The 2021 recruiting cycle has been unique to say the least. Coaches have had to deal with adjustments to the recruiting calendar, with a prolonged dead period because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Those limitations haven’t stopped teams from pushing through on the recruiting trail, though, and we have seen a few teams rise up in the rankings. There are some programs that have crept up in the rankings that aren’t the typical teams we see near the top.
Here’s a look at the surprise teams for each conference.
SEC
Tennessee Volunteers
Class rank: 2
This list has to start with the Vols because of how well the staff has recruited so far in this cycle. Jeremy Pruitt and his staff have 23 total commitments, eight ESPN 300 commitments and the No. 2-ranked class overall.
This article was originally published by Espn.com. Read the original article here.