MajorMike
02-05-2007, 11:52 AM
UT will again have the best class in the B12 and a Top 5 overall class. The Horns kept the Texas players at home, garnering 9 of the Top 15 Texas players and 12 of the Top 20. While Michigan, Tennessee and LSU each got one of the Top 15, the real surprise was Oklahoma State. Mike Gundy got commits from 3 of the Top 15 players in Texas (to include the #1 DE in the state), plus another 5 of the Top 100 players in the state. The only major Texas prospect the Cowboys lost out on was the #1 Texas RB Lennon Creer who went to Tennessee.
Nebraska has the 2nd best class in the B12, thanks in large part to signing a very large class and also inking 3 JUCO All Americans, including the #1 JUCO QB Zac Lee and #9 overall JUCO DB Larry Asante.
Oklahoma and Texas A&M both had what can be called disappointing recruiting classes. The Sooners signed the #2 overall JUCO prospect in LB Mike Reed, and #1 overall Oklahoman LB Austin Box (OU's only member of the Top 100), but got commits from only 1 other Oklahoma Top 12. Oklahoma State got 4 of the Top 12. Oklahoma was completely shut out of the Top 20 Texas recruits. A&M's star recruit is #17 overall in Texas LB Derrick Stephens. The Aggies did not have a recruit that ranked in the Top 100. This marks the 1st time since Rivals began consolidating recruiting lists from the various states in 2001 that neither Oklahoma nor A&M has one of the Top 15 Texas recruits.
Colorado's class ranked 5th in the Big 12 behind Texas, Nebraska Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, thanks in large part to 5-star recruit OL Ryan Miller. Miller is #23 overall and the #2 OL prospect overall, and P.T. Gates, the #1 JUCO RB.
Missouri ranked 6th, also thanks to the JUCO ranks. The Tigers inked the #2 JUCO DT Andy Maples and Top 100 DE Michael Keck.
Directly behind 7th ranked and 41st over A&M is Kansas State and 42nd overall. The Wildcats inked #5 JUCO overall DB Gary Chandler and Top 100 Athlete Lamark Brown.
Texas Tech also had a class that did not live up to expectations. The Red Raiders garnered a commit from only one 4-star prospect, #32 overall in Texas DT Lonnie Edwards. Tech got only 2 of the Top 50 Texas prospects and 6 of the Top 100 in Texas.
Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor each brought in one 4-star prospect, none of them in the Top 100 overall. The Jayhawks received a commit from 4-star and #3 overall Kansas player DB Ryan Murphy. The Cyclones got the nod from
#2 JUCO RB Jamicah Bass. The Bears landed #6 overall ILB Earl Patin.
Barring any major defections, the season's winners appear to be Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State.
Texas has a class on par with their recent success, so perhaps their season is not as successful as any other. The main bar of their success lies in the fact that when recruiting against Texas A&M, Oklahoma and LSU, the Longhorns came out on the winning end more often than not, especially against the Aggies and Sooners, where they could almost be considered undefeated. They did not lose one major recruit to Oklahoma and lost only one (Stephens) to A&M. They also helped their conference position out by stealing prize commits from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri.
Nebraska follows up their appearance in the Big 12 Championship with a very solid recruiting class, and addresses some immediate needs with JUCO ranks. Lee is a running QB and can step in and make his impact felt right away. The have commits from some great JUCO DBs and other great defensive prospects from the HS ranks. Nebraska not only went to the JUCO ranks, but raided California as well, getting 5 recruits from there.
Oklahoma State comes screaming in with the surprise class of the Big 12, which will finish a Top 25 overall class, after finishing 22nd last year. The Cowboys won several hot battles with Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Arkansas. More importantly, they addressed their major needs. With the vast majority of the conferences most balanced offense returning, they added extra WR weapons, two 4-star DL and two 4-star DB as well. It seems not having a Defensive Coordinator at the moment did not hurt the Cowboys at all in the recruiting game.
Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech all came to the line behind the rest this season.
The Sooners did get some very nice recruits, but uncharacteristically lost out on several prize names to not only Texas, but Bedlam rival Oklahoma State as well. They were on the losing end of perhaps the most telling battle of the entire season. Top 10 CB Ryan Broyles is actually from Norman. He was very public about his wishes to attend Oklahoma. The Cowboys moved in and got a commit from him while the Sooners watched on. When James Kirkendoll decommitted from Oklahoma to attend Texas, the Sooners turned their attention to Broyles and went after him with everything they had. After a brief back-and-forth 72 hours, the longtime Sooner fan, living in the shadow of Memorial Stadium, elected to go to the Cowboys.
Nebraska has the 2nd best class in the B12, thanks in large part to signing a very large class and also inking 3 JUCO All Americans, including the #1 JUCO QB Zac Lee and #9 overall JUCO DB Larry Asante.
Oklahoma and Texas A&M both had what can be called disappointing recruiting classes. The Sooners signed the #2 overall JUCO prospect in LB Mike Reed, and #1 overall Oklahoman LB Austin Box (OU's only member of the Top 100), but got commits from only 1 other Oklahoma Top 12. Oklahoma State got 4 of the Top 12. Oklahoma was completely shut out of the Top 20 Texas recruits. A&M's star recruit is #17 overall in Texas LB Derrick Stephens. The Aggies did not have a recruit that ranked in the Top 100. This marks the 1st time since Rivals began consolidating recruiting lists from the various states in 2001 that neither Oklahoma nor A&M has one of the Top 15 Texas recruits.
Colorado's class ranked 5th in the Big 12 behind Texas, Nebraska Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, thanks in large part to 5-star recruit OL Ryan Miller. Miller is #23 overall and the #2 OL prospect overall, and P.T. Gates, the #1 JUCO RB.
Missouri ranked 6th, also thanks to the JUCO ranks. The Tigers inked the #2 JUCO DT Andy Maples and Top 100 DE Michael Keck.
Directly behind 7th ranked and 41st over A&M is Kansas State and 42nd overall. The Wildcats inked #5 JUCO overall DB Gary Chandler and Top 100 Athlete Lamark Brown.
Texas Tech also had a class that did not live up to expectations. The Red Raiders garnered a commit from only one 4-star prospect, #32 overall in Texas DT Lonnie Edwards. Tech got only 2 of the Top 50 Texas prospects and 6 of the Top 100 in Texas.
Kansas, Iowa State and Baylor each brought in one 4-star prospect, none of them in the Top 100 overall. The Jayhawks received a commit from 4-star and #3 overall Kansas player DB Ryan Murphy. The Cyclones got the nod from
#2 JUCO RB Jamicah Bass. The Bears landed #6 overall ILB Earl Patin.
Barring any major defections, the season's winners appear to be Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State.
Texas has a class on par with their recent success, so perhaps their season is not as successful as any other. The main bar of their success lies in the fact that when recruiting against Texas A&M, Oklahoma and LSU, the Longhorns came out on the winning end more often than not, especially against the Aggies and Sooners, where they could almost be considered undefeated. They did not lose one major recruit to Oklahoma and lost only one (Stephens) to A&M. They also helped their conference position out by stealing prize commits from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri.
Nebraska follows up their appearance in the Big 12 Championship with a very solid recruiting class, and addresses some immediate needs with JUCO ranks. Lee is a running QB and can step in and make his impact felt right away. The have commits from some great JUCO DBs and other great defensive prospects from the HS ranks. Nebraska not only went to the JUCO ranks, but raided California as well, getting 5 recruits from there.
Oklahoma State comes screaming in with the surprise class of the Big 12, which will finish a Top 25 overall class, after finishing 22nd last year. The Cowboys won several hot battles with Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Arkansas. More importantly, they addressed their major needs. With the vast majority of the conferences most balanced offense returning, they added extra WR weapons, two 4-star DL and two 4-star DB as well. It seems not having a Defensive Coordinator at the moment did not hurt the Cowboys at all in the recruiting game.
Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech all came to the line behind the rest this season.
The Sooners did get some very nice recruits, but uncharacteristically lost out on several prize names to not only Texas, but Bedlam rival Oklahoma State as well. They were on the losing end of perhaps the most telling battle of the entire season. Top 10 CB Ryan Broyles is actually from Norman. He was very public about his wishes to attend Oklahoma. The Cowboys moved in and got a commit from him while the Sooners watched on. When James Kirkendoll decommitted from Oklahoma to attend Texas, the Sooners turned their attention to Broyles and went after him with everything they had. After a brief back-and-forth 72 hours, the longtime Sooner fan, living in the shadow of Memorial Stadium, elected to go to the Cowboys.