| TOP RECRUITING CLASSES |
| 310 Division 1 Teams |
| Rank |
School |
The Buzz |
| 1 |
North Carolina
 |
This latest UNC class is so strong that half the signees could fail to hit Chapel Hill in the fall and this group would still be among the Top 10. That scenario is unthinkable but the Heels did fall one short of their original eight recruits that ranked among the nation's Top 25. The Heels needed a major reload with ten letterwinners gone from 2005 and this set of rookies may end up giving Carolina one of its youngest starting 11 in 2006. Coach Dorrance has seven newcomers (original commit Jessica McDonald did not gain admission) who are part of US Youth National team pools to go along with two other top signees in addition to three players who redshirted their freshmen season in 2005. UNC has never failed to have a Top 10 recruiting class. 2006 marks the third #1 class in the last eight years. |
| 2 |
UCLA
 |
Cheney is easily the top recruit for 2006, but it will be interesting to see her availability this fall if she continues to see time with the US National Team and U-20 squads. The Bruins get three great recruits among the Top 30 who should restock the backline. Cook will be better than most expect and Larsen gives UCLA four US Youth National recruits. Simon is a top player who will walk-on and Molly Kruger's transfer from Indiana makes this a powerful set of eight newcomers. Coach Ellis may have signed the two best defenders in the '06 class. This is the third time a Bruins class has been ranked #2 in the last six years. Seven of the last signing classes have been Top 10 sets. |
| 3 |
Duke
 |
All five Duke recruits are among the nation's Top 50 led by the youngest, CJ Ludemann, a Golden Boot winner at ODP Nationals last year. Each has played with the US U-17 National Team and won either a club or odp national championship. Alukonis' late decision for the Blue Devils over Santa Clara put Duke's class just above the Broncos. Three new Blue Devils were recently named Parade All-Americas, equaling UCLA's three and second only to UNC who had eight make the list. At #3, this group is the highest ever ranked for Duke. Twice before (2002 and 2003), the Blue Devils earned a Top 10 recruiting class ranking. |
| 4 |
Santa Clara
 |
The west coast was again good to the Broncos who snagged three California players on the US U-17 National Team along with Arizona's Johnson who has also been on the youth roster. Orand has been a top target for every school for close to five years and Reynolds' signing gives Coach Smith five of the nation's Top 150 preps. The Broncos will need one of their three defensive signees to step up quickly and fill at least one spot in back. Three of the last four years have brought Top 5 classes to Santa Clara. 2003 and 1997 both produced #1 recruiting marks. |
| 5 |
Penn State
 |
Ten signees will head to Penn State and five are among our Top 250 recruits. Naeher is the top keeper in the Class of 2006 and Coach Wilkins may have brought in some of the year's best finds with the least notoriety in Davies, Duggan, Rago, Ryan and Sherman. Top 50-recruit Schoepfer will be as good as any among our Top 25. The Lions will need fast production from this group with the loss of a starter in each third of the field as well as the net, including three first-team All-Americas. With its second-highest recruiting class in program history, Penn State inks a Top 10 class for the third time in five years. |
| 6 |
Stanford
 |
Stanford scored big with the explosive O'Hara and went all out for the offensive numbers by bringing in Jenkins, Stannard and the fast-rising Ali Riley. Katie Riley will be the lone addition to the defense as the Cardinal get four recruits among the nation's Top 75 which includes Stannard, the NSCAA Scholar of the Year. Ali Riley (New Zealand) and O'Hara (USA) could both be in Russia competing in the U-20 World Championships when the fall season starts. Stanford has earned its highest ranking in six years and first Top 10 placement in three seasons. The Cardinal had the 2nd and 3rd ranked classes in 1998 and 1999, respectively. |
| 7 |
LSU
 |
Coach Brian Lee worked fast to put LSU on the soccer map. This class is a solid Top 10 bunch even without factoring in Canadian signee Natalie Martineau who re-signed after committing in 2005 and sitting out to play with Canada's youth team. This group can almost field its own Region 3 ODP Team as nine are part of that pool and a tenth, Potts, plays on the Region 2 squad. All ten are among the Top 200 recruits in this year's class. The Tigers ripped records with this signing class as it is the first to ever achieve a Top 25 mark. LSU had never had a class ranked among the nation's best before 2004 and has now earned three straight national rankings (#60 in 2004 and #26 in 2005.) |
| 8 |
Georgia
 |
Change colors, logos and location and little else seems to change for Patrick Baker. From FSU to Georgia, his recruiting prowess continues with his third Top 10 class and first-ever for the University of Georgia. At least 15 new faces will join the Georgia roster as this class is deep, talented and loaded with players that will get this program solidly among the Top 25 in the fall. West and Abelson are both Youth All-Americas with US Youth national team experience and at least four others are regional pool members. Transfers Stinson (VT), Lenze (Vandy) and Cripps (Ohio St) helped push this class right into the Top 10. Georgia's first Top 10 class also marks just the second time the SEC has had two programs in the Top 10 in the same year (2005). The Bulldogs have signed Top 25 national classes on three other occasions. |
| 9 |
Illinois
 |
Seven of Illinois' eight signees have captured a national championships with their club or state team. The Illini recruited well in their home state as five of those national champion players earned odp national titles with the Illinois state team. Bell, Garrett, Nweke, Pickard and Sahly all have regional pool experience and Kapicka is a top keeper with major potential. All-state honors were handed out to six of these players and Bell earned the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 2004 ODP Nationals. Illinois is another school earning its first-ever Top 10 ranking. Coach Rayfield's highest previous mark was #14 in 2004 as Illinois now owns five Top 30 classes in the last six years. |
| 10 |
Notre Dame
 |
No Hanks or Thorlakson in this signing class, but the Irish get five talented players among the Top 125 in the country. Four bring youth national championship experience and Californian Lysander (also a softball All-America) is one of three NSCAA Youth All-Americas. Versatile Ford could be the surprise of this class as she will work well in Coach Waldrum's system of position switcheroo. Four starters, including Chapman and Thorlakson, must be replaced and the versatility of this class will give Waldrum lots of options. The Irish have a Top 10 class for the fifth straight year and eighth time in the last nine years. Despite a Top 10 national ranking, it marks the first time an Irish class has not been ranked first in the Great Lakes region. |
 |
| RECRUITING CLASS BUZZ |
| Arizona |
Highest ever ranking at #19
|
| Boston College |
Seven straight Top 25 recruiting classes
|
| California |
Nine consecutive years ranked nationally
|
| Central Florida |
First-ever Top 25 class and third straight among Top 75
|
| Clemson |
Nine years and counting ranked among nation's Top 50
|
| Florida |
Eight of last nine signing classes among Top 25
|
| Harvard |
Gets Top 50 standing for seventh in last eight years
|
| Iowa State |
Highest honors ever for Cyclones who stand #26
|
| Long Beach State |
#39 spot after first-ever national rank of #15 in 2005
|
| Loyola Marymount |
Five straight years at the Top 50 mark
|
| Maryland |
Make it eight straight for Terps in Top 50
|
| Minnesota |
Best-ever ranking at #13 and third straight in Top 100
|
| Nebraska |
Has never missed a Top 100 finish
|
| Ohio State |
Three years in Top 35 and six of last nine among Top 50
|
| Oklahoma State |
Scoring big with foreigners with fourth Top 40 set in a row
|
| Oregon |
Quietly shoots to highest honors ever at #28
|
| Penn |
Among Top 75 recruiting schools for five years running
|
| Pepperdine |
Earns best rank ever and is Top 75 for fourth straight time
|
| Princeton |
Nationally-ranked class for ninth year in a row
|
| Rutgers |
Best finish ever at #16
|
| San Diego State |
Follows last year's best mark of #19 with a #30 rank
|
| South Carolina |
Sneaks into Top 60 for fourth year in a row
|
| South Florida |
Debuts in Top 100 with high #72 ranking
|
| TCU |
Now has two Top 50 rankings after last year's #39
|
| Texas A&M |
Has never finished lower than #31 in recruiting
|
| Texas Tech |
Three years straight in Top 75
|
| UAB |
After first ranking in 2004, has improved each year since
|
| UC Santa Barbara |
Just second ranked class is highest ever at #45
|
| UNC Greensboro |
Just missed Top 50 but has now earned Top 100 three times
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| VCU |
Hits Top 25 for first time to make it three straight in Top 50
|
| Virginia |
Keeps streak alive of Top 13 for every signing class
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| Wake Forest |
Second-best class ever and eight in last nine years Top 40
|
| West Virginia |
A drop for WVU but makes Top 60 for seventh straight time
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