The early signing period has come and gone, with Alabama hoisting the proverbial recruiting trophy this time around—but the final dust in the class of 2023 has yet to settle.
In at least one sense, the end of the high school football postseason signals the beginning of the end. And in the case of the SI All-American prospect rankings, the SI99, the time has come to put a bow on the class.
There was no change at the top—as quarterback Dante Moore held off the rest of the sport to maintain the post he garnered in the summer. Now bound for UCLA, after a late flip from Oregon just before signing day, the Michigan native has had as strong a quarterbacking prep career as possible. Moore has two state championships, an Elite 11 MVP and most recently an All-American Bowl MVP to his name before his first collegiate snap.
The postseason ranking often comes with change compared to the summer preseason list, as new prospects emerge and/or established prospects take a slight step back. The combination resulted in 12 new SI99 prospects to close the cycle in IDL Jordan Hall (Georgia), DE Adepoju Adebawore (Oklahoma), IDL Daevin Hobbs (Tennessee), OT Zalance Heard (LSU), DE Yhonzae Pierre (Alabama), CB Jakeem Jackson (Florida), RB Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), QB Aidan Chiles (Oregon State), WR Nathan Leacock (Tennessee), IDL Brenan Vernon (Notre Dame), DE Keldric Faulk (Auburn) and WR Ja'Kobi Lane (USC).
The refresh also impacts class recruiting rankings, where SI99 members are highly considered. The top producing programs within the final call now list, in order, Alabama (11 members), Georgia (10), Notre Dame (9), Texas (8), Miami (7), Ohio State and Tennessee (6), LSU, USC and Florida (5). It should also be noted that three prospects on the list are still undeclared.
As a reminder, SI ranks recruits based on their collegiate potential exclusively. Focal points include premium position prospects (quarterback, offensive tackle, pass rusher, defensive back), high-floor evaluations and overall body of work with an emphasis most critically on varsity game video.
