Top Football Recruiting Schools

Top universities spend top dollar to recruit star high school football players for their athletic programs. The University of Tennessee tops the list of big spenders, with a three-year average of $1,154,802 between 2005 and 2008. The amount of money spent on recruiting doesn't always correlate to national championships or winning teams, however.

  1. University of Alabama

    • The University of Alabama's Crimson Tide boasts 13 national championships since 1925, the most recent top place finish in 2009. From the days of legendary head coach Paul "Bear" Byrant to the 2011 recruiting season, Alabama prospects for star high school players with a vengeance. Listed in fifth place on MSN's Scout.com website in recruiting for the 2011 school year, the university has commitments from 15 top high school gridiron stars and a few hundred other athletes have visited the campus. The Crimson Tide's official website contains a questionnaire for high school players interested in the team.

    University of Oklahoma

    • With 18 players already committed to Oklahoma for 2010 and beyond, this Big 12 powerhouse has a long history of recruiting stellar players. Well-known Oklahoma players include Brian Bosworth and Billy Sims. Sooner scouts have a long history of nabbing recruits from football-rich Texas. Eleven of the high school players pledged to the University of Oklahoma for 2011 hail from the Lone Star state.

    Notre Dame

    • Twelve top high school football stars have committed to the Fighting Irish for the 2011 season. Notre Dame, lauded by Midwesterners as a premier gridiron team, suffered with six wins and six losses during the 2009 season. Their recruiting efforts for 2011 are back on track, with 78 prospects lined up as of July 2010, according to Scout.com.

    University of Florida

    • The University of Florida Gators are recognized as a top team in the NCAA's Southeastern Conference. The Gators' scouts consistently recruit top players, as evidenced by the team's national championships in 2006 and 2008. Twelve top high school stars have committed to the University of Florida for 2011, with visits from another 140 prospects, according to Scout.com.

    University of Southern California

    • The University of Southern California ranks first on Yahoo Sports Rivals website. With a total of 20 commits from highly-rated high school football stars, this school beat out other college football recruiting programs for top spot in 2010 recruiting. USC still competes with the best college football programs in 2011, with 11 high school stars already committed to the university.