There aren’t many months bigger for football recruiting than May, as many soon-to-be seniors begin taking their official visits.
The summer months heat up both literally and figuratively as many players from all over the country take visits and make key decisions, whether it be to flip from one team to another or to make their first decision.
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This May was no exception as nearly every major program in the country landed a commitment from any caliber of player. With that in mind, what teams stood out with how well they did on the trail?
Here’s a look at the seven teams who had the biggest months on the recruiting trail.
Notable Commitments: 4-star RB Andrew Beard, 4-star OT Elijah Hutcheson, 4-star WR Elias Pearl, 4-star LB Ja’Bios Smith
Breakdown: Gator fans are waiting to see what the product on the field looks like but if it’s anything like how they’re recruiting, the future could be bright in Gainesville.
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In a class already headlined by a five-star talent in Maxwell Hiller, Florida added more depth on the line in Hutcheson and two more key offensive weapons in Beard Pearl. For the month they finished with seven commitments.
Miami football
Notable Commitments: 5-star CB Donte Wright, 4-star RB Ty Keys, 4-star LB Aroson Randle Jr., 4-star IOL Jatori Williams
Breakdown: Miami ended May with eight new commitments and arguably had the biggest flip of the month as they pulled Wright away from Georgia.
That decision was far from the only major recruiting news for the Hurricanes. Keys may not be the highest rated running back in his class but statistically he is one of the most potent in the country. Randle is one of the more underrated linebacker prospects and Williams is a massive pickup for an offensive line unit that has continually pushed out elite prospects.
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Notable Commitments: 4-star OT Jakari Lipsey, 4-star WR Quentin Burrell, 4-star CB Tavares Harrington, 4-star DL Xavier Muhammad, 4-star RB Tyson Robinson
Breakdown: Wolverine fans were waiting for their team to make a splash on the recruiting trail and they did just that in May landing 11 new commitments.
While they still are trying to reel in a five-star talent, the Wolverines did add in five new four-star prospects for a mix on both offense and defense. Lipsey is the biggest win so far rankings as Michigan‘s highest-rated pledge and a top 70 prospect in the country according to 247Sports.
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Notable Commitments: 5-star OT Oluwasemilore Olubobola, 4-star DL David Folorunsho, 4-star edge Aidan O’Neil, 4-star edge Jackson Vaughn
Breakdown: Since his arrival, Marcus Freeman’s unlocked Notre Dame recruiting and May was once again another great month on the trail for the Fighting Irish who added eight new commitments.
Defensive line recruiting in particular has been a strength and that continued with commitments from Folorunsho, O’Neil and Vaugh. However, there’s no denying that Olubobola was their biggest win and is just the latest five-star offensive linemen to commit to Notre Dame.
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Notable Commitments: 4-star LB Jeremiah Culpepper, 4-star safety Darrell Mattison, 4-star CB Taelyn Mayo, 4-star DL Marvin Nguestop
Breakdown: No Lane, no problem for the Rebels as they were big winners on the trail in May landing eight new commitments. Half of those commitments came over the final two days of the month.
While Kiffin was known more for being an offensive mastermind, Pete Golding is more of a defensive genius and that was present in the highest rated commitments for the Rebels in May. Each of their four-star pledges for the month were on the defensive side of the ball.
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Notable Commitments: 4-star CB Juju Johnson, 4-star CB Jerry Outhouse, 4-star IOL Jackson Roper
Breakdown: The Bruins may not be the stereotypical team one may think of when it comes to recruiting winners, but they were active in May with 11 new commitments.
Many of those commitments were three-star pledges but they added much needed depth to a class that entering the month, only had nine pledges. Their biggest wins came on the outside in a pair of four-star corners in Johnson and flipping Outhouse away from Georgia.
Notable Commitments: 4-star QB Peter Bourque, 4-star TE Jordan Karhoff
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Breakdown: The James Franklin era at Virginia Tech had its biggest recruiting win in May as the Hokies landed 10 of their 17 commitments so far in the month.
No pledge was bigger than that of Bourque who became Virginia Tech’s highest-rated commitment in years. They also landed their tight end of the future in Karhoff alongside several other players who could help propel the Hokies into a top 10 class by the end of the cycle.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top college football recruiting winners in May
