Ranking college football’s 40 best 2025 recruiting classes: Why Oregon made a big jump

June is a hectic period in the recruiting world. A month full of visits brings a new wave of commitments to start July, and the recent activity has had a seismic impact on the class rankings. Seven new classes moved into the top 40 while several other programs made big leaps.

With a handful of recent ESPN 300 commits, Oregon was the biggest riser. The Ducks’ most significant move was landing five-star receiver Dakorien Moore, who recently decommitted from LSU.

Miami also made a big jump. The Hurricanes were able to flip former USC commit Hylton Stubbs, one of the top defensive back prospects in the state of Florida. They also went out west to land the top interior line prospect in S.J. Alofaituli, a quick and powerful blocker who could be an immediate and impact addition to their offensive line.

Florida State is among the fast starters for the 2026 cycle but has moved a little slower for 2025. The Seminoles have picked up steam in recent weeks, landing seven commitments in a 10-day span, including five ESPN 300 players.

SMU is an example of the highs and lows that can happen in recruiting. The Mustangs have experienced some tough decommitments, including from QB Keelon Russell (Alabama) and running back Rickey Stewart (Texas), and in the last update completely fell out of the rankings. They have rebounded nicely, flipping ESPN 300 QB Ty Hawkins from TCU.

This update is an example of how quickly things can change.

NEW TEAMS IN: Florida State, SMU, Maryland, Kansas State, UCLA, Indiana, Virginia Tech

TEAMS OUT: Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Wake Forest, Virginia, Oklahoma State

coverage:
Recruits to know in 2025 rankings
CFB’s future power rankings
Previewing every conference

ESPN 300 commits: 16
Top offensive prospect: QB Tavien St. Clair
Top defensive prospect: CB Na’eem Offord

Previous ranking: 1