***Official National Signing Day thread*** (6 Viewers)

[snowmonkey501]

jeffcoat announcement streaming here

 

[Dexter Manley]

Jeffcoat has committed to UT.

Nebraska got a huge commit for 2011, as QB Jamal Turner verballed last night. The Huskers had a huge lead for the kid, but it was pretty surprising that he committed last night as he had recently talked about visiting OU and Bama junior days.

The 3 top remaining targets for Nebraska, Owa, Cooper, and Carnes, are all announcing their decisions on signing day.

I'm pretty optimistic about Owa and Carnes. Cooper I have no idea.

 

[snowmonkey501]

HOOK'EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Apparently Hicks and Jeffcoat are announcing around the same time tomorrow, and the only school they\'re considering in common is Texas so...who knows. Jeffcoat had originally said he was going to announce on the 31st, but he moved it up to tomorrow.

If we got either one of these it will be great. Both would be an amazing end to an already incredible class.

There\'s also a kicker in town from Shreveport, Louisiana, Evangel H. S., who\'s currently committed to Arkansas. Will Russ. 6\'3\", 185#, also is a good punter and plays third base for his state champion baseball team...so he\'s a good athlete. Has a good leg, coupla 49 yarders to his credit, kicking off the ground. Apparently Arkansas brought in another kicker and Texas offered, so he decided to take the trip. This makes sense since both our best kickers are graduating.

Bachman also expects the visit to be a formality.

“It’s my understanding that Texas has already offered Will a scholarship,” Bachman said. “And I fully expect him to commit to Texas.”

Why?

“Because Texas is Texas,” Bachman said.

Again, as always, we\'ll see.

Rivals #12 overall recruit and #3 DE Jackson Jeffcoat to Texas.http://www.40acressports.com/tag/jackson-jeffcoat/

http://insidetexas.com/news/story.php?article=1967

Jackson Jeffcoat, a five-star prospect and the No. 2 ranked prospect in the ESPNU 150, ended his long recruiting process by donning a burnt orange Texas cap and verbally committing to Texas becoming commitment No. 23 in the Longhorns’ 2010 recruiting haul (see complete commit list).

\"I felt most comfortable at Texas,\" Jeffcoat said. \"Not that I didn’t feel comfortable at other schools. That’s what made the decision so hard. All these schools are great schools. I just felt right at Texas.\"

Jeffcoat said he made the decision \"a couple of days ago\" and that it\'s \"definitely a relief\" given all the speculation surrounding his recruitment.

The No. 2-ranked prospect in the Inside Texas 2010 Top 100 said he plans to come in and work hard and although it wasn\'t promised, he believes he can earn some good playing time as a freshman. He added that one of his goals while in Austin is to win a national championship.

The commitment of Jeffcoat, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound playmaking defender, is huge for a number of reasons. Not only does the commitment give Texas another huge recruiting victory over Oklahoma (one of Jeffcoat’s three finalists along with Houston) but it gives Texas a potentially lethal defensive line rotation in the near future.

Jeffcoat joins a defensive line class for the Longhorns featuring Under Armour All-American defensive tackles Taylor Bible and Ashton Dorsey, defensive end Reggie Wilson (the state’s top prospect in the Inside Texas 2010 Top 100), four-star defensive tackle DeAires Cotton and four-star defensive end Greg Daniels.

Compile those talents with 2009 signees Calvin Howell, Derek Johnson, Kyle Kriegel and Tevin Mims and it’s easy to see why the Longhorns might have the best defensive line in the country in a short amount of time.

Now let\'s see where Hicks goes at 11:30...

eta: good job snowmonkey and Dexter....Hook Em!! and gl and conrats to NU, too on another nice pickup.

 

[The Commish]

Florida pulled Dorsey's scholarship. I'm thinking USC or FSU, Rich Rod will be having an in house with Dorsey in the coming days.

Why was it pulled?

 

[snowmonkey501]

hicks getting ready to announce...

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Jeffcoat has committed to UT.Nebraska got a huge commit for 2011, as QB Jamal Turner verballed last night. The Huskers had a huge lead for the kid, but it was pretty surprising that he committed last night as he had recently talked about visiting OU and Bama junior days.The 3 top remaining targets for Nebraska, Owa, Cooper, and Carnes, are all announcing their decisions on signing day.I'm pretty optimistic about Owa and Carnes. Cooper I have no idea.

Jamal Turner is going to be a stud.

 

[derek245583]

hicks getting ready to announce...

 

[snowmonkey501]

muschamp finishing his second cup of coffee today.

HOOK'EM!!!!!!!

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Out-effing-standing!

Getting both of these kids to top off this class is almost too mouch to ask for, BUT I'LL TAKE IT!!!

!Hook 'Em! !Hook 'Em!

 

[Hunterbeer]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

 

[Abraham]

2* QB Nash Nance committed to the Vols. Rivals now has them at 7. If they can finish in the top-12 or 15 after all the smoke clears I will be very happy.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150. That's nasty.

 

[Abraham]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20.

Rivals only has one as a 5*. Inexact science indeed...

 

[the hairy scotsman]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20.

Rivals only has one as a 5*. Inexact science indeed...

Well, yeah...always has been. We'll know in a year or two if these guys can play at the next level. Still, there's no way I can see this as anything but good. These seem like good kids who will play hard. Jeffcoat is a very good student also. Don't know either way about Hicks in that regard.

 

[Dexter Manley]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20.

Rivals only has one as a 5*. Inexact science indeed...

Well, yeah...always has been. We'll know in a year or two if these guys can play at the next level. Still, there's no way I can see this as anything but good. These seem like good kids who will play hard. Jeffcoat is a very good student also. Don't know either way about Hicks in that regard.

IMO, Jeffcoat is as sure a thing as you can get in college football recruiting. Dude is a stud, and from what I've read has good character.I did find it somewhat amusing that he had Houston in his final 3.

 

[doughboydeluxe]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20.

Rivals only has one as a 5*. Inexact science indeed...

Well, yeah...always has been. We'll know in a year or two if these guys can play at the next level. Still, there's no way I can see this as anything but good. These seem like good kids who will play hard. Jeffcoat is a very good student also. Don't know either way about Hicks in that regard.

IMO, Jeffcoat is as sure a thing as you can get in college football recruiting. Dude is a stud, and from what I've read has good character.I did find it somewhat amusing that he had Houston in his final 3.

Jim Jeffcoat (his dad and former Cowboy) is the defensive line coach at Houston.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20.

Rivals only has one as a 5*. Inexact science indeed...

Well, yeah...always has been. We'll know in a year or two if these guys can play at the next level. Still, there's no way I can see this as anything but good. These seem like good kids who will play hard. Jeffcoat is a very good student also. Don't know either way about Hicks in that regard.

IMO, Jeffcoat is as sure a thing as you can get in college football recruiting. Dude is a stud, and from what I've read has good character.I did find it somewhat amusing that he had Houston in his final 3.

Completely agree about Jeffcoat. From what I've seen, he's the kind of kid you'd want your kids to hang out with. Hope I'm right. Don't know as much about Hicks, bad or good.

 

[ChampBailey24]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150. That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150. That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

Granted, ESPN's rankings do suck, as do most things ESPN. I think most would agree with that. I wasn't putting any stock in what I posted, either. Just an observation.But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?Watching ESPN's coverage, one could just as easily come away thinking everyone there hates Texas.

 

[ChampBailey24]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150. That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

Granted, ESPN's rankings do suck, as do most things ESPN. I think most would agree with that. I wasn't putting any stock in what I posted, either. Just an observation.But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?Watching ESPN's coverage, one could just as easily come away thinking everyone there hates Texas.

Did you watch the UA game? Was ridiculous. ESPN's California rankings suck (Dillon Baxter out of the top 100) and they basically don't care about the Midwest. It's all about Florida and Texas (the states, not the schools).

 

[the hairy scotsman]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150.

That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

Granted, ESPN's rankings do suck, as do most things ESPN. I think most would agree with that. I wasn't putting any stock in what I posted, either. Just an observation.But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?

Watching ESPN's coverage, one could just as easily come away thinking everyone there hates Texas.

Did you watch the UA game? Was ridiculous. ESPN's California rankings suck (Dillon Baxter out of the top 100) and they basically don't care about the Midwest. It's all about Florida and Texas (the states, not the schools).

Which one?As for the rest of your post, I can believe that. I certainly won't argue.

 

[Dexter Manley]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150. That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?

I'm not sure why. My best guess is they put most of their recruiting sources in those states. It's a lot easier to put together national rankings if you put most of your focus on 2 of the big 3.California kids are criminally underranked. It seems like they ignore the midwest for the most part unless a midwest kid commits to a school like Miami or Florida. (I LOLed a few years back when they had Harold Gunn as a 4 star and on their top 150 list. He was a Nebraska kid who committed to Miami, and all the local coaches I talked to thought he was nothing special. A nice D1 prospect sure, but he shouldn't have sniffed any top 100/150 lists. If he had committed to Nebraska or Iowa he wouldn't have sniffed the top 150 list.)IMO, Rivals is on another level compared to everyone else when it comes to recruiting info (and rankings). I've heard a couple of team sites on ESPN are better than the same team sites on Rivals (I think tOSU or Michigan might be one), but unless your a fan of one of those teams, I think you're way better off using Rivals.

 

[L5UT1ger]

For example, if you were to ask the average LSU fan if they would be willing to trade Les Miles for a better HC, but there would be a slight downtick in their annual recruting rankings (instead of perennially top 10, perennially top 20). I wonder what they would say?

Deal!

 

[ChampBailey24]

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.

Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150.

That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

Granted, ESPN's rankings do suck, as do most things ESPN. I think most would agree with that. I wasn't putting any stock in what I posted, either. Just an observation.But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?

Watching ESPN's coverage, one could just as easily come away thinking everyone there hates Texas.

Did you watch the UA game? Was ridiculous. ESPN's California rankings suck (Dillon Baxter out of the top 100) and they basically don't care about the Midwest. It's all about Florida and Texas (the states, not the schools).

Which one?As for the rest of your post, I can believe that. I certainly won't argue.

UA=Under Armour game (ESPN)AAA=Army All-American (Tom Lemming/Rivals/Army)

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

WOW, what a close by the Longhorns. This was already a great class, now it is MAJOR. Things look good on the 40 acres

That makes 6 of ESPN's Top 20. 15 of the Top 150.Florida also has 15 of the Top 150, so Texas and UF have 20% of the kids from the Top 150.

That's nasty.

ESPN is always biased towards Texas and Florida. Bible and Dorsey aren't the 2 best DTs in the nation. Texas and Florida have the best 2 classes in the nation, by far but ESPN makes them look more ridiculous than they are.

But ESPN rankings biased toward Texas and Florida? Why? Why Texas and Florida in particular?

I'm not sure why. My best guess is they put most of their recruiting sources in those states. It's a lot easier to put together national rankings if you put most of your focus on 2 of the big 3.California kids are criminally underranked. It seems like they ignore the midwest for the most part unless a midwest kid commits to a school like Miami or Florida. (I LOLed a few years back when they had Harold Gunn as a 4 star and on their top 150 list. He was a Nebraska kid who committed to Miami, and all the local coaches I talked to thought he was nothing special. A nice D1 prospect sure, but he shouldn't have sniffed any top 100/150 lists. If he had committed to Nebraska or Iowa he wouldn't have sniffed the top 150 list.)

IMO, Rivals is on another level compared to everyone else when it comes to recruiting info (and rankings). I've heard a couple of team sites on ESPN are better than the same team sites on Rivals (I think tOSU or Michigan might be one), but unless your a fan of one of those teams, I think you're way better off using Rivals.

Without a doubt IMO. In order I would say: Rivals >>>>> Scout>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ESPN at this point. And ESPN has actually been a gaining a little the last couple of years since they turned over college scouting to Scouts inc. They just have a long way to go to cacth up. For instance they still don't even rank the eligible JUCO players, which are a huge part of recruiting and have been for over a decade.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

UA=Under Armour game (ESPN)AAA=Army All-American (Tom Lemming/Rivals/Army)

I didn't see the Under Armor game. I saw the AAA and Lemming's annual ND recruiting reel.Agree also with Dexter that Rivals.com is the standard.

 

[wadegarrett]

Hicks you homo

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Hicks you homo

Ohio State fan?

 

[wadegarrett]

Si's Andy Staples ranks the top 15 recruting classes of all time...

15. Alabama, 2008

It seems premature to rank a class that has played only two seasons, but consider the facts: Alabama's 2008 class produced the program's first Heisman Trophy winner (tailback Mark Ingram) and eight starters on a team that went 14-0 and won the BCS title.

The highlight of the class on Signing Day was receiver Julio Jones, and Jones hasn't disappointed. Ingram was a pleasant surprise, as was nose tackle Terrence Cody, a massive junior college transfer who made it impossible to run up the middle against the Tide. Defensive end Marcell Dareus, whose interception return for a touchdown gave Alabama a nearly insurmountable lead against Texas in the BCS title game, also signed in 2008.

If we revisit this project in 10 years, this class could wind up ranking much, much higher.

14. Ohio State, 1998

John Cooper's lasting legacy is his inability to beat Michigan, but the former Buckeyes coach deserves credit for signing what might be the most efficient class in college football history.

In modern recruiting, a coach who gets a significant contribution from 60 percent of a class had a good year. If half his signees develop into regular starters, he's working miracles. Thirteen of Cooper's 16 1998 signees became regular starters. Eleven were selected in the NFL draft, including defensive tackle Ryan Pickett and cornerback Nate Clements, who left after their junior season for first-round riches. Quarterback Steve Bellisari, offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley, defensive end James Cotton, linebacker Cie Grant, fullback Jamar Martin, cornerback Donnie Nickey, defensive tackle Kenny Peterson, cornerback Derek Ross and tailback Jonathan Wells all wound up getting drafted as well.

Several players also helped the Buckeyes win the 2002 national title as fifth-year seniors. Nickey, Grant, Peterson and offensive tackle Ivan Douglas all started for the team that beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for the BCS title.

13. Miami, 1984

Miami's 1984 recruiting class got a shock more than three months after Signing Day, when Hurricanes coach Howard Schnellenberger accepted a $3 million-a-year deal to coach the USFL franchise that planned to move to Miami for the 1984 season.

Some recruits were angry. One took it in stride. Guess which class of 1984 signee gave the following quote to The Miami Herald: "I can't have any animosity toward him. He is only looking out for himself." If you said receiver Michael Irvin, give yourself a gold star.

Irvin was one of a host of stars Schnellenberger's final class produced. The Hurricanes also signed receiver Brett Perriman, cornerback Bubba McDowell, safety Bennie Blades, defensive tackle Derwin Jones and linebacker Randy Shannon -- the guy who is now the Hurricanes' head coach.

Jimmy Johnson took over the program, and the Hurricanes didn't drop off. The class of 1984 helped Miami go undefeated during the 1986 regular season and took part in the infamous camouflage fatigues incident before a Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State. In 1987, Miami didn't falter. After two Irvin touchdown catches helped the 'Canes survive a scare against Florida State, Miami rolled to the national title. In a 20-14 Orange Bowl win against No. 1 Oklahoma, Jones, Shannon, McDowell and Blades helped Miami's defense hold the Sooners to 179 rushing yards -- 249 yards below their season average.

12. Penn State, 1982

The fact that this class included All-America heroback Michael Zordich and 11 starters on the 1986 national title team is enough to put it on the list, but the 1982 class is Penn State's finest because it featured the best linebacker to ever attend Linebacker U.

Nittany Lions assistant Tom Bradley worked hard to convince coach Joe Paterno to offer a scholarship to Shane Conlan, a 185-pounder from tiny Frewsburg, N.Y. Bradley did not have to work hard to get Conlan to accept the scholarship after Paterno finally relented. "If every school in the country had offered me a scholarship, I still would have picked Penn State," Conlan told SI in 1986. "I liked the defense. And I loved the uniform and the black shoes."

Conlan and classmates Duffy Cobbs, Steve Smith, Eric Hamilton, Brian Silverling, Dan Morgan, Keith Radecic, Bob White, Don Graham, Massimo Manca and John Bruno capped their careers by beating Miami in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl. After watching the Hurricanes parade around in their aforementioned camouflage fatigues during a pregame event, Conlan -- with black shoes on his feet and a stripe down his helmet -- made eight tackles and intercepted two passes in his final college game.

11. Georgia, 1980

Seven members of this class were selected in the NFL draft, but it was the player who wound up in the USFL that made it one of the best recruiting hauls ever.

Tailback Herschel Walker left early and arrived late. If you thought 2009 tailback Bryce Brown and 2008 quarterback Terrelle Pryor were the first blue-chippers to prolong the drama of their recruitments, you don't know your history. Walker, the nation's top recruit in 1980, didn't sign until Easter Sunday. That disturbed the domestic bliss in the household of Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley, who had previously promised his wife he would accompany her to visit relatives for the holiday. Dooley would forgive Walker for landing him in the marital doghouse. The juggernaut from Wrightsville, Ga., immediately established himself as the best back in college football and left after three seasons as possibly the best player in college football history.

As a freshman, Walker was instrumental in helping the Bulldogs win the SEC and national titles. He and his classmates -- including tight end Clarence Kay, defensive end Freddie Gilbert and defensive back Terry Hoage -- won three consecutive SEC titles, and Walker ran away with the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately, he couldn't bring the Bulldogs a second national title; they lost to Penn State in the 1983 Sugar Bowl.

10. Florida State, 1995

Plenty of great players came through Tallahassee as the Seminoles racked up 14 consecutive top five finishes between 1987 and 2000, but this group provided the building blocks for the best team of the Bobby Bowden era.

The members of this class played for the national title three times. The Seminoles lost to Florida in the 1997 Sugar Bowl and Tennessee in the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, but coming into the 1999 season, Florida State was loaded. Class of 1995 star Peter Warrick was the nation's most dangerous receiver, and defensive tackle Corey Simon led a stingy group of future NFL players. In all, nine members of the 1995 class started for the 1999 FSU team, which was the first in history to stay at No. 1 from the preseason poll until the end of the season.

The class also included junior college transfer Walter Jones, who redshirted in 1995 and started at offensive tackle in 1996 before leaving to become a first-rounder and nine-time Pro-Bowler. Also in the class was Dan Kendra, the quarterback who set school weightlifting records when he wasn't practicing amateur chemistry. Kendra wound up as the starting fullback on the 1999 team.

Simon didn't originally sign with Florida State. He signed with Georgia, but the Bulldogs released him from his scholarship after it was discovered that Georgia gymnast Leah Brown had visited Simon in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Fla., shortly before Signing Day. An NCAA investigation cleared Georgia, but Simon still wound up in Tallahassee.

9. Miami, 1999

Miami had signed two full classes since emerging from the shadow of NCAA sanctions, but this class launched the Hurricanes back into the nation's elite and helped lay the foundation for the 2001 BCS title team, which is on a Muggsy Bogues-short list of the best football squads in NCAA history.

Quarterback Ken Dorsey, receiver Andre Johnson, offensive tackles Bryant McKinnie and Vernon Carey, tailbacks Clinton Portis and Jarrett Payton and cornerback Phillip Buchanon punched their tickets to Coral Gables in 1999. Once there, they joined a group that included safety Ed Reed (class of 1997) and awaited the arrival of a 2000 class that would include tailback Willis McGahee, tight end Kellen Winslow and linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

The group would have won two BCS titles if not for a controversial pass interference call late in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl that allowed Ohio State to pull off an upset.

8. Texas, 2002

At the turn of the century, Longhorns coach Mack Brown had the unfortunate nickname "Coach February." In other words, he could sign big-time recruits, but they didn't win championships on the field. Brown's fifth class at Texas changed all that.

The group included nine players (quarterback Vince Young, tailback Selvin Young, tight end David Thomas, offensive guard Kasey Studdard, offensive tackle Justin Blalock, cornerback Aaron Ross, linebacker Aaron Harris, defensive end Brian Robison, defensive tackle Rodrique Wright) who would go on to start for Texas as the Longhorns chased the BCS title in 2005.

Young split time with Chance Mock as a redshirt freshman and took over the starting job in 2004. That season, Young led Texas to an 11-1 record. As a junior, he destroyed opponents, throwing for 3,036 yards and rushing for 1,050. Still, he finished second to USC's Reggie Bush in the Heisman Trophy race.

Young got his revenge against Bush and the Trojans in the BCS title game with the most dominant individual performance in college football history. He threw for 267 yards and ran for 200 and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score on a fourth-down play late in the game.

7. USC, 2003

Shortly after he was hired in December 2000, Pete Carroll stitched together a recruiting class that kept previously committed quarterback Matt Leinart and added defensive tackle Shaun Cody in a Signing Day stunner. Carroll's next class added future stars such as safety Darnell Bing and offensive tackle Winston Justice.

Carroll truly hit his stride in 2003, when he brought in a group that included offensive tackle Sam Baker, quarterback John David Booty, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, center Ryan Kalil, receiver Steve Smith, linebacker Thomas Williams and tailback LenDale White. Carroll topped that list of future pros with San Diego tailback Reggie Bush, who would go on to win the 2005 Heisman Trophy.

Players from this class helped the Trojans win the AP national title in 2003 and the BCS title in 2004. They might have helped USC win the BCS title in 2005 if not for the members of the 2002 Texas class.

6. Florida, 2006

When Urban Meyer arrived to take questions about his second recruiting class as Florida's coach, he made a sheepish admission. '"I hate to say this, but I actually hit Rivals.com and saw we were ranked a little bit ago," Meyer said. "The competitive part of me wants to see where we end up."

The Gators wound up second to USC for the mythical recruiting national title that day, but four years later, Florida's class was clearly the best of 2006 and one of the best ever. The group went 48-7 and won two national titles.

The crown jewel was quarterback Tim Tebow, who in 2007 became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow, receiver Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes and return specialist Brandon James were complementary players when the Gators won the 2006 national title, but they and classmates Carl Johnson, Riley Cooper, Jermaine Cunningham, A.J. Jones and Dustin Doe led the way for the Gators' 2008 title. With Harvin helping the Minnesota Vikings reach the NFC title game in the 2009 season, the Gators went 13-1, losing only to eventual national champion Alabama.

5. Michigan, 1945

The end of World War II saw a return to normalcy for college football, and Michigan's first postwar recruiting class helped the Wolverines return to the top of the college football world for the first time since 1933. A group that included quarterback/halfback Pete Elliott, guard Dom Tomasi, guard Stuart Wilkins, tackle Joe Soboleski, halfback Wally Teninga and fullback Dan Dworsky helped Michigan win national titles in 1947 and 1948.

In 1947, Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in the final regular season Associated Press poll, but Michigan moved to No. 1 after smashing USC, 49-0, in the Rose Bowl. In 1948, Elliott was named a first-team All-America. Elliott, who had followed older brother Bump to Michigan, would go on to become the head coach at Nebraska, Cal and Illinois.

4. Alabama, 1976

Bear Bryant brought hundreds of great players to Tuscaloosa, but this class made the biggest contributions to two national championship teams. The second, in 1979, was Bryant's most dominant team.

This class produced only three NFL players, but one was center Dwight Stephenson, who was named an All-America in 1978 and 1979 and went on to a Hall-of-Fame career with the Miami Dolphins. Another future pro was defensive back Don McNeal, who pushed Penn State's Scott Fitzkee out of bounds at the one-yard-line to set up the goal-line stand that won Alabama the 1979 Sugar Bowl and the 1978 national title.

In 1979, class member Steadman Shealey piloted the Crimson Tide's wishbone offense while defensive linemen Curtis McGriff and Wayne Hamilton led a unit that allowed just 67 points all season as the Tide rolled to a 12-0 record.

3. Oklahoma, 1972

The seeds of this class were planted in 1970 when ace Sooners assistant Larry Lacewell convinced Lucious Selmon, an undersized defensive lineman from Eufala, Okla., to come to Norman. Lacewell wanted to sign Selmon after he visited the Selmon home and met Lucious' brothers, Dewey and Lee Roy, who had been born 11 months apart and who were both high-school sophomores.

Defensive linemen Dewey and Lee Roy were the cornerstones of the 1972 class, and they joined linebacker Jimbo Elrod, quarterback Steve Davis, split end Tinker Owens and halfbacks Joe Washington and Horace Ivory to help lead the Sooners to national titles in their junior and senior seasons. The class was the last one signed by Chuck Fairbanks, who turned over the reins to offensive coordinator Barry Switzer before the 1973 season.

Davis, already an ordained Baptist minister as a collegian, won the starting job in 1973 when presumed starter Kerry Jackson left school after Big Eight officials learned his high school transcript had been changed. Davis led the Sooners to a 32-1-1 record in three seasons as the starter, running Switzer's wishbone to devastating perfection with Washington and Ivory. Meanwhile, the Selmons joined older brother Lucious and former wrestler Elrod to form one of the nation's most ferocious defenses. In 1976, the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Lee Roy Selmon the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. He rewarded the franchise's faith by becoming its first Hall-of-Fame inductee.

2. Nebraska, 1992

The Cornhuskers can thank Bobby Bowden, Steve Spurrier and Dennis Erickson for the most important piece of the most dominant two-year run in college football history. Had the coaches at Florida State, Florida or Miami offered Bradenton, Fla., star Tommie Frazier a serious shot at playing quarterback, he might not have left the state. "They all said they would give me a shot at it," Frazier told The Miami Herald before starting against Florida State as a true freshman in the 1993 Orange Bowl. "But if it didn't work out, they said they would change me to wide receiver or defensive back."

Determined to play quarterback, Frazier went to Lincoln, where he teamed with classmates such as offensive tackle Chris Dishman, rover Mike Minter, defensive tackle Jared Tomich and cornerback Tyrone Williams to help the Cornhuskers to national titles in 1994 and 1995. Frazier missed much of the season in 1994 because of blood clots, but he returned in time to earn Orange Bowl MVP honors. In 1995, Washington State was the only team to come within two touchdowns of Nebraska. Frazier got the ultimate revenge against a home-state foe when the Huskers pounded 12-0 Florida, 62-24, in the Fiesta Bowl to claim the national title.

In true Nebraska fashion, the contributors to the two national title teams didn't all arrive in Lincoln as scholarship players. Tomich, fullback Brian Schuster, offensive tackle Adam Treu and receiver Jon Vedral originally came as walk-ons.

The class also produced a No. 1 overall draft pick -- just not in the NFL draft. Darin Erstad, who started at punter on the 1994 team, was the top pick in the 1995 baseball draft. Erstad has played 14 seasons in the majors.

1. Notre Dame, 1946

It's unlikely another group will ever be as successful as this class. Coach Frank Leahy's Fighting Irish owned college football in the years immediately following World War II, and this class provided much of the firepower.

From 1946-49, Notre Dame went 36-0-2 and won three national titles. The best known player in the class is end Leon Hart, who won the 1949 Heisman Trophy. The class also included fullback Emil Sitko, who led the Irish in rushing all four years and left as the school's all-time leading rusher.

According to Notre Dame historian Lou Somogyi, 17 members of the class became starters or regulars in an era when players played on both sides of the ball. As in most classes of the era, some freshmen were a bit older because they didn't go to college until after they served in World War II. One of those was future hall-of-famer Jim "Jungle Jim" Martin, an end/tackle who served in the Marines before coming to South Bend.

 

[gump]

2* QB Nash Nance committed to the Vols. Rivals now has them at 7. If they can finish in the top-12 or 15 after all the smoke clears I will be very happy.

Congrats Abe...Dooley has done a great job.And of course I'm going to say it....MORE proof that Kiffin was all hype. There are a lot of young, energetic coaches that can recruit like him at a great program like UT...and it won't take much to lead a program as a whole better than him.

 

[Abraham]

2* QB Nash Nance committed to the Vols. Rivals now has them at 7. If they can finish in the top-12 or 15 after all the smoke clears I will be very happy.

Congrats Abe...Dooley has done a great job.And of course I'm going to say it....MORE proof that Kiffin was all hype. There are a lot of young, energetic coaches that can recruit like him at a great program like UT...and it won't take much to lead a program as a whole better than him.

Markeith Ambles - who was a UT commit, backed out, and visited USC last weekend - is supposed to be visiting Knoxville right now but bad weather has him stranded in Atlanta. He's saying he may not announce til after signing day so he can make a visit to Knoxville before deciding. Also landed a relatively unknown LB, which is a big area of need for the team. Two Vols commits visiting USC this weekend.

 

[gump]

Updated Rivals top 25, after the big day for Texas yesterday:

1 Florida 25 4 16 4 3.92 2,925

2 Texas 24 2 19 3 3.96 2,730

3 Alabama 25 2 13 9 3.64 2,365

4 Auburn 28 3 11 13 3.57 2,323

5 Oklahoma 29 0 15 14 3.52 2,146

6 LSU 24 1 11 12 3.54 1,989

7 Tennessee 22 0 12 9 3.50 1,861

8 USC 14 3 8 3 4.00 1,858

9 Penn State 20 0 12 7 3.55 1,852

10 Georgia 19 1 9 9 3.58 1,831

11 Texas A&M 24 0 11 13 3.46 1,734

12 Florida State 20 1 7 12 3.45 1,681

13 UCLA 19 0 9 10 3.47 1,637

14 Oregon 19 1 8 9 3.47 1,625

15 Stanford 25 0 7 16 3.20 1,500

16 Clemson 21 0 8 12 3.33 1,474

17 Missouri 23 0 7 16 3.30 1,446

18 Virginia Tech 21 0 6 15 3.29 1,430

19 Michigan 26 0 5 20 3.15 1,406

20 Miami 26 0 6 18 3.15 1,374

21 Notre Dame 17 0 8 9 3.47 1,346

22 Ohio State 18 0 8 9 3.39 1,334

23 California 16 1 5 10 3.44 1,322

24 Oklahoma State 28 0 6 22 3.21 1,265

25 Michigan State 20 1 4 12 3.15 1,233

 

[The Kansas Comet]

DT Sealii Epenesa from Honolulu commits to UCLA - good to get another DT considering the Bruins lose their top three defensive tackles to graduation/NFL draft.

 

[fasteddie_21]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

 

[the hairy scotsman]

I found this on another recruiting thread. Texas has 24 commitments on 32 offers. These numbers may not be exact. Probably aren't, but if they're even close, they're pretty striking...

I was looking at UT's class and did an advanced search for players who received an offer from UT (Committed and uncommitted, but only those with offers) and saw UT had offered only 32 players this year.When I switch the team to OU it said there were 118 scholarship offers out from OU to players. I know that often those are player reported and some may be verbal "invites" and not written offers, but I was surprised at the number.THEN, I looked further:A&M had 94Nebraska had 195Oklahoma State had 132Florida had 134USC had 72Ohio State had 60Alabama had 119Auburn had 126LSU had 94Tenneessee had 228 - wow???Penn State had 57Georgia had 108No wonder Meyer almost had a heart attack. He invests so much of his time in recruiting, like Mack Brown, but has 3 times the work to do.Still that is a lot of kids for teams to deal with.

Something else I found that I thought was interesting...

Avg "Star Ranking" by school:This is something I always watch for, because it is usually very telling. It speaks to the quality of player you are attracting. Almost every year USC is at the top of this list, but now Florida and Texas are right there with them. There is quite a gap between these three and the rest, and that is what one would expect from the three biggest schools in the three biggest recruiting hotbeds.USC 4.00Texas 3.96Florida 3.92Alabama 3.64Georgia 3.61Auburn 3.57Penn State 3.55LSU 3.54OU 3.52Tennessee 3.50UCLA 3.47Oregon 3.47Notre Dame 3.47Texas A&M 3.46Florida State 3.45The big surprise is Ohio State at 3.39. RIvals has them ranked 18th. This appears to be a down year for them.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

Don't hold your breath on Owa; as of last week he had eliminated Oregon and had Nebraska, UCLA, and Oregon St. as his final three.

 

[Don't Noonan]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

As much as I would like to see Oregon get Owa it is not going to happen. He has eliminated the Ducks and is now down to UCLA, Nebraska, and Oregon State. I believe Nebraska is the frontrunner but who knows.Oregon has a great class going but they need a few defensive tackles to close out the class. They are missing on all their top targets on the D line.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

I found this on another recruiting thread. Texas has 24 commitments on 32 offers. These numbers may not be exact. Probably aren't, but if they're even close, they're pretty striking...

I was looking at UT's class and did an advanced search for players who received an offer from UT (Committed and uncommitted, but only those with offers) and saw UT had offered only 32 players this year.When I switch the team to OU it said there were 118 scholarship offers out from OU to players. I know that often those are player reported and some may be verbal "invites" and not written offers, but I was surprised at the number.THEN, I looked further:A&M had 94Nebraska had 195Oklahoma State had 132Florida had 134USC had 72Ohio State had 60Alabama had 119Auburn had 126LSU had 94Tenneessee had 228 - wow???Penn State had 57Georgia had 108No wonder Meyer almost had a heart attack. He invests so much of his time in recruiting, like Mack Brown, but has 3 times the work to do.Still that is a lot of kids for teams to deal with.

Texas gets pretty much any kid they want in Texas, and the state puts out 300+ D1 players per year. Compare that to a state like Nebraska that puts out 4 or 5 D1 players per year and you can understand the disparity. It's just the way it is. The flip side to this is that Texas generally has their recruiting class more or less locked up before the kids start their Senior season, so they won't always get the late bloomers. Plus, with so much talent they have to hold out on some top line talent, Rex Burkhead for instance, which opens the door for other schools.

 

[snowmonkey501]

texas doesnt recruit, they select.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

texas doesnt recruit, they select.

That may sound like hyperbole to some, but ever since Mack Brown instituted the policy of encouraging the kids to commit early by telling them the offer won't be there forever and also telling them (and being true to his word) that if they decommit they can't come back, your characterization really has been the case.

 

[Guster]

The big surprise is Ohio State at 3.39. Rivals has them ranked 18th. This appears to be a down year for them.

I saw that too Any idea what's driving this? Is UC's emergence having an impact here and taking away some of the base of their talent now that tOSU isn't the whole show in the state?

 

[ChampBailey24]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

 

[the hairy scotsman]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

This kinda stuff is why Texas pulled his offer.

 

[RebelINS]

I'm happy that A&M got some solid Offensive Linemen and filled some defensive holes but I really wish they would've focused more on defense. The offense is coming together nicely with some great young talent but the defense is just putrid and horrible to watch.

 

[Weapon of Mass Instruction]

2* QB Nash Nance committed to the Vols. Rivals now has them at 7. If they can finish in the top-12 or 15 after all the smoke clears I will be very happy.

Congrats Abe...Dooley has done a great job.And of course I'm going to say it....MORE proof that Kiffin was all hype. There are a lot of young, energetic coaches that can recruit like him at a great program like UT...and it won't take much to lead a program as a whole better than him.

Markeith Ambles - who was a UT commit, backed out, and visited USC last weekend - is supposed to be visiting Knoxville right now but bad weather has him stranded in Atlanta. He's saying he may not announce til after signing day so he can make a visit to Knoxville before deciding. Also landed a relatively unknown LB, which is a big area of need for the team. Two Vols commits visiting USC this weekend.

Loften not going to USC after all. Reconfirmed that he is all UT.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

This kinda stuff is why Texas pulled his offer.

I don't think Texas ever offered? If they did, they haven't been listed among any of the schools pursuing him going back through Jan. 09. It's not like he's been jerking anyone around, he's just been steadily narrowing down his list that was still about 10 schools long in the summer.

 

[ChampBailey24]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

This kinda stuff is why Texas pulled his offer.

I don't think Texas ever offered? If they did, they haven't been listed among any of the schools pursuing him going back through Jan. 09. It's not like he's been jerking anyone around, he's just been steadily narrowing down his list that was still about 10 schools long in the summer.

His HS coach is a #####. Huge OSU fan and he's the main reason why OSU replaced Oregon in his top 3.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

Getting Seastrunk was pretty big for an already solid class for Oregon. Getting Owamagabe would be HUGE!

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

This kinda stuff is why Texas pulled his offer.

I don't think Texas ever offered? If they did, they haven't been listed among any of the schools pursuing him going back through Jan. 09. It's not like he's been jerking anyone around, he's just been steadily narrowing down his list that was still about 10 schools long in the summer.

His HS coach is a #####. Huge OSU fan and he's the main reason why OSU replaced Oregon in his top 3.

Coaches steer kids all the time. I'll grant the OSU push was a little late, but if you are following closely it appears more that he had eliminated Oregon, was down to UCLA and Nebraska and then was convinced to add OSU as a secondary, more local option.

 

[ChampBailey24]

He's not even considering Oregon anymore. Nebraska/OSU/UCLA battle with the first 2 holding the lead IMO.

This kinda stuff is why Texas pulled his offer.

I don't think Texas ever offered? If they did, they haven't been listed among any of the schools pursuing him going back through Jan. 09. It's not like he's been jerking anyone around, he's just been steadily narrowing down his list that was still about 10 schools long in the summer.

His HS coach is a #####. Huge OSU fan and he's the main reason why OSU replaced Oregon in his top 3.

Coaches steer kids all the time. I'll grant the OSU push was a little late, but if you are following closely it appears more that he had eliminated Oregon, was down to UCLA and Nebraska and then was convinced to add OSU as a secondary, more local option.

Oregon is a great program, he wants to stay close to home and wants to major in Sports Marketing. His coach has been steering him away from Oregon all along, not just in the last week.