I looked at the number of 5 star recruits as ranked by ESPN that several programs have landed over the last 5 years, 2016 to 2020 (thus far).
While some of the numbers are fully understandable, there are a few surprises.
Expected:
Bama - 9, that's almost 2 per year!
Ohio State - 7
Clemson - 6
LSU - 3
Texas -1
A$M - 1
TCU - 0!
Baylor - 0!
Surprises:
OU - 1
Notre Dame - 0
UNC - 1, yes Mack landed the #1 DE in Desmond Evans, like I said he's still one of the best in the business when focused. UNC had several great teams on the ropes and almost won those games last year.
No doubt that landing keystone recruits will have an impact on the W/L record. My oberservation here, given the results of last CFB season and the number of NFL draft picks (who weren't 5 stars) from these programs thus far, is that some coaches are fantastic at recognizing diamonds in the rough and putting those players in the best position to help their college team win games and to ultimately ascend to the NFL. Strong coaching that optimizes the talents that each and every player brings to the table certainly leads to wins, and success breeds success because the keystones want to join a winning program, a la Bama.
Last edited: Apr 25, 2020