College football recruiting rankings: Grading the Class of 2017 (2024)

There’s no better way to assess a recruiting class than waiting to see how it actually performed. It’s time once again to review how college football’s highest-rated recruiting classes from four years ago panned out. This year, we’re re-ranking the best recruiting classes of 2017.

During this four-year period, 16 programs that inked top-25 classes on signing day in 2017 have made head coaching changes. More than one-fourth of the top 100 recruits in this class have transferred. Which programs managed to overcome all that volatility and find success thanks to this recruiting cycle?

We’ve made this a signing day tradition at The Athletic with our re-ranks of the class of 2014, class of 2015 and class of 2016. The annual goal of this project is to recognize the programs and coaching staffs that have done the best job of identifying great players, developing them, retaining them and winning with them. This year, six programs are making repeat appearances in the top 10, but the revised top 25 also includes nine classes that didn’t finish in the top 25 of the 247Sports Composite team rankings.

The point system we’re using for this assessment is the same as in past years, in an effort to maintain consistency in grading. It’s a 0-to-5 scale that was essentially inspired by the recruiting industry’s five-star rating system.

5 points: All-American, award winner, top-50 NFL Draft pick
4: Multiyear starter, all-conference honors
3: One-year starter or key reserve
2: Career backup
0: Minor or no contribution, left the program

We count 2017 scholarship signees, transfers who joined the program in 2017 and walk-ons in this class who were later put on scholarship. Each player is given a score from 0 to 5 points based on what they’ve achieved during their playing careers. It’s important to note we’re only assessing what they’ve proven in four years and are not projecting or guessing what they might achieve in 2021 and beyond. These grades and rankings have been updated to reflect the results of the 2021 NFL draft.

Because class sizes vary, we focus on the class average (total points divided by total signees) as the key measure. The hit rate listed with each class is the percentage of signees who did not leave the program via transfer, dismissal, ineligibility or injuries. Players who left as graduate transfers are not considered misses.

These rankings also factor in a program’s success during the four-year period. We add a bonus to each program’s class average, derived from its total number of wins from 2017 through 2020. The adjusted average for a class is its average score plus its wins bonus. Alabama and Clemson won 51 games, for example, so their class averages received a bonus of 0.51.

It wasn’t difficult to determine which class belonged in the No. 1 spot in this year’s rankings. If you’ve watched the last two College Football Playoff title games, the top three here should seem pretty obvious. But there were plenty of surprises throughout this process. Here is our re-ranked top 25 for the class of 2017.

1. Alabama

Adjusted average: 3.62
Hit rate: 79%
Class rank in 2017: 1st
Four-year record: 51-4

Top signees: WR DeVonta Smith, QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Mac Jones, RB Najee Harris, WR Jerry Jeudy, WR Henry Ruggs III, OL Jedrick Wills, OL Alex Leatherwood, S Xavier McKinney, LB Dylan Moses

You saw them during the fourth-quarter comeback against Georgia for the 2017 national title. Six true freshmen were on the field for Alabama’s offense on that wild night in Atlanta: Tua playing QB, Harris at running back and Leatherwood at left tackle with Ruggs, Jeudy and Smith rotating in at receiver. And in overtime, two freshmen won it all.

You saw more of these guys three years later against Ohio State, this time in much more dominant fashion. Seven members of this class started in the 52-24 rout of the Buckeyes, delivering Nick Saban’s sixth national title in 12 years. Those two victories will ultimately define Alabama’s 2017 recruits, but it’s been a truly incredible four-year run for one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time.

“This was an outstanding class,” Saban said before their latest title. “I think these guys have competed at a high level, they’ve been great ambassadors for the University of Alabama and I think they’ve made a significant impact on our team this year. Hard to say where we’d be without them, but we’re certainly happy to have them with us.”

The scoreboard for Alabama’s 2017 recruiting haul: 19 signees with starting experience, 11 All-SEC performers, six consensus All-Americans, three Heisman finalists, one Heisman winner and eight first-round NFL Draft picks. And in no way is any of that surprising. When you sign six five-stars and 14 top-100 recruits in one year, you’re almost too loaded to fail. As one Alabama assistant told The Athletic’s Aaron Suttles before the 2017 season, “We should all be fired if we don’t play for multiple national championships with this class.”

Every aspect of building up this rare group of players – the evaluations, the tough recruiting wins, the coaching, the Process – paid off. It’s a credit to Saban and the 2016 staff that built this class – which included future head coaches Lane Kiffin, Mario Cristobal, Billy Napier, Jeremy Pruitt and Mike Locksley – plus all the assistants and staffers who’ve played a role in their growth. In the four years we’ve been doing this recruiting re-rank project, Alabama has finished with four of the seven highest-graded classes. It’s easy to say that’s because they’re signing the very best prospects every year, but clearly this program has very few peers when it comes to developing and deploying its talent.

And this class isn’t done just yet. So many of these signees will be in the NFL in 2021, but the Tide will also have veteran players like Brian Robinson, Christopher Allen, LaBryan Ray and Daniel Wright competing to make an impact next fall and join their classmates in the league.

2. Ohio State

Adjusted average: 3.40
Hit rate: 86%
Class rank in 2017: 2nd
Four-year record: 45-5
Top signees: DE Chase Young, RB JK Dobbins, CB Jeff Okudah, OL Wyatt Davis, OL Thayer Munford

Back on signing day in 2017, Urban Meyer was tempted to call this one of his favorite recruiting classes but stopped himself from saying so. Still, his appreciation for the immense potential of this elite signing class was obvious.

“You’re not allowed to have favorite recruiting classes, because that’s politically incorrect,” Meyer told Big Ten Network that day. “However, so far, I think this is going to be a special one.”

Young goes down as arguably the No. 1 defensive player in the entire 2017 class. He left Columbus as a unanimous All-American who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting, was the No. 2 overall pick and unsurprisingly became the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and an immediate Pro Bowl talent. Dobbins proved to be a stud right away, rushed for nearly 4,500 yards in three seasons and left as an All-American. The offensive line haul the Buckeyes put together for this class ended up being pretty incredible: Davis was a two-time All-American, and he, Munford and Josh Myers all ended up being All-Big Ten performers.

Ohio State’s staff also did an exceptional job of addressing their needs at the time. Raekwon McMillan moved on to the NFL, so they added Baron Browning. Three first-round defensive backs went pro and were replaced by Okudah, Shaun Wade and Kendall Sheffield. The hit rate on defensive takes in this class really stands out. They landed the elite NFL talent but also a bunch of key starters like Pete Werner, Haskell Garrett and Marcus Williamson who can play to their high standard. And they’ve only lost four transfers from the entire class, two of whom (Brendon White and Isaiah Pryor) left as grad transfers.

For Meyer and Ohio State, the legendary 2013 recruiting class is still the gold standard. How does this one compare? Out of curiosity, we graded the 2013 Buckeyes class by the same scoring system. The adjusted final score was 3.49. So, yeah, this 2017 group actually comes pretty close. The Athletic’s Bill Landis attempted a similar exercise and found that 2013 and 2014 graded out as Meyer’s best classes, but 2017 could eventually surpass one or both.

Meyer was right four years ago. This was a special class in pretty much every way, one that won a ton of games and four Big Ten titles under Meyer and Ryan Day. The only thing missing was a national championship.

3. LSU

Adjusted average: 3.39
Hit rate: 78%
Class rank in 2017: 7th
Four-year record: 39-12
Top signees: WR Justin Jefferson, DE K’Lavon Chaisson, S Grant Delpit, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LB Patrick Queen

This class, signed two months after Ed Orgeron officially became LSU’s head coach, is a pretty fascinating one. It was truly a national title-caliber class in the sense that a whopping 17 of these signees started games for the Tigers’ 2019 squad that went 15-0 and 11 became NFL Draft picks. LSU’s staff found this group also graded out as an extremely high-character class. While Delpit and a few others shined early in their careers, so many of them stepped up and stood out during that magical season.

It’s wild that the best of the bunch was arguably Jefferson, the unknown two-star who didn’t join the program until preseason camp and was easily mistaken as a walk-on early on. The last dude to join this class just finished fourth in the NFL in receiving yards as a rookie. Jefferson, Edwards-Helaire, three linemen (Saahdiq Charles, Austin Deculus and Ed Ingram) and transfer tight end Thaddeus Moss all started for the Tigers’ 2019 offense.

The defensive class was even better in terms of adding key pieces. At linebacker, Chaisson and Queen became first-round picks and Jacob Phillips was a third-rounder. Delpit departed as a two-time All-American, Thorpe Award winner and second-round pick. JaCoby Stevens and Kary Vincent Jr. started in the secondary for that title team, too. Tyler Shelvin, Neil Farrell and Breiden Fehoko made them better on the defensive line.

Orgeron and his coaches got the most out of nearly everyone in this class. The interesting thing is, due to early draft entries and departures, LSU had nine members of this class on NFL rosters this fall. But that meant only 10 signees remained on the Tigers’ roster for the 2020 season. Eight of them did start games, though. It’s probably safe to say, thanks to the perfect season, this staff wouldn’t change a thing about how this class worked out.

4. Oklahoma

Adjusted average: 3.24
Hit rate: 69%
Class rank in 2017: 8th
Four-year record: 45-8
Top signees: WR CeeDee Lamb, LB Kenneth Murray, WR Marquise Brown, OL Creed Humphrey, RB Kennedy Brooks

Lincoln Riley took over the program four months after this class signed. All they’ve done is win four Big 12 titles, make three trips to the Playoff and bring the Sooners awfully close to playing for a national title.

The skill talent in this class is really absurd, starting with its two All-America wide receivers. Brown, a junior college transfer, was an instant star in this offense. Then Lamb rose up and became one of the best wideouts in the country. This class also had Charleston Rambo and Grant Calcaterra, who looked like a future All-Big 12 tight end before his concussion issues. They brought in Brooks, who has two 1,000-yard seasons and returns in 2021, and Trey Sermon at running back plus Jeremiah Hall, their all-conference H-back. And to complete that offense, Oklahoma signed four future multi-year starters on the O-line in Humphrey, Adrian Ealy, Marquis Hayes and Tyrese Robinson.

The 2017 defensive recruiting was more hit-and-miss, with eight signees eventually transferring out, but a few key players came from this class. Murray developed into one of the Big 12’s best defenders as a junior and was drafted in the first round. Tre Brown and Tre Norwood were critical contributors for the secondary who got drafted, and Isaiah Thomas broke out as a second-team All-Big 12 defensive lineman in 2020.

5. Clemson

Adjusted average: 3.16
Hit rate: 76%
Class rank in 2017: 16th
Four-year record: 51-5
Top signees: RB Travis Etienne, WR Tee Higgins, CB AJ Terrell, WR Amari Rodgers, DE Justin Foster

This Clemson class finished outside the top 15 in 2017 due to its small size (14 signees), but it was a top-five class in terms of its average rating. And this group definitely played like one. Dabo Swinney and his coaches picked up so many critical pieces for their dominant run.

Etienne finished as the ACC’s all-time leading rusher and a first-rounder, producing more than 6,800 all-purpose yards and 78 total TDs. Clemson losing Cordarrian Richardson and replacing him late in the cycle with Etienne ended up being an incredibly fortunate development. Higgins and Terrell left early as All-ACC studs and certainly played up to the hype as NFL rookies in 2020. Rodgers became an invaluable weapon and leader in their offense and a third-round pick who pulled off a remarkable comeback from a torn ACL. Baylon Spector and Matt Bockhorst stepped up as starters in 2020, and Foster was a productive starter in 2019 before he had to medically retire.

Quarterback signee Hunter Johnson wasn’t a five-star, but that miss obviously didn’t set the Tigers back whatsoever, and this class had minimal attrition beyond that. These guys won 51 games, four ACC titles and a national title together and never once lost at home. The 2016 and 2018 Clemson classes proved to be more epic, but this smaller group worked out quite well.

6. Washington

Adjusted average: 3.15
Hit rate: 79%
Class rank in 2017: 22nd
Four-year record: 31-13
Top signees: CB Elijah Molden, DE Joe Tryon, TE Cade Otton, RB Salvon Ahmed, OL Jaxson Kirkland

The Huskies brought in nine blue-chip recruits in this class and essentially hit on eight of them. The fact this is a smaller 18-man class does help boost the average, but once again they found good players in their region who fit what they do.

Molden earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in back-to-back seasons and developed into a third-round pick. Tryon ended up being a first-rounder, which is remarkable because he was only a one-season starter for the Huskies and opted out of the 2020 season. Ahmed was instantly productive, accounting for 2,847 all-purpose yards over three seasons, and made the Dolphins’ roster as an undrafted free agent. The Huskies continued their strong run of tight ends with this class as well. Bryant became a Mackey Award finalist and an All-Pac-12 performer in 2019 before jumping to the NFL, and Otton was the team’s offensive MVP and leading receiver in 2020. Ten members of this class held starting roles in last fall’s brief four-game season.

Washington has finished in the top 10 in all four years we’ve done this exercise. One of the many reasons for that? The Huskies have stayed selective in their approach. According to 247Sports, the Huskies only extended 105 offers for the 2017 class. Petersen prided himself on keeping a small board, building strong relationships with the guys he wants and not messing around with noncommittable offers. “It’s just kinda how it’s always been and it’s worked for us,” Petersen told The Athletic before his final season as head coach.

7. Stanford

Adjusted average: 3.02
Hit rate: 94%
Class rank in 2017: 14th
Four-year record: 26-19
Top signees: OL Walker Little, CB Paulson Adebo, TE Colby Parkinson, QB Davis Mills, OL Drew Dalman

This was a small but exceptional and basically unprecedented recruiting class for Stanford. 247Sports deemed Little the No. 1 recruit in the country, while Scout.com rated Sarrell as the No. 2 overall recruit. The Cardinal landed five recruits who were ranked No. 1 at their positions, and 10 of their 14 additions on signing day were blue-chip prospects.

Little’s playing days at Stanford were cut short by a season-ending knee injury to start the 2019 season, but he still became a top-50 pick. The trio of Little, Dalman and Foster Sarrell combined for 57 starts up front. Adebo was a first-team all-conference corner in each of his first two seasons. Parkinson was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft after a second-team All-Pac-12 junior season. Mills only got to start 11 games but was the Pac-12’s second-leading passer this fall and a third-round pick. Ten members of this class started games for the Cardinal in 2020.

And as usual for Stanford classes, this group hasn’t dealt with hardly any attrition. The only recruit in this class who moved on was four-star back Sione Lund, who went home to Utah at the end of his freshman season. The rest have stayed, and nearly all have played meaningful roles. It’s probably a bit of a “what-if” class in the sense that they didn’t put it all together in one season and win a Pac-12 title, but it’s still a strong one.

8. Utah

Adjusted average: 3.02
Hit rate: 68%
Class rank in 2017: 33rd
Four-year record: 30-16
Top signees: CB Jaylon Johnson, S Marquise Blair, LB Devin Lloyd, DT John Penisini, K Matt Gay

Is it a little surprising to see Utah in this spot? Maybe so, just because the 2016 class (No. 9 in last year’s re-rank) had much more star power. But Kyle Whittingham and his staff have a pretty darn good track record when it comes to evaluation and development. And this class has helped bolster Utah’s status as a consistent Pac-12 contender, contributing to two South Division titles and helping the Utes climb as high as No. 5 in the CFP rankings in 2019 during their 11-win season.

Johnson developed into one of the nation’s best corners and a two-time All-Pac-12 selection. The 2020 second-round pick led a really good defensive back class with Blair, Javelin Guidry and Corrion Ballard. When you look at the contributions of Blair, Ballard, Penisini and Jordan Agasiva, it’s clear the junior college takes in this class worked out well. Bringing in Oregon grad transfer receiver Darren Carrington paid off with a great 2017 season for which he earned second-team all-conference honors. And the best find of them all might’ve been Gay, who joined the team as a walk-on during preseason camp and won the Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker in his debut season.

This wasn’t a highly touted class back on signing day, but it’s going to end up producing a bunch of NFL players. Ten signees have become multi-year starters for the Utes so far, with seven of them earning first- or second-team All-Pac-12 recognition.

9. Wisconsin

Adjusted average: 2.97
Hit rate: 86%
Class rank in 2017: 39th
Four-year record: 35-13
Top signees: RB Jonathan Taylor, LB Andrew Van Ginkel, TE Jake Ferguson, OL Logan Bruss, WR Danny Davis

Wisconsin only inked two four-stars in the 2017 recruiting cycle. No big deal. The three-star New Jersey running back they flipped from Rutgers did end up being pretty solid. Taylor instantly became one of the nation’s best backs and left as a two-time Doak Walker Award winner with 6,174 rushing yard and 50 TDs in three seasons, then finished No. 3 in the NFL in rushing as a rookie. Van Ginkel, a rare junior college addition during the Chryst tenure, became a fifth-round pick and is a starter for the Dolphins. Ferguson is coming back in 2021 after an All-Big Ten junior senior. He’s one of 10 members of this class who’s started 15 or more games for the Badgers.

Jack Coan is moving on as a grad transfer to compete for Notre Dame’s starting QB job after starting 18 games and losing his job to Graham Mertz, but only four other 2017 signees have left the program. They’ve made up for those few losses by developing walk-ons like Matt Henningsen and Josh Seltzner into scholarship players and valued contributors. When a class has 21 players and 15 of them have started games, that’s a hit rate any coaching staff would welcome these days.

10. Georgia

Adjusted average: 2.96
Hit rate: 79%
Class rank in 2017: 3rd
Four-year record: 44-9
Top signees: OL Andrew Thomas, QB Jake Fromm, CB Eric Stokes, RB D’Andre Swift, LB Monty Rice

The legacy for this Georgia class is clear. They’ve set the tone for the Kirby Smart era. This was Smart’s first full recruiting class as head coach, and it helped set a high standard right away, with Fromm and Thomas starting as true freshmen for a squad that came oh-so-close to winning a national championship.

It’s no surprise Smart and his staff landed and developed a bunch of future NFL talent on defense in this class with Stokes, Rice, Richard LeCounte, Malik Herring and Mark Webb. Sam Pittman’s influence is evident in Thomas and Isaiah Wilson rising up to become first-round picks in 2020, and Swift thrived in succeeding Nick Chubb and Sony Michel as the Bulldogs’ next All-SEC back. The only reason this class doesn’t rank higher is that about a third of its signees ended up being backups and six others left the program. But when you’re recruiting at the level Georgia has in recent years, that’s also sort of inevitable. This group, full of valuable contributors, still goes down as the winningest senior class in program history.

11. Northwestern

Adjusted average: 2.90
Hit rate: 87%
Class rank in 2017: 50th
Four-year record: 29-19
Top signees: OL Rashawn Slater, LB Blake Gallagher, DE Earnest Brown IV, DE Samdup Miller, S JR Pace

Northwestern classes tend to grade out well in these re-ranks because they don’t endure much attrition. From the 2017 class, three signees left the program due to injuries. Two are currently in the portal as grad transfers. And that’s it. Everyone else has stayed, and most have made an impact to help the Wildcats win two Big Ten West titles and achieve three top-25 finishes in four years.

This class offered a good mix of early contributors and multi-year starters, and Slater became one of the great steals of this recruiting cycle. Northwestern was the first to offer the under-the-radar three-star from Houston. His only other offers when he committed were Wyoming, Illinois, Kansas, Rice and SMU. After starting 37 games in three years, Slater became the No. 13 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

12. Auburn

Adjusted average: 2.89
Hit rate: 80%
Class rank in 2017: 9th
Four-year record: 33-18
Top signees: CB Noah Igbinoghene, LB K.J. Britt, QB Jarrett Stidham, DE Big Kat Bryant, DT Tyrone Truesdell

This class went to an SEC title game in 2017 but have come up short of playing to those expectations in the three years since. Igbinoghene came in as a four-star wideout and left as a first-rounder at cornerback, and the Tigers developed several more quality defenders from this group in Britt, Bryant, Truesdell and Chandler Wooten. Stidham and center Casey Dunn proved to be two key pieces for the Tigers’ 2017 success. The second-team All-SEC passer and fourth-round pick came in with a ton of hype and had a good two-year stint, and the combination of Stidham and Malik Willis was a pretty good QB class now that we’re seeing Willis shine at Liberty. Five-star offensive lineman Calvin Ashley was a miss, and JaTarvious Whitlow’s departure after leading the Tigers in rushing for two seasons was disappointing. But the limited amount of attrition and the sheer number of solid contributors helps boost the average for this class.

13. Appalachian State

Adjusted average: 2.78
Hit rate: 73%
Class rank in 2017: 107th
Four-year record: 42-10
Top signees: OL Noah Hannon, CB Shaun Jolly, DE Demetrius Taylor, WR Thomas Hennigan, WR Corey Sutton

Our highest-ranked Group of 5 class arrived on campus right after App State won its first conference title at the FBS level. These signees have kept the Mountaineers rolling and have three Sun Belt titles to show for their efforts, even while having to play for three different head coaches in Scott Satterfield, Eliah Drinkwitz and Shawn Clark.

Hannon started all 52 games of his career at center and twice earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors. Jolly is a two-time all-conference pick who put together a dominant 2019 season. Taylor has earned first-team All-Sun Belt honors in each of his two seasons as a starter as well. The staff brought in three really good receivers in Hennigan, Sutton and Malik Williams who have produced a combined 405 receptions for 5,238 yards and 44 touchdowns. Hennigan, Williams and Hannon earned starting jobs right away as true freshmen, too. Best of all? With the exception of Hannon, these guys are all planning to return in 2021.

“The cool thing to do now is pick up and leave sometimes, but these guys have stuck together and formed their own little bond here and led us to a bunch of victories,” App State assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Justin Watts said.

These were obviously not highly touted signees, but this staff consistently does a great job of scouting their three- to four-hour radius. They dealt with six decommitments while building this 2017 class. Five of those recruits signed with Power 5 programs. Watts said they typically deal with that about four times a year. “We know it’s going to happen and we just take it as, you know, people liking the product we put on the field,” he said. “We try to hold on to everybody but we’re also gonna make sure we have a deep board.” The poaching hasn’t hurt App State at all. They know who fits their program, and they just keep winning.

14. Notre Dame

Adjusted average: 2.72
Hit rate: 79%
Class rank in 2017: 10th
Four-year record: 43-8
Top signees: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, TE Cole Kmet, OL Aaron Banks, OL Robert Hainsey, DT Kurt Hinish

This class signed during an incredibly critical moment for Notre Dame football. These signees arrived following a 4-8 season and during a time of significant change for this coaching staff and program. On signing day, Brian Kelly praised the 15 members of this class who stayed pledged throughout that disastrous 2016 campaign and ignored the negative recruiting they heard. Their loyalty has paid off. They came in and helped a strong 2016 class (No. 4 in last year’s re-rank) turn the Irish around in remarkably rapid fashion with 10-plus wins in four consecutive seasons and two trips to the College Football Playoff.

The star of the class is clearly Owusu-Koramoah, the unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year who became a second-round pick. The addition of Hainsey and Banks helped Notre Dame build up one of the nation’s best offensive lines. Kmet ended up being a top-50 pick for the Bears. Hinish, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa and Drew White have a chance to be three-year starters on defense. There’s a lot to like about what Kelly and his coaches got from this group.

15. USC

Adjusted average: 2.70
Hit rate: 81%
Class rank in 2017: 4th
Four-year record: 29-16
Top signees: OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL Austin Jackson, DT Jay Tufele, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, S Isaiah Pola-Mao

Clay Helton and the Trojans closed on this class during an incredibly optimistic period, weeks after Sam Darnold’s heroic Rose Bowl comeback victory that put USC at No. 3 in the final AP poll. They enjoyed an impressive signing day finish, winning out for six top-150 recruits and jumping up to No. 4 in the final rankings. Their four-year run has been rocky at times, but they did get USC back to playing for a Pac-12 title in 2020.

This class certainly wasn’t lacking for quality linemen. Tufele and Tuipulotu played up to the hype on the defensive line. The Dolphins made Jackson a first-round pick in 2020, and Vera-Tucker was the first guard selected in 2021 as the No. 14 pick by the Jets. The Trojans brought in three more multi-year starters on the O-line here with Jalen McKenzie, Andrew Vorhees and Brett Neilon. There were a few bad misses – most notably five-star receiver Joseph Lewis – but this class did yield more than a dozen future starters.

16. Louisiana

Adjusted average: 2.65
Hit rate: 68%
Class rank in 2017: 121st
Four-year record: 33-18
Top signees: RB Elijah Mitchell, QB Levi Lewis, DE Zi’Yon Hill, LB Ferrod Gardner, S Bralen Trahan

This class signed one year before Billy Napier took over the program and really helped get this program rolling. They’ve won 28 games over Napier’s three years with three division titles and a shared Sun Belt championship in 2020. Mitchell, a sixth-round draft pick, is going pro after rushing for 3,259 yards (sixth in school history) and 41 touchdowns (fifth) while sharing carries with Trey Ragas and Raymond Calais. The previous staff made the right call on its QB takes in this class with Lewis and Andre Nunez, their starter in 2018. The defensive line haul proved to be a strong one as well, with Hill, Andre Jones and Bennie Higgins. The development displayed by this class is why Napier is such a coveted coaching candidate. Several Sun Belt classes graded out really well in this year’s re-rank. It’s a testament to how competitive this conference has become over the last four years.

17. Memphis

Adjusted average: 2.65
Hit rate: 73%
Class rank in 2017: 56th
Four-year record: 38-14
Top signees: CB T.J. Carter, WR Calvin Austin III, DT O’Bryan Goodson, OL Dylan Parham, OL Obinna Eze

Mike Norvell’s transition class ranked No. 12 in our 2016 recruiting re-rank, so it’s not surprising his first full recruiting cycle yielded another quality class. Back on signing day, this was the highest-rated class in school history. They’ve done their part to keep the program rolling, with nine signees starting for the 12-1 squad in 2019 that won a conference title and went to the Cotton Bowl.

Austin put together an All-AAC junior season in 2020 with a conference-leading 1,053 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns. Carter was the AAC’s Rookie of the Year in 2017 and twice earned second-team all-conference honors as a four-year starter. Keep an eye on him and Eze. They departed as grad transfers this offseason to play at TCU.

18. Penn State

Adjusted average: 2.64
Hit rate: 71%
Class rank in 2017: 15th
Four-year record: 35-13
Top signees: DE Yetur Gross-Matos, WR K.J. Hamler, QB Sean Clifford, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, S Lamont Wade

Penn State’s recruiting has consistently graded out well in these annual re-ranks, including top-five finishes for its 2014 and 2015 classes. James Franklin and his staff have done a good job with this one, too. Gross-Matos and Hamler were as good as advertised and ended up becoming second-round draft picks. It’s a shame that running back Journey Brown’s heart condition forced him to retire. He was poised for a big season in 2020 and would’ve been one of the true gems of this class as an underrated three-star signee. Getting Clifford, Castro-Fields, Ellis Brooks, Mike Miranda and several more members of this class back as fifth-year seniors in 2021 is going to be valuable. Most of these signees were already on board before the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten in 2016, so you really saw the recruiting impact of that feat more with the highly touted 2018 class that already has a few NFL-bound players.

19. Baylor

Adjusted average: 2.63
Hit rate: 79%
Class rank in 2017: 40th
Four-year record: 21-27
Top signees: DT James Lynch, LB Terrel Bernard, RB Trestan Ebner, QB Charlie Brewer, WR Jalen Hurd

It’s hard to believe Baylor’s 2017 class panned out this well considering how it began. New head coach Matt Rhule and his staffers managed to go from one commit to 29 signees in just five weeks on the job. Jim Grobe’s assistants didn’t do much recruiting in 2016, so the new hires had to throw together a class as quickly as they possibly could. That’s a recipe for a ton of misses and attrition, but this one has fared well.

Lynch was Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, Ebner won Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year in 2020 and Bernard has established himself as one of the conference’s best linebackers. Brewer started 39 games in four years. The Bears also brought in impactful transfers like Hurd and James Lockhart to help right away. The success of this class is a big reason why Baylor went from 1-11 to 11-3 in two years and why Rhule is an NFL head coach today.

20. Florida State

Adjusted average: 2.63
Hit rate: 67%
Class rank in 2017: 6th
Four-year record: 21-26
Top signees: RB Cam Akers, DT Marvin Wilson, S Hamsah Nasirildeen, WR Tamorrion Terry, CB Stanford Samuels III

It’s a little surprising to see Florida State still make this top 25 despite their four-year record, but Jimbo Fisher’s final recruiting class in Tallahassee did have a few studs. These signees had to play for three head coaches (four if you count Odell Haggins) and try to develop even as the staff and schemes kept changing. Fisher’s staff only signed one offensive lineman (Brady Scott) in this 24-man class, and the long-term consequences of that decision have been brutal.

Akers had a strong finish to his rookie season with the Rams, and several members of his class will be joining him in the NFL soon. But the 2017 class won’t make much of an impact for this program going forward. Right now, only five members of this group are set to return in 2021.

21. Oregon

Adjusted average: 2.62
Hit rate: 67%
Class rank in 2017: 19th
Four-year record: 32-15
Top signees: RB CJ Verdell, CB Deommodore Lenoir, CB Thomas Graham Jr., WR Johnny Johnson III, WR Jaylon Redd

Don’t underestimate the level of difficulty of this class for Oregon. It’s hard not to appreciate how it worked out if you remember the context. This was a transition class after a 4-8 season, and one-third of its 27 signees initially committed to play for Mark Helfrich. Then Willie Taggart bailed on them after one year. Mario Cristobal brought stability, but he also got the Ducks recruiting at a higher level, so he theoretically could’ve recruited over this class. But these guys have won two Pac-12 titles together, and nine signees became starters on the 2019 squad that won the Rose Bowl.

22. Tulsa

Adjusted average: 2.61
Hit rate: 71%
Class rank in 2017: 85th
Four-year record: 15-30
Top signees: LB Zaven Collins, WR Keylon Stokes, OL Chris Paul, RB Shamari Brooks, CB Allie Green IV

Where did Tulsa find the best defensive player in college football? Philip Montgomery’s staff took Collins, a quarterback/safety athlete with no other offers, out of small-town Hominy, Okla. He threw for 1,600 yards, rushed for 1,500, scored 50 TDs and added 91 tackles with three interceptions as a high school senior. Four years later, the All-American has a nice little trophy collection, and the Cardinals made him the No. 16 pick. He’s the gem of a class that produced 10 future starters on the 2020 squad that played for an AAC title. Brooks can finish as Tulsa’s all-time leading rusher, too, if he’s able to come back strong from the torn ACL that sidelined him this season.

23. Florida

Adjusted average: 2.60
Hit rate: 65%
Class rank in 2017: 11th
Four-year record: 33-16
Top signees: CB CJ Henderson, WR Kadarius Toney, DL Zachary Carter, LB Ventrell Miller, DT Kyree Campbell

It was challenging for Jim McElwain to recruit to the standard of Will Muschamp, who pulled in a pair of top-three classes. But his staff finished strong in 2017 with 10 pledges in the final five days of the recruiting cycle, and these players have developed nicely under the current regime.

Florida found a dozen future starters in this class and they’ve gone 29-9 under Dan Mullen. It’s worth noting that 10 of those starters played defense. The offensive takes were more hit-or-miss. But Toney was the No. 20 pick in the draft, and Henderson was a top-10 pick in 2020. The other downside with this class is that nine signees left the program, but it’s been a relatively successful group otherwise.

24. Miami (Fla.)

Adjusted average: 2.59
Hit rate: 72%
Class rank in 2017: 12th
Four-year record: 31-19
Top signees: OL Navaughn Donaldson, RB DeeJay Dallas, WR Jeff Thomas, CB Trajan Bandy, WR Mike Harley

After a 9-4 debut season, Mark Richt and his coaches were able to capitalize on the hype and assemble a solid recruiting class in their first year on campus, one that included 18 in-state players. They needed to upgrade on the offensive line and at receiver with this class, and the Canes did find and develop a few good ones at those spots. N’Kosi Perry has had a decent career but wasn’t quite the long-term answer they needed at QB and transferred to FAU.

The problem is this class hasn’t produced any first-team All-ACC players yet. Perhaps that’s because the best in their state went elsewhere during this cycle, with only one of the top 25 recruits in Florida signing with Miami. The transfer portal has helped Manny Diaz make up for some of the misses in this class.

25. UCF

Adjusted average: 2.59
Hit rate: 59%
Class rank in 2017: 55th
Four-year record: 41-8
Top signees: CB Mike Hughes, WR Gabriel Davis, DB Aaron Robinson, OL Cole Schneider, WR Marlon Williams

Scott Frost’s first full recruiting cycle in Orlando resulted in the top-rated class in the AAC, a talented group that bought in on the vision after watching the Knights improve from 0-12 to 6-7 in Year 1. Nine newcomers were on the two-deep for the 2017 national championship* team. They inked one of the biggest steals of this class in Hughes, a junior college transfer who arrived in the middle of preseason camp and became a first-round pick.

The class has endured attrition since then, but Josh Heupel’s staff developed more than a dozen of these signees into starters. They’ve won more games than any senior class in school history. Now their head coach has taken over at Tennessee. The Vols did not make the top 50 in this year’s re-rank, but Heupel’s ability to win with the players he inherits should be an encouraging sign for their rebuilding efforts.

Honorable mention: 26. Michigan State (2.58); 27. Troy (2.58); 28. Texas A&M (2.57); 29. Pitt (2.57); 30. Texas (2.57); 31. Kentucky (2.57); 32. SMU (2.56); 33. UAB (2.53); 34. Cincinnati (2.52); 35. Virginia Tech (2.52).

(Illustration: Adrian Guzman / The Athletic)