2012, just a few yards from a national title shot -- but are not quite at that elite level.
The fertile in-state recruiting keeps the talent flow consistent; coaches I know marvel at how well Georgia coach Mark Richt and his staff evaluate pieces that fit into their offensive and defensive systems. You know it's a steady program when a defensive coordinator installing a 3-4 scheme is seen as innovative.
The most experienced quarterback in the conference, and maybe the country, is back. And Aaron Murray has the luxury of balance in the form of Kiper's No. 1 and No. 6 running backs. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall both could make teams happy in the 2015 draft. And they could lead Georgia to a lot of wins in 2013.
The defense certainly will miss linebacker Jarvis Jones, among others, but look out for players such as 2016 No. 1 outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who had five sacks as a freshman in limited snaps.
[h=3]6. Oregon Ducks[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 3
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 3
Kiper's positional prospects: 13
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 20
The Ducks' recruiting ranks are often dinged by class depth, but they always seem to have a few elite prospects mixed in. If De'Anthony Thomas can approach Tavon Austin's impact -- he might, now that dependable backs Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James have departed -- he could rise from where he is now, just outside Kiper's top 25. In fact, KC Joyner recently listed Thomas as a prospect who could put up huge numbers in 2013.
The same goes for Mariota, who quietly (compared to Manziel) had a big first year as a starter. I'm sure that new coach Mark Helfrich would sign up for a replication of Mariota's near-70 percent completion rate and 32-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio.
What catches the eye when looking at prospects is that the Ducks seem to be churning out more elite defensive players. The Dolphins traded up to take defensive end Dion Jordan with the third pick in April, and corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is listed at No. 14 overall in Kiper's 2014 ranks. Ekpre-Olomu's four interceptions played a key role in Oregon ranking third in the nation in interception rate last season, as the Ducks picked off 5 percent of opponent's passing attempts.
[h=3]7. Ohio State Buckeyes[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 1
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 8
Check back in a year, and the Buckeyes could be much higher on this list -- particularly if they get another year from quarterback Braxton Miller, who could decide he wants to fine-tune things and wait for a weaker QB draft class in 2015.
Since arriving, coach Urban Meyer has had recruiting classes rank sixth and third, respectively, so additional Kiper prospects should start showing up. And Meyer's getting more out of current prospects such as Miller and running back Carlos Hyde on offense, and corner Brad Roby and linebacker Ryan Shazier on defense.
They might rank seventh on this talent-focused list, but coaching, coaching and coaching is why the Buckeyes are being viewed as the biggest 2013 threat to the SEC. Meyer is the real deal, as we've seen throughout his coaching career.
[h=3]8. Miami Hurricanes[/h]Schlabach's ranking: NR
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 0
Kiper's positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 16.5
Am I reaching here? Maybe, but there isn't a whole lot to differentiate among programs such as Miami, Michigan, Clemson or the ones listed below. I just find the Hurricanes interesting because of how many players return, including the entire offense. They're kind of easy to forget about, because of the self-imposed bowl ban, but they did win five of their seven games in the ACC -- and no team has a hold on the league, not even the Seminoles.
Miami's defense must improve, plain and simple. Giving up 6.1 yards per play and nearly 5 yards per carry is not going to cut it, especially in a league that is getting better on offense. North Carolina and NC State are now stretching the field the way Clemson has since offensive coordinator Chad Morris arrived. Nine starters return on that side of the ball, but as coach Steve Spurrier once joked, "sometimes it isn't good if you have a bunch of starters back from a bad team."
[h=3]9. Stanford Cardinal[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 5
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 22.6
The Cardinal did not make it here as a result of recruiting rankings, but the program might be the best going right now in terms of developing unheralded players. Even Andrew Luck was being pursued by the likes of Northwestern and Purdue. His eventual successor? Kevin Hogan, a talented QB from Washington, D.C., who was pursued by Boston College, Duke, Maryland and Rutgers.
Stanford can recruit nationally on the backbone of its academic prowess -- and now because of its ability to make prospects into NFL-grade players. Even with all of the talent that has passed through in the past couple of years -- what's the record for tight ends drafted in a two-year span? -- the Cardinal still have all-conference-type players such as linebackers Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov. The offensive line again could be a force, and Kiper has Hogan listed behind only Manziel and Mariota in the 2016 class; his development will be intriguing to watch.
[h=3]10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 10
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 10
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 10.75
Notre Dame had always recruited well, but it needed someone like coach Brian Kelly to show up and get something out of it. The Irish held onto defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, the author of a defense that ranked 18th in the country in yard-per-play allowed last season (even counting the national title-game debacle against Alabama).
Second-round pick Manti Te'o is gone, but Notre Dame still has Kiper's No. 1 defensive tackle, Louis Nix III, and No. 2 defensive end, Stephon Tuitt. With that front, plus experienced linebacker Prince Shembo and corner Bennett Jackson, this could be another Irish team that plays close games and has to win with defense.
[h=3]The next five most talented teams[/h]
11. Michigan Wolverines
12. Clemson Tigers
13. Florida Gators
14. Auburn Tigers
15. Texas A&M Aggies
Travis Haney
ESPN INSIDER
With dozens of top players, such as QB AJ McCarron, Alabama again is loaded with talent.
I appeared on a radio show earlier in the week, and the hosts reminded me that there are only about 100 days until the college season begins. We can make it, right?
Along with the approaching season, more and more top 25 rankings will begin popping up. Heck, I'm convinced that colleague Mark Schlabach will start compiling one for 2014 before the 2013 season is even done.
Now that were talking about rankings, here's my take on a top 10: ranking the most-talented teams in the country. The basis? I researched and cross-pollinated Schlabach's most recent top 25, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 50 draft prospects and positional prospectus, and the past four years of ESPN.com recruiting class rankings.
The results were at times predictable -- but there were a few surprises, including some more heat for a veteran Big 12 coach to win big. As a byproduct, the "Talented 10" could indicate underrated and overrated teams this fall -- that is, if coaching and the schedule mesh well with personnel.
Here's a look at the nation's 10 most-talented teams heading into the 2013 college football season.
[h=3]1. Alabama Crimson Tide[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 2
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 6
Kiper's positional prospects: 16
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 1.75
This comes as no shock for college football's current king of the mountain. The Tide do not have any glaring holes, a result of how well coach Nick Saban and his staff have recruited and developed players.
<OFFER></OFFER>
The supposed soft spot is the offensive line, where the Tide will replace two NFL first-rounders and former Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones. But Alabama still has Cyrus Kouandjio, Kiper's top tackle and No. 4 overall prospect, and third-rated senior guard Anthony Steen. So, a drop-off is not anticipated.
And why would there be? Not with linebacker C.J. Mosley putting off the NFL for another year, a returning quarterback in AJ McCarron who threw 30 touchdowns and just three picks, and emerging, young skill players such as Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon. No, the Tide are not going anywhere.
[h=3]2. Texas Longhorns[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 13
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 16
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 6.5
Surprised to see the Longhorns appear so high on the list? They actually have the richest senior class of any team I researched, as judged by the five rated positional prospects, including Jackson Jeffcoat, the No. 1 defensive end.
Coaches all over the country tell me how difficult it is to find defensive tackles, and yet Texas has three rated prospects even after Brandon Moore surprisingly left school early. The program is solid at running back, with Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, and David Ash is the fifth-rated quarterback prospect for the 2015 NFL draft.
What are the Horns doing with all of this talent? They won nine games last season, but losing their final two Big 12 games, to TCU and Kansas State, took away some of the their steam. They've bounced back from the five-win season of 2010, sure, but the results still do not reflect the talent level.
That's one reason why coach Mack Brown has given coordinator Major Applewhite license to run a tempo offense. But what about Manny Diaz's defense, the injury-rattled unit that ranked 84th in 2012 in yards-per-play allowed? That's the side of the ball that will dictate whether Texas will win its first conference title since 2009.
[h=3]3. LSU Tigers[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 16
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 1
Kiper's positional prospects: 18
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 9.75
LSU fans might seem spoiled, trying intermittently to run their title-winning coach out of town. But when you delve into the level of talent that arrives and departs on a yearly basis, it makes sense why there would be some unrest and crankiness with last season's Chick-fil-A Bowl appearance (let alone a loss).
The Tigers lost a record nine players to the NFL, but they still return five of Kiper's rated seniors, seven in the 2015 class and six in the 2016 group. That's balance. The defense lost both of its elite defensive ends, its leading tackler, a first-round safety and two corners (if you count Tyrann Mathieu). Yet this season the secondary will feature prospects Craig Loston at safety and sophomore corners Jalen Mills and Jalen Collins, the Nos. 1 and 6 corner prospects in their class, respectively. Not many programs could see that much skill walk out the door and still be considered a conference contender.
[h=3]4. Florida State Seminoles[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 14
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 3
Kiper's positional prospects: 14
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 4.5
Considering the above numbers/rankings, there is no reason for Florida State to lose games the way it did to NC State in 2012 or Virginia in 2011. Injuries and inexperience played a part in those losses and others, but the Seminoles are better on paper than any team in the ACC. At least FSU managed a BCS berth -- and win -- last season, but it should have been a bigger year.
There's still plenty of remaining talent, with defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan and offensive tackle Cam Erving landing in Kiper's top 20. Quarterback Jameis Winston is the talent X factor for the 2013 team. If he blossoms into this year's version of Johnny Manziel or Marcus Mariota -- and a lot of people I've talked to think he very well could -- then FSU could again sneak into the national title conversation. It just has to stop losing when it's the favorite.
[h=3]5. Georgia Bulldogs[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 7
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 0
Kiper's positional prospects: 14
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 8.25
This is another sometimes-restless SEC fan base, because the Bulldogs are always close to the top -- and they were never closer than in 2012, just a few yards from a national title shot -- but are not quite at that elite level.
The fertile in-state recruiting keeps the talent flow consistent; coaches I know marvel at how well Georgia coach Mark Richt and his staff evaluate pieces that fit into their offensive and defensive systems. You know it's a steady program when a defensive coordinator installing a 3-4 scheme is seen as innovative.
The most experienced quarterback in the conference, and maybe the country, is back. And Aaron Murray has the luxury of balance in the form of Kiper's No. 1 and No. 6 running backs. Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall both could make teams happy in the 2015 draft. And they could lead Georgia to a lot of wins in 2013.
The defense certainly will miss linebacker Jarvis Jones, among others, but look out for players such as 2016 No. 1 outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, who had five sacks as a freshman in limited snaps.
[h=3]6. Oregon Ducks[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 3
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 3
Kiper's positional prospects: 13
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 20
The Ducks' recruiting ranks are often dinged by class depth, but they always seem to have a few elite prospects mixed in. If De'Anthony Thomas can approach Tavon Austin's impact -- he might, now that dependable backs Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James have departed -- he could rise from where he is now, just outside Kiper's top 25. In fact, KC Joyner recently listed Thomas as a prospect who could put up huge numbers in 2013.
The same goes for Mariota, who quietly (compared to Manziel) had a big first year as a starter. I'm sure that new coach Mark Helfrich would sign up for a replication of Mariota's near-70 percent completion rate and 32-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio.
What catches the eye when looking at prospects is that the Ducks seem to be churning out more elite defensive players. The Dolphins traded up to take defensive end Dion Jordan with the third pick in April, and corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is listed at No. 14 overall in Kiper's 2014 ranks. Ekpre-Olomu's four interceptions played a key role in Oregon ranking third in the nation in interception rate last season, as the Ducks picked off 5 percent of opponent's passing attempts.
[h=3]7. Ohio State Buckeyes[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 1
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 8
Check back in a year, and the Buckeyes could be much higher on this list -- particularly if they get another year from quarterback Braxton Miller, who could decide he wants to fine-tune things and wait for a weaker QB draft class in 2015.
Since arriving, coach Urban Meyer has had recruiting classes rank sixth and third, respectively, so additional Kiper prospects should start showing up. And Meyer's getting more out of current prospects such as Miller and running back Carlos Hyde on offense, and corner Brad Roby and linebacker Ryan Shazier on defense.
They might rank seventh on this talent-focused list, but coaching, coaching and coaching is why the Buckeyes are being viewed as the biggest 2013 threat to the SEC. Meyer is the real deal, as we've seen throughout his coaching career.
[h=3]8. Miami Hurricanes[/h]Schlabach's ranking: NR
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 0
Kiper's positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 16.5
Am I reaching here? Maybe, but there isn't a whole lot to differentiate among programs such as Miami, Michigan, Clemson or the ones listed below. I just find the Hurricanes interesting because of how many players return, including the entire offense. They're kind of easy to forget about, because of the self-imposed bowl ban, but they did win five of their seven games in the ACC -- and no team has a hold on the league, not even the Seminoles.
Miami's defense must improve, plain and simple. Giving up 6.1 yards per play and nearly 5 yards per carry is not going to cut it, especially in a league that is getting better on offense. North Carolina and NC State are now stretching the field the way Clemson has since offensive coordinator Chad Morris arrived. Nine starters return on that side of the ball, but as coach Steve Spurrier once joked, "sometimes it isn't good if you have a bunch of starters back from a bad team."
[h=3]9. Stanford Cardinal[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 5
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 11
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 22.6
The Cardinal did not make it here as a result of recruiting rankings, but the program might be the best going right now in terms of developing unheralded players. Even Andrew Luck was being pursued by the likes of Northwestern and Purdue. His eventual successor? Kevin Hogan, a talented QB from Washington, D.C., who was pursued by Boston College, Duke, Maryland and Rutgers.
Stanford can recruit nationally on the backbone of its academic prowess -- and now because of its ability to make prospects into NFL-grade players. Even with all of the talent that has passed through in the past couple of years -- what's the record for tight ends drafted in a two-year span? -- the Cardinal still have all-conference-type players such as linebackers Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov. The offensive line again could be a force, and Kiper has Hogan listed behind only Manziel and Mariota in the 2016 class; his development will be intriguing to watch.
[h=3]10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish[/h]Schlabach's ranking: 10
Kiper's top 50 prospects: 2
Kiper's positional prospects: 10
Four-year recruiting class average rank: 10.75
Notre Dame had always recruited well, but it needed someone like coach Brian Kelly to show up and get something out of it. The Irish held onto defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, the author of a defense that ranked 18th in the country in yard-per-play allowed last season (even counting the national title-game debacle against Alabama).
Second-round pick Manti Te'o is gone, but Notre Dame still has Kiper's No. 1 defensive tackle, Louis Nix III, and No. 2 defensive end, Stephon Tuitt. With that front, plus experienced linebacker Prince Shembo and corner Bennett Jackson, this could be another Irish team that plays close games and has to win with defense.
[h=3]The next five most talented teams[/h]
11. Michigan Wolverines
12. Clemson Tigers
13. Florida Gators
14. Auburn Tigers
15. Texas A&M Aggies
