Sporting News recruiting breakdown past 5 years

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SINCE73

250+ Posts
Not that it means much but it's fun to see what people on the outside think, good & bad..


Recruiting review: Big 12's big two are on course

January 30, 2008
Tom Dienhart
Sporting News

It's time to examine the Big 12 recruiting rankings from the last five years.

I averaged the Rivals.com recruiting standings of each Big 12 team from 2003-07, and here is how they look.

1. Oklahoma 1.6
2. Texas 2.2
3. Nebraska 4.0
4. Texas A&M 4.4
5. Oklahoma State 5.4
6. Kansas State 7.0
T7. Missouri 7.4
T7. Texas Tech 7.4
9. Colorado 7.8
10. Kansas 8.8
11. Iowa State 10.4
12. Baylor 12.0

Overachievers

Kansas. The magical 2007 run alone merits the Jayhawks' inclusion on this list. But don't forget this team also went to bowls in 2003 and 2005. Imagine what Mark Mangino would do if he were coaching, say, Texas. Fascinating.

Texas Tech. Rarely has any coach seemingly done more with less than Mike Leach. He hasn't had a breakthrough year, but Leach has had the Red Raiders in a bowl each of the last five seasons. And the trips to the Cotton, Holiday and Gator Bowls are pretty impressive.

Colorado. It's hard to believe the Buffaloes reached consecutive Big 12 championship games in 2004-05 when you realize they weren't dripping with talent. Sure, CU got whipped in each title tilt, but it's a tribute to Gary Barnett's coaching acumen.

Underachievers

Nebraska. Put this title in the pile with all the other dubious distinctions the Cornhuskers have suffered in recent years. The most depressing: missing the postseason twice in the last five years. Who says talent cures all evils? At least the Huskers reached one Big 12 title game (2006).

Texas A&M. What have the Aggies done with the fourth-best talent in the Big 12 the last five years? Qualified for three bowls -- and lost them all. Go ahead and groan.

Oklahoma State. The rankings say there has been good talent in Stillwater. But the accomplishments shout "mediocrity!" Let's hear it for trips to the Insight, Independence and Alamo Bowls!

On Course

Oklahoma. The Sooners have been a talent hog, and it shows. Sure, OU has lost four BCS bowls in the last five years. But at least Bob Stoops is getting his team there. And he has played in four Big 12 title games, winning three.

Texas. Grabbing two BCS bids in the last five years shows Mack Brown knows what to do when he has talent. The cherry on top: The 2005 BCS championship. But failing to make a BCS game the last two years is disconcerting.

Missouri. If you're looking for a cache of blue chippers, keep looking. It hasn't mattered for Gary Pinkel, who has had the Tigers in bowls each of the last three seasons. And MU announced it had arrived last year by winning its first Big 12 North crown.

Biggest bust

Martellus Bennett, TE, Texas A&M. The graduate of Taylor High in Alief, Texas, was the No. 8 player in the Class of 2005. And I dare you to find one person who felt he lived up to that billing. Bennett was average -- at best.

Biggest hit

Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma. A product of Palestine, Texas, Peterson was the No. 1 player in the class of 2004. He became an instant star who never looked back on his way to NFL glory
 
I wouldn't call Bennett the biggest bust. He was misused by Fran but his blocking has always been stellar and was 2nd team All B12 as a soph and HonMen as a junior.

Busts would be guys like Rhett Bomar (played OK as a freshman, got kicked out of school, currently at Sam Houston State) or Jorrie Adams (kicked off team for drug use, arrested).

And the rankings are skewed because they don't illustrate the complete separation of OU/Texas to the rest. The writer simply tallied up the B12 ranking. It would have been better to tally up the NCAA ranking. That way it would show OU and UT both with Top 10 classes, TAMU/Nebraska somewhere around 20 or so, then the rest of the B12 in the 30's and below.

It would show just how well guys like Leach and (to an extent) Mangino/Pinkel have done in coaching the talent they get.
 
My personal opinions: Since 2000, A&M has averaged recruiting 6 four and five star athletes each year!

ou has averaged recruiting over 13 four and five star athletes each year.

UT has averaged recruiting 13 four and star athletes each year.

That really tells the recruiting story to me!

But start shaking with recruiting fear 73, A&M's new staff recruited a grand total of 2 four and five star athletes over the five year period, 03 thru 07. It will either remain at 2 or JUMP to 5, depending which projected hire takes the last coaching position?

By the way 73, congrats on your potential new 4 star db that just decommitted from A&M. How is five star WR jones looking?

miller 58
 
bennett would not have been a bust if he was a 3 or 4 star player. but he wasn't, he was the number 8 player in the nation and that means more is expected.
 
All signs show OU to look pretty good for J.Jones. I still think it would be next to a miracle to pull him and his teammate away from the Tide and out of Bama. We'll see soon enough.
 
Looking at Rivals' 5-stars from 2005, Bennett did better than just about all of them except for Jonathan Stewart, Alex Boone, McFadden and Maualuga.
 
Bennett is predicted as the top tight-end taken in the draft per ESPN. Unfortunately, it is late 2nd round, early 3rd. Should him and Finley stayed another year? YES
 
AP wouldn't make my list for biggest hits. Not his fault, but he missed too many games in his 3 years and lost both BCS bowls. He was the best player, but he just didn't get enough games in his last 2 years.
 
As far as this recruiting ranking...I agree with Bundy. Also A&M and OU had a to of attrition during this period and you have take recruiting rankings at face value due to their subjectivity and the fact that they don't look at the classes years later and take out all the guys that never made it to the field or made very little contribution before leaving the team (transfer, grades, off-field issues, injuries, etc).

Thus all I can really make out of these recruiting rankings is to say that subjectively that this is the potential that each team had that year (or for a given time frame) and then you can look at wins and losses and see if they over/under achieved.
 
hornpharmed, for a five year period, here is the average recruting class size for 03, 04, 05, 06, and 07.

They are; A&M 24, ou 23, UT 21, lsu 24, florida 24, and usc 22.

These numbers show the difference in attrition or the lack of it.

miller58
 
Unforutnately guys like Mangino would never even be considered for the Texas job. Image is everything, you know.
 
Idiots rag on Brown. Very very few colleges would not trade their success for ours. Plus he is one of the best coaches to play for. He treats his players as good as any coach. Is he perfect. No, but it would be hard to find someone that fits UT better and wins a lot more than almost anyone.
 
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