Here’s a scary fact: Clemson won 2 of the past 3 national championships without having any back-to-back Top 10 recruiting classes.

That changed Wednesday when the defending national champs finished No. 10 — three spots lower than last year but just their third Top 10 class in the past eight cycles.

The Tigers’ weren’t the only team outside the SEC that had a big recruiting cycle. Here is a look at the 5 biggest Playoff threats that received a nice bump from the 2019 class.

1. Texas

2019 class rank: No. 3

Average rank of previous 3 classes: 11.7

Skinny: The Longhorns also finished No. 3 in 2018, so with back-to-back Top 5 classes, they are legitimately building a Playoff contender. As if their thorough thumping of Georgia didn’t already signal that. The Longhorns’ class included 2 5-stars and 15 4-stars, just enough to stay ahead of No. 4 Texas A&M. Florida used to be Ground Zero for the best in-state recruiting wars, but Texas supplanted it this year. This cycle was the first time two Texas programs finished in the Top 5.

2. Oklahoma

2019 class rank: No. 6

Average rank of previous 3 classes: 12

Skinny: Lincoln Riley’s best class rank doesn’t even include grad transfer Jalen Hurts, but it does include 2 5-star receivers and a 5-star QB for 2020 and beyond. This class is notable for its explosiveness: 3 of the top 11 WRs in the class and the No. 2 TE. Hurts will take advantage of that in 2019, but 5-star QB Spencer Rattler will be the real beneficiary afterward. Oklahoma, which has made back-to-back Playoff runs under Riley, is a threat to make it 3 consecutive in 2019.

3. Michigan

2019 class rank: No. 8

Average rank of previous 3 classes: 11.7

Skinny: The Wolverines had a Top 5 class in 2017 but fell all the way to No. 22 last year. This is a nice bounce-back for Jim Harbaugh, and coupled with Ohio State’s fall out of the Top 10, the Wolverines might finally be in position to reclaim the Big Ten. Michigan still hasn’t appeared in the Big Ten Championship Game.

4. Clemson

2019 class rank: No. 10

Average rank of previous 3 classes: 11.3

Skinny: The Tigers’ only 5-star in CB Andrew Booth, but that’s hardly a concern. Nobody recruits for fit better than Dabo Swinney, and obviously it’s working. So there is zero need to be concerned that this class — coming off another national championship — has more 3-stars (15) than 4-stars (12) and 5-stars (1) combined. At other schools, that might prompt booster uproar, but Clemson’s 2015 class that helped win both titles had the same amount of 3-stars (12) as 4-stars (9) and 5-stars (3) combined.

5. Oregon

2019 class rank: No. 7

Average rank of previous 3 classes: 19.7

Skinny: The Ducks had some catching up to do, but that’s to be expected when you have a different head coach for 3 consecutive seasons. Mario Cristobal enters his second year and is coming off a 9-win season.

This class leads the Pac-12. Cristobal’s hope is that it sets the standard and helps return the Ducks to national prominence. The reality is they haven’t finished in the Top 25 since 2015.