College football starts and ends with recruiting. High school students around the country play their best to be looked at by universities and try to get a scholarship to play football at the next level. Though the season has just started, many schools have already set the foundations for their future in the high school players of today. We will look at those players and that foundation now.

The SEC has dominated recruiting over the last decade. Every year it seems the biggest and brightest stars are either from the South or choose their school there. That is the case this year as well. 6 SEC teams are in the top 10 recruiting classes this far into the year and 8 of the top 15 (all according to 247 sports recruiting composite). It is another good year for SEC teams recruiting classes, but it is not just SEC teams reaping a bountiful harvest of talent. Clemson, Penn State, and FSU are all among the top 10 teams with a few more on the outside looking in. There are many talented players for those teams, but a few stand out. Let's look at the best gets for a few of the top 10 teams this far into the season.


1. Alabama - It should not be much of a surprise anymore to see Bama on top of recruiting rankings. 2015 brings another good class with some great athletes. The two commits that stand out more than anyone are quarterback Blake Barnett and wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Barnett is the number 2 ranked dual-threat QB in this year's class. He was voted the MVP of the Elite 11 this past summer. He looks to be the next big quarterback for the Crimson Tide. Ridley is the number 1 ranked WR in this class. He has good size at 6' 1", good speed (ran a 4.65 40 already), and can play. He will continue the seemingly endless legacy of great WR's at Bama. 

2. Clemson comes in ranked number 4 by 247 sports, but number 2 by ESPN. Dabo Swinney has put together a great class already. The standout of this class is Mitch Hyatt. He is the number 2 ranked offensive tackle this year. He had family ties to Clemson so he was always considered a lean for Clemson, but he is an extremely gifted young athlete and should be able to come in immediately and contribute for the Tigers. 

3. Tennessee has yet another huge class. This will be Butch Jones second season with a full year to recruit and he is doing well. The class is ranked number 8 by 247 sports with some great talent. Khalil McKenzie is the standout for this class. Rated as the number 1 overall defensive tackle and a top 10 overall player, he is a huge get for the Vols. Huge both figuratively and literally, as McKenzie tips the scales at 6' 4" and 341 pounds. The impressive thing about this young man is that he can move like he is 50-75 lbs lighter. He is unblockable at the high school level and should make an impact the day he steps on campus.
 

There are a lot of great talents this cycle, but picking just two that will standout and make an immediate impact next year would be Josh Sweat and Khalil McKenzie. Sweat has not yet committed, but is considered a Virginia Tech lean at this point in time. He is the number 1 overall player in the nation by most recruiting services at defensive end and he is a freak of nature. He has already drawn comparisons to Jadeveon Clowney for how explosive and devastating he is at the defensive end position. When he does decide on a school, that program will have a game changer. Expect him to be a first round draft pick when he leaves college. 

Though maybe not as explosive as Sweat, Khalil McKenzie is another game changer. The towering DT is already as big as NFL defenders and he is 17. He was voted defensive line MVP at the Opening and outmatches any offensive lineman who is unlucky enough to stand in his way. He is a solid Tennessee commit and will come in immediately and make plays. He will probably be no worse than a second round pick when he leaves college, if he lives up to the hype already surrounding him.

Recruiting is a year-long process with many twists and turns. Nobody can know or predict who will do well, or which teams will land the commitments of certain players, but we can all sit back and enjoy the show.