College football's recruiting classes for the 2022 cycle are filling up quickly as the early signing period in December draws near.
With 233 ESPN 300 recruits already committed, quite a few programs have filled the needs they were hoping to fill.
Not all the hay is in the barn just yet, but we look at some of the important commitments for teams ranked in the top 25 of the class rankings and what those recruits mean to each program.
1. Georgia Bulldogs: RB Branson Robinson
ESPN 300 rank: 21
Georgia has so many top-ranked commitments at their respective positions that this could be any number of prospects: Malaki Starks, linebacker Jalon Walker or any of the defensive linemen committed. Robinson is the No. 2 running back in the class and is the second-highest ranked recruit in Georgia's class.
Zamir White is the leading rusher on the team this season, and he's a junior. James Cook is the next leading rusher, and he's a senior. The staff has Kendall Milton, but having two options at running back is almost a necessity now, so adding Robinson is going to keep that running back room stocked for the future.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide: DE Jeremiah Alexander
ESPN 300 rank: 11
Alexander is the No. 2 end overall and the No. 1 prospect in Alabama. He hits on a few areas that make him important. He's the top recruit in-state; he plays a premium position, and he's a five-star that a lot of other big programs were after.
Alabama has a lot of depth and a good amount of youth on the roster. As much as quarterback Ty Simpson could be the pick, the defensive end positions have some older players on the roster. Phidarian Mathis and LaBryan Ray are seniors, while Bryon Young and Justin Eboigbe are juniors. Adding Alexander will give him some time to get acclimated, but at the same time give him an opportunity to contribute early on.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions: QB Drew Allar
ESPN 300 rank: 36
It became clear how important having good quarterback depth is for Penn State when Sean Clifford went down with an injury in the Nittany Lions' loss to Iowa. Penn State didn't sign an ESPN 300 quarterback in the last class, but signed four-star Christian Veilleux. Micah Bowens, an ESPN 300 quarterback in the 2020 class, transferred to Oklahoma.
Clifford is a senior this season, which will leave Ta'Quan Roberson and Veilleux. In Allar and four-star Beau Pribula, adding quarterback depth and competition was necessary, and the staff has done an excellent job filling that need.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: WR C.J. Williams
ESPN 300 rank: 144
Linebacker Jaylen Sneed is Notre Dame's highest-ranked recruit in the class, and the Irish need help on defense. However, the team's two leaders in receiving yards are tight end Michael Mayer and running back Kyren Williams.
Wide receiver Avery Davis is next on the list, but he's a senior this year. Davis is followed by Kevin Austin Jr. and Braden Lenzy, both fourth-year players with a season of eligibility left. Williams is coming in at a good time when the Irish could use some help on the outside.
5. Oregon Ducks: OT Kelvin Banks
ESPN 300 rank: 33
A team can never have enough elite offensive tackles, and Banks is the No. 6 tackle in the class. He's the highest-ranked recruit in the class for Oregon and the Ducks have some veteran players in the two deep across the line.
George Moore is a senior, while T.J. Bass, Alex Forsyth, Ryan Walk and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu are all juniors. Bringing in someone like Banks, who has positional versatility, will help with future depth and competition.
6. Oklahoma Sooners: DT Gabe Brownlow-Dindy
ESPN 300 rank: 4
Brownlow-Dindy, the No. 2 tackle in the class, is a 6-foot-3, 280-pound prospect out of Lakeland, Florida. The knock on Oklahoma over the past few seasons has been the defense, but coordinator Alex Grinch has done a nice job improving it on the field and in recruiting.
Brownlow-Dindy is Oklahoma's highest-ranked commitment in the class, and he's one of four defensive ESPN 300 commitments in the Sooners' class. Having a five-star defensive tackle lead the class is never a bad thing, and he will only help Oklahoma's defense get better.
7. Texas Longhorns: S Bryan Allen Jr.
ESPN 300 rank: 71
The Texas defense has given up 231.4 passing yards per game, which is ranked 71st among all FBS programs. The defense ranks 62nd in interceptions per attempt and 120th in opponent completion percentage.
Allen is a 6-foot, 185-pound safety from Aledo High School in Aledo, Texas, and the No. 4 safety in the class. While Texas has five ESPN 300 defensive linemen committed, Allen is going to pay dividends in the secondary. He's versatile and can help in a few different areas for Texas.
8. Ohio State Buckeyes: LB C.J. Hicks
ESPN 300 rank: 25
Hicks is a 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker out of Kettering, Ohio. He's the No. 2 outside linebacker in the class and the top-ranked commit for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State's defense has some talented, young players already on the roster, but the WILL linebacker spot is one area where there is some age. Teradja Mitchell is a senior, and Steele Chambers will be a junior next season. Adding Hicks, who could compete early on for playing time, is a big deal for Ohio State's defense.
9. Texas A&M Aggies: QB Conner Weigman
ESPN 300 rank: 29
Haynes King was named the starter for the Aggies prior to this season, but hasn't returned since suffering a leg injury against Colorado in September. Zach Calzada has started in his place and will be a junior next season.
Assuming King comes back fully healthy, he will likely be the starter next season, but as we've learned, teams can never have too much quarterback depth, and coaches can never plan too far ahead with stocking the quarterback room. Weigman is the No. 1 pocket-passing quarterback in the class and will come in at a good time for the Aggies to allow him to develop and plug in when needed.
10. North Carolina Tar Heels: OT Zach Rice
ESPN 300 rank: 13
Rice is the No. 3 offensive tackle in the class and a 6-foot-6, 285-pound prospect out of Lynchburg, Virginia. The Tar Heels beat out Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Virginia for his commitment.
The coaching staff has landed three five-stars on defense over the last few classes and is now getting a five-star on offense in Rice. North Carolina has quite a few seniors and juniors in the two-deep along the offensive line, so landing Rice in this class was important.
11. Clemson Tigers: QB Cade Klubnik
ESPN 300 rank: 66
Klubnik is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound quarterback from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. He's the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and is widely regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in this class.
Clemson's offense has disappointed this season, and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei is ranked 89th in total pass yards among all quarterbacks and 123rd in passing touchdowns. Clemson needs more competition at quarterback, and Klubnik will have every opportunity to win the job early on unless things change at Clemson.
12. LSU Tigers: QB Walker Howard
ESPN 300 rank: 27
Howard remains committed to LSU, although he has taken a visit to Notre Dame and LSU is currently without a head coach for next season.
If Howard remains committed, it's a huge get for LSU. He's an LSU legacy, and with Myles Brennan announcing his transfer, LSU could use another talented quarterback. If Howard stays committed, the Tigers' new coach will have Howard, Max Johnson and Garrett Nussmeier on the roster.
13. Missouri Tigers: WR Luther Burden
ESPN 300 rank: 8
Burden is a five-star receiver who had been committed to Oklahoma, decommitted and ended up choosing Missouri over some big programs. He's the highest-ranked recruit Missouri has had since defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. signed in 2015.
Adding a talent like Burden to the offense is a big deal for Missouri, as he should be able to make an impact right away.
14. Stanford Cardinal: DE Ernest Cooper IV
ESPN 300 rank: 34
Stanford's recruiting class is ranked No. 14 overall, and the Cardinal have put together a nice class this cycle. Cooper IV is the highest-ranked commit in the class and is the No. 5 defensive end overall.
A team can never have enough talented defensive ends, and Cooper will be able to compete early on for Stanford's defense.
15. Florida State Seminoles: CB Travis Hunter
ESPN 300 rank: 2
Hunter is a 6-foot, 165-pound corner from Suwanee, Georgia, and is the No. 1 corner in the class. He's a five-star, who similar to LSU quarterback commit Walker Howard, deserves a preface that this is contingent on him staying in the class.
Hunter has taken a visit to Georgia recently, but has said he is going to stay committed to the Seminoles. The coaching staff can use help in most areas, so landing a five-star at corner would help the secondary tremendously.
16. Virginia Tech Hokies: RB Ramon Brown
ESPN 300 rank: 131
Brown is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back from Manchester High School in Midlothian, Virginia. He's the No. 10 running back in the class and the No. 7 prospect in the state.
Virginia Tech currently ranks No. 74 in total rush yards among all FBS teams and 72nd in rushing touchdowns. Getting Brown, who had quite a few big offers, will help those numbers.
17. Michigan State Spartans: DT Alex VanSumeren
ESPN 300 rank: 213
VanSumeren, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound defensive lineman out of Essexville, Michigan, is a big get for the Spartans. He had been committed to Michigan, but decommitted and chose Michigan State instead.
His brother, Ben VanSumeren, had transferred from Michigan to Michigan State, and the younger VanSumeren is now on his way. He is the No. 3 prospect in the state of Michigan. Keeping him away from the Wolverines is a win in itself, but his presence on defense makes him all the more important.
18. Michigan Wolverines: CB William Johnson
ESPN 300 rank: 19
Johnson is the No. 1 recruit in the state of Michigan and an important piece to the class. He should be able to help the secondary. Michigan's corners have had flaws over the past few seasons and could use an elite level corner like Johnson.
Plus, he's trying to recruit five-star corner Domani Jackson, a USC commit, to flip to Michigan. If Johnson is able to help get Jackson, his commitment is that much more valuable to the coaching staff.
19. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: WR Janiran Bonner
ESPN 300 rank: 216
Georgia Tech's leading receiver this season, Kyric McGowan, is a senior, and the second leading receiver, Malachi Carter, is a junior. Adding more receivers will be important as the Georgia Tech offense ranks 66th in passing yards this season.
Bonner is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound prospect from Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia, and is the second-highest ranked recruit in the class for Georgia Tech.
20. Indiana Hoosiers: LB Dasan McCullough
ESPN 300 rank: 40
McCullough had been committed to Ohio State, but flipped to Indiana when his dad, Deland McCullough, was hired by the Hoosiers.
He's a 6-foot-5, 230-pound outside linebacker, playing at Bloomington South High School in Bloomington, Indiana, and is the No. 4 recruit at his position. It isn't very often that Indiana has an opportunity to sign a recruit of his reputation, so this is an important commit in the class and for the future defense.
21. West Virginia Mountaineers: QB Nicco Marchiol
ESPN 300 rank: 217
Marchiol had been committed to Florida State, but decommitted in June and eventually flipped to West Virginia.
He's a 6-foot-2, 210-pound quarterback from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, and is the No. 10 pocket-passer overall. He has had an outstanding season for his high school team, throwing 29 touchdowns through eight games.
22. South Carolina Gamecocks: QB Braden Davis
ESPN 300 rank: 179
South Carolina has found out what a lack of quarterback depth can do the hard way, starting a former grad assistant coach, Zeb Noland, under center. The coaches saw Noland get hurt, then Luke Doty was injured, and there has been a back-and-forth between quarterbacks.
Noland is a grad student and Doty is a sophomore. Adding Davis will help with depth early on and eventually give the coaches another option at the position.
23. Florida Gators: ATH Isaiah Bond
ESPN 300 rank: 108
Florida needs a little bit of everything, and Bond is an athlete who can do a little bit of everything. He's a 6-foot, 180-pound prospect from Buford High School in Buford, Georgia, and he's the No. 9 athlete in the country.
He could play wide receiver or defensive back, and while it seems likely he'll be a receiver at Florida, he brings some versatility that will allow the coaches to figure that out once he's on campus.
24. Kentucky Wildcats: OT Kiyaunta Goodwin
ESPN 300 rank: 70
Goodwin is a 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle from Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Indiana. He's the No. 9 offensive tackle in the class and chose Kentucky over Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Michigan State.
Landing a high-end tackle over some of the biggest programs in the country is always a win in recruiting.
25. Boston College Eagles: QB Peter Delaportas
ESPN 300 rank: 261
Have I mentioned the importance of quarterback depth yet? Adding Delaportas to this class is coming at a good time for the Eagles.
Phil Jurkovec is a junior this season, so there won't be pressure on Delaportas to contribute too early, but having him on the roster will help provide some assurances at the position.