Amid conference realignment that is changing college football, we decided to rank the top 10 recruiting classes from 2010 to 2019 for each Power 5 conference.
We recently evaluated our recruiting class rankings, considering how player rankings translated into actual production and how well each class did in the win column over the course of four years.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have broken down the Big 12 and the Pac-12. This time, we go through the ACC (plus Notre Dame).
For the ACC, it's a tale of two teams. Over this 10-year span either Florida State or Clemson won every conference title starting in 2011. The Atlantic blue bloods have combined for three national titles.
This decade was essentially split into two halves, with the Seminoles placing three classes from early in the decade on this list and the Tigers, who have won six straight ACC titles, dominating with multiple entries in the back half.
No other ACC recruiting class threatened to steal a spot away from either FSU or Clemson, which is supported by their respective dominance on the field over this period. Notre Dame, which is independent in football but associated with the ACC in other college sports and was a member in 2020, was eligible for this ranking, and was able to break up the Tigers' and Seminoles' dominance.
Here are the top 10 recruiting classes in the ACC over the past decade.
1. Florida State, 2012
Class of 2012 ranking: 2
Top offensive prospect: QB Jameis Winston (No. 14)
Top defensive prospect: DE Mario Edwards Jr. (No. 1)
Alabama inked the No. 1 class in 2012, but Florida State finished close behind with a group that featured several impact performers. This class helped deliver three straight conference titles, a College Football Playoff appearance and a national championship in 2013. Winston was the No. 1 QB in the class and established himself as one of the greatest players in program history. He was showered with accolades in 2013, his redshirt freshman season, including the Heisman Trophy and being named MVP of the BCS National Championship. FSU signed a pair of five-star defensive linemen in Edwards, the No. 1 overall player, and DT Eddie Goldman. Edwards was a quick and versatile contributor, earning first-team All-ACC honors and leading the team in tackles for loss in 2014. Goldman played as a freshman and developed into an All-American in 2014. Among the other key signees in this class was kicker Roberto Aguayo, who was accurate and dependable, and left as a three-time All-American selection.
2. Clemson, 2015
Class of 2015 ranking: 2
Top offensive prospect: OT Mitch Hyatt (No. 18)
Top defensive prospect: DT Christian Wilkins (No. 32)
Success is all this class would know. Over a four-season span, the Tigers won the conference title and made the CFP each year, with national title wins in 2016 and 2018. Championships are won up front, and some key players in the trenches included ESPN 300 defensive linemen Wilkins, Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell. The agile Wilkins was an immediate impact player who left as a three-time all-conference and All-America selection. Ferrell was among the program's leaders in sacks (27), while Bryant finished his career with 20 sacks. Five-star Hyatt was a four-year starter on the offensive line and a consensus first-team All-American in 2018. Some perimeter playmakers arrived this cycle as well, including No. 2 WR Deon Cain and ESPN 300 ATH Ray-Ray McCloud.
3. Clemson, 2018
Class of 2018 ranking: 5
Top offensive prospect: QB Trevor Lawrence (No. 2)
Top defensive prospect: DE Xavier Thomas (No. 4)
Parts of this class are still in action and will not finish quite as strong as they started. However, over its first three seasons, it played a role in three straight conference titles and playoff appearances, as well as a national title in 2018. A key piece to that success came in five-star QB Lawrence. He wasted no time making his presence felt, being named ACC Rookie of the Year among his many honors. Lawrence led the Tigers to the national title that season with an offensive MVP showing in the championship game. He had a 34-2 record as a starter and became the winningest QB in program history. Clemson pulled No. 2 OT Jackson Carman out of Ohio, and he started 27 straight games between 2019 and 2020. WR Justyn Ross developed into a big-play target for Lawrence in year one, notching 46 receptions for a team-high 1,000 yards and nine TDs, and followed that with a team-high 66 receptions in 2019. Explosive five-star defender Thomas was a highly touted signee who contributed to the championship team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks as a freshman.
4. Florida State, 2011
Class of 2011 ranking: 1
Top offensive prospect: ATH Karlos Williams (No. 5)
Top defensive prospect: DT Tim Jernigan (No. 17)
The top overall class in 2011 helped the Seminoles secure three ACC titles, win the 2013 BCS national championship and make an appearance in the first CFP semifinals. The Seminoles signed eight of the top 20 players within the state of Florida in this cycle, all of whom were in the top five at their respective position. Williams was a versatile contributor during his career, and No. 2-ranked DT Jernigan was an all-conference performer. Several key offensive players also arrived in this class, including top-20 WR Rashad Greene, who set several FSU career receiving records. Four-star RB Devonta Freeman left the program among its leaders in career rushing touchdowns (30).
5. Clemson, 2013
Class of 2013 ranking: 14
Top offensive prospect: RB Tyshon Dye (No. 123)
Top defensive prospect: CB Mackensie Alexander (No. 4)
The Tigers have become a dominant force in the ACC and a consistent factor in the national title picture for several seasons, and this class was the impetus behind that run. It surpassed its finish of 13th in the final class rankings, as it brought in multiple key contributors that led to back-to-back national championship appearances, including a win in 2016. An injury slowed his start, but when he hit the field in 2014, five-star CB Alexander became one of the top corners in the country. High-motor ESPN 300 LB Ben Boulware started more than 30 games and led the national title team in tackles. In-state ESPN 300 WR Mike Williams was a key target for that championship squad, leading the team in receptions (98) and receiving yards (1,361). He left third in program history in receiving touchdowns. Overshadowed by five-star Grayson High School teammate Robert Nkemdiche, Wayne Gallman turned out to be an outstanding pickup for the Tigers. They were 17-0 when he rushed for over 100 yards, and he left the school ranked third in rushing TDs and fifth in rushing yards.
6. Clemson, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 12
Top offensive prospect: QB Deshaun Watson (No. 16)
Top defensive prospect: LB Korie Rogers (No. 193)
As freshmen, this group went 10-3 with a loss to Florida State, but that was their last loss to the Seminoles on the way to six straight conference titles. Much like Lawrence, whom he preceded, Watson was a top-rated QB prospect out of Georgia who became a Heisman finalist and led Clemson to a national title. A key target for Watson arrived in this class in Artavis Scott. He recorded a catch in 38 straight games and left as the Tigers' career leader in receptions (245). Four-Star LB Kendall Joseph was a productive three-year starter and team captain in 2018. The success of this class even expanded beyond the signees, as 2014 was the year receiver Hunter Renfrow walked on. He would earn a scholarship and become a legendary contributor with his winning touchdown in the 2016 title game against Alabama.
7. Notre Dame, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 16
Top offensive prospect: OT Liam Eichenberg (No. 67)
Top defensive prospect: DE Khalid Kareem (No. 124)
This class finished only 16th but proved to be a strong one for the Fighting Irish, helping guide them to playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. They fielded one of the best offensive lines in the nation, and two key pieces to that 2020 group came in Eichenberg and Tommy Kraemer. High three-star QB Ian Book developed into a big addition as a dual-threat. In 2019, he became the first QB in school history to accumulate at least 2,500 yards passing, 30 TDs and 500 yards on the ground in a season. In 2020, he also became the winningest QB (30) in their storied history. ESPN 300 Chase Claypool was a quick contributor and a productive one over his career, leaving among the top 10 in receptions in school history. The Irish's class produced several defensive standouts, including Daelin Hayes, Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Julian Okwara and Julian Love. The NFL also liked this class with more than a dozen from it on active or practice squad rosters.
8. Clemson, 2017
Class of 2017 ranking: 10
Top offensive prospect: WR Tee Higgins (No. 18)
Top defensive prospect: LB Justin Foster (No. 73)
This was not a big class, as the Tigers signed just 14 prospects, but it still finished top 10 nationally and proved that quantity can be made up for with quality. Several offensive playmakers were brought in, including RB Travis Etienne Jr., a late addition to the class who committed just a week before national signing day. The pickup out of Louisiana was an impactful one, as he finished as the ACC's leader in rushing yards (4,952) and total touchdowns (78). The Tigers signed a pair of ESPN 300 top-15 WRs in Higgins and Amari Rodgers, and both delivered. Higgins had an impactful 2018 postseason, catching four touchdowns between the ACC title game and CFP. Rodgers showed versatility, scoring on the ground, in the air and on special teams as a punt returner. Top-10 CB and eventual first-round NFL pick A.J. Terrell was a big addition on defense as a two-year starter and first-team All-ACC selection in 2019.
9. Florida State, 2010
Class of 2010 ranking: 6
Top offensive prospect: WR Christian Green (No. 53)
Top defensive prospect: CB Lamarcus Joyner (No. 6)
This class finished strong, helping deliver conference titles in 2013 and 2014 and a BCS national title in 2013. Multiple starters emerged from this class, including Joyner and Terrence Brooks, two key defenders in the productive secondary. The top-rated DB in the class, Joyner played as a freshman and was a consensus first-team All-American selection in the Seminoles' championship season. Three-star Brooks was a two-year starter with at least 50 tackles in both 2012 and 2013. Out of Connecticut via Germany, four-star pass rusher Bjoern Werner led the ACC in sacks (13) in 2012. A three-star DL prospect, Cameron Erving transitioned to offense and developed into one of the best linemen in college football, twice being named top blocker in the conference.
10. Clemson, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 8
Top offensive prospect: RB Tavien Feaster (No. 53)
Top defensive prospect: DT Dexter Lawrence (No. 6)
The search to infuse this list with an entry from another member of the conference was thwarted by this Tigers class, which proved worthy of making the top 10. Over five seasons, they were a part of a conference championship each year and won two national titles. Lawrence was ACC defensive rookie of the year in 2016 and would add a pair of first-team all-conference selections before declaring early for the NFL draft. Trayvon Mullen Jr. was a multi-year starter who notched four interceptions in his career. Isaiah Simmons was not among Clemson's 11 ESPN 300 signings, but the four-star out of Kansas developed into an impact player and became the first Tiger to win the Butkus Award. No. 2 ILB Tre Lamar was another key defensive player who came out of this class, as was three-star James Skalski, a captain still with the program with nearly 300 career tackles.
Best of the rest
Boston College, 2017
Class of 2017 ranking: 63
Notable recruit: RB AJ Dillon (three stars)
Duke, 2011
Class of 2011 ranking: N/A
Notable recruit: ATH Jamison Crowder (three stars)
Georgia Tech, 2012
Class of 2012 ranking: N/A
Notable recruit: ATH Justin Thomas (four stars)
Louisville, 2015
Class of 2015 ranking: 30
Notable recruit: QB Lamar Jackson (three stars)
Miami, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 19
Notable recruit: LB Shaquille Quarterman (No. 98)
NC State, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 38
Notable recruit: LB Bradley Chubb (three stars)
North Carolina, 2013
Class of 2013 ranking: 21
Notable recruit: WR Ryan Switzer (four stars)
Pittsburgh, 2017
Class of 2017 ranking: 31
Notable recruit: QB Kenny Pickett (three stars)
Syracuse, 2015
Class of 2015 ranking: 63
Notable recruit: QB Eric Dungey (three stars)
Virginia, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 60
Notable recruit: WR Joe Reed (three stars)
Virginia Tech, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 31
Notable recruit: WR Isaiah Ford (four stars)
Wake Forest, 2018
Class of 2018 ranking: 60
Notable recruit: QB Sam Hartman (three stars)