With 2020's college football recruiting classes now in the rearview mirror, the 2021 group is on the clock.
While it's still very much in its early stages, here is a look at 10 programs off to a fast start at the recruiting trail.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes' top-five class for 2020 included the No. 1 overall player in WR Julian Fleming, and they currently lead the pack early in this new cycle, again boasting the top-ranked prospect, this time in DE Jack Sawyer.
If nothing were to change, Ohio State would be the first program in the ESPN 300 era to sign the No. 1 overall prospect in back-to-back classes. In Sawyer, they have a versatile and explosive defender with the tools to potentially have impact ability in the mold of recent standout Chase Young.
The class also includes a pair of high school teammates out of St. Joseph's Prep in Pennsylvania: strong-armed QB Kyle McCord and WR Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Further adding to their WR talent is tall, quick-footed, four-star Jayden Ballard. The class also includes the top five players ranked in Ohio, including DT Mike Hall, a new entry to the ESPN Jr. 300 who comes in at No. 120.
2. Clemson Tigers
The Tigers signed 2020's top-ranked class and are quickly back in the hunt to do so again, being just narrowly edged out by Ohio State in the early going. On the heels of signing five ESPN 300 defensive linemen, including a pair of five-stars, they're adding more talent to that unit with a verbal from five-star DE Korey Foreman.
The class also now includes a second five-star defender in LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. A son of the former Philadelphia Eagles standout linebacker, Trotter Jr. is an instinctive and explosive sideline-to-sideline presence and already displays potential to be a quick contributor once arriving on campus.
Offensively, the Tigers landed commitments from a pair of ESPN Jr. 300 WRs, including one ranked among the top 10 in Beaux Collins out of California. In-state RB Phil Mafah is a thickly built and strong runner out of the same high school as former Clemson RB Waytne Gallman.
3. Florida Gators
The Gators are pushing to try to return to the top of the SEC, and after signing back-to-back top-10 classes and coming off an 11-win season, they are building further off that success with double-digit commitments already.
Among those commits, seven are ranked in the updated ESPN Jr. 300, including Carlos Del Rio, an agile QB with good arm power who can improvise and make plays. The Gators lost several contributors at WR, and they continue to address that position with three commits at that spot in 2021, including Daejon Reynolds, a lengthy target who is a good route runner with strong ball skills.
Defensively, Clinton Burton Jr. is a top-five CB, while in-state high-motor defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp was a big mover in the latest player rankings update.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Off to a strong start, the Fighting Irish are quickly assembling some offensive firepower. The class is led by the No. 3-ranked QB in California, Tyler Buchner, a strong-armed, poised quarterback.
A potential future favorite target could be top-ranked TE Cane Berrong, a well-conditioned athlete with strong ball skills and good route-running abilities. In addition to Berrong, another key pickup out of Georgia is WR Deion Colzie, a tall, lengthy target who offers a wide catch radius.
The Fighting Irish also have landed the top-ranked player from in-state in massive and powerful OL Blake Fisher.
5. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns struggled to meet expectations last season, but they continue to work to try to build for a brighter future and potentially sign a fourth straight top-10 class.
The class includes Jalen Milroe, an athletic, strong-armed QB with nice upside. Billy Bowman Jr. could contribute at either WR or CB, and his high school teammate, athletic DE Ja'Tavion Sanders, was a big mover in the latest player rankings.
6. Oregon Ducks
The Ducks signed the Pac-12's top class in 2020 and again are out front within their conference. They have one of the smaller classes among the current top 10, but all their commits are currently ranked in the ESPN Jr. 300.
A new entry was athlete Kyron Ware-Hudson, who projects as an aggressive and big WR with quick feet. Seven McGee is diminutive but athletic and is a quick runner with good vision.
They have a pair of ESPN Jr. 300 offensive line commits, including new entry Jackson Light, who is a competitive and technically sound center with the tools to anchor the Ducks' O-line for several seasons in the future.
7. Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are once again among the fast-start classes, taking advantage of their fertile recruiting grounds. All of their commits at this point hail from not only from their state, but from South Florida.
Among their commits, three are ranked within the ESPN Jr. 300, including RB Thad Franklin, who possesses the tools to be a versatile weapon. The class also includes a pair of talented big men in the powerful OG Laurence Seymore and the big and stout DT Savion Collins.
8. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers have commitments from three prospects in the ESPN Jr. 300 and, not surprisingly, two are offensive linemen. In-state OT J.P. Benzschawel is a new entry and Riley Mahlman is a lengthy, leaner athletic OT with great upside.
The Badgers are locking down the in-state talent, landing safety Hunter Wohler, who can be a reliable and physical tackler.
9. North Carolina Tar Heels
Mack Brown just signed the top player in North Carolina in 2020 five-star DE Desmond Evans, and the Tar Heels continue to do well in-state, with all their commits hailing from within their borders.
Among them is WR Gavin Blackwell, who possesses big-play ability with his blend of speed, agility and body control. The class also includes a QB commit In Caleb Hood, who lacks ideal height but is a good athlete with a strong arm.
10. Iowa Hawkeyes
The foundation of the Hawkeyes' 2021 class thus far is in the trenches with multiple commits who project to the offensive or defensive line, including in-state ESPN Jr. 300 OG Connor Colby. They were also able to land the No. 2-ranked player out of Minnesota in OLB Justice Sullivan, an explosive and well-rounded prospect at the position.