How we get back to a Top 5 High School recruiting class

grover

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Prove we can DEVELOP, as well as match NIL. We already have excellent recruiters and other important pieces in place like location, culture, etc.

Class of 2022: Our best chances are Wes, Cooper and Moten, then McCoy and Markeith though they most likely stay for a 5th year. I expect 4 get drafted, but don't see any going Day 1/2. Maybe Cooper sneaks into the 3rd round. Best case for rest is rounds 4-5. Markeith right now is not even making a practice squad but he can still show cause this season and next.

Class of 2023: Sisi, Bain, Fletcher, Brown ... then we've got Pancake, Popo, Bryant, Bobby Washington, Bruno and Ray Ray. Emory and Jackson Carver still on team.

I expect 6-7 get drafted, which would be a Top 10 outcome for a HS class.* Especially good if Sisi is a Top 10 and Bain a Top 50 pick. Need these guys to shine. Several will return for the 26 season, a couple the 27 season, so there's time.

Class of 2024: We NEED to hit on Scott and Trader. They're the lynchpin for DT and WR recruiting, and have to make headlines this season to have any sort of near term impact on 2026/27 recruiting. Lots of talent after that. Only real losses so far are Patterson and Rudolph.

Can this be a Top 5 NFL class just as it was ranked a Top 5 HS recruiting class? Need to get 8+ kids drafted to be in the rankings.

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* 2025 NFL Draft | # Players Drafted by College Team | Source: NCAA

14Ohio State
13Georgia
12Texas
10Oregon
8Ole Miss
7Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan
6Maryland, Notre Dame
5Iowa, Penn State, South Carolina, UCLA, Virginia Tech
 
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Prove we can DEVELOP, as well as match NIL. We already have excellent recruiters and other important pieces in place like location, culture, etc.

Class of 2022: Our best chances are Wes, Cooper and Moten, then McCoy and Markeith though they most likely stay for a 5th year. I expect 4 get drafted, but don't see any going Day 1/2. Maybe Cooper sneaks into the 3rd round. Best case for rest is rounds 4-5. Markeith right now is not even making a practice squad but he can still show cause this season and next.

Class of 2023: Sisi, Bain, Fletcher, Brown ... then we've got Pancake, Popo, Bryant, Bobby Washington, Bruno and Ray Ray. Emory and Jackson Carver still on team.

I expect 6-7 get drafted, which would be a Top 10 outcome for a HS class.* Especially good if Sisi is a Top 10 and Bain a Top 50 pick. Need these guys to shine. Several will return for the 26 season, a couple the 27 season, so there's time.

Class of 2024: We NEED to hit on Scott and Trader. They're the lynchpin for DT and WR recruiting, and have to make headlines this season to have any sort of near term impact on 2026/27 recruiting. Lots of talent after that. Only real losses so far are Patterson and Rudolph.

Can this be a Top 5 NFL class just as it was ranked a Top 5 HS recruiting class? Need to get 8+ kids drafted to be in the rankings.

----------------------

* 2025 NFL Draft | # Players Drafted by College Team | Source: NCAA

14Ohio State
13Georgia
12Texas
10Oregon
8Ole Miss
7Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan
6Maryland, Notre Dame
5Iowa, Penn State, South Carolina, UCLA, Virginia Tech
I'm gonna copy and paste the names from your post.

All that's left out of the 2022 class is Wes, Cooper, Moten, McCoy, Markeith.

You "expect 4 get drafted"

2023: Sisi, Bain, Fletcher, Brown, Pancake, Popo, Bryant, Bobby Washington, Bruno, Ray Ray, Emory and Jackson Carver.

You "expect 6-7 get drafted"


I'm not gonna bash you. But.. come on man. Even the best sunshine pumping and glass half full attitude isn't going to convince anyone that 10-11 of those guys are getting drafted.

If anything, your post might've backfired and shown us just how little NFL talent was in those classes.
 
Prove we can DEVELOP, as well as match NIL. We already have excellent recruiters and other important pieces in place like location, culture, etc.

Class of 2022: Our best chances are Wes, Cooper and Moten, then McCoy and Markeith though they most likely stay for a 5th year. I expect 4 get drafted, but don't see any going Day 1/2. Maybe Cooper sneaks into the 3rd round. Best case for rest is rounds 4-5. Markeith right now is not even making a practice squad but he can still show cause this season and next.

Class of 2023: Sisi, Bain, Fletcher, Brown ... then we've got Pancake, Popo, Bryant, Bobby Washington, Bruno and Ray Ray. Emory and Jackson Carver still on team.

I expect 6-7 get drafted, which would be a Top 10 outcome for a HS class.* Especially good if Sisi is a Top 10 and Bain a Top 50 pick. Need these guys to shine. Several will return for the 26 season, a couple the 27 season, so there's time.

Class of 2024: We NEED to hit on Scott and Trader. They're the lynchpin for DT and WR recruiting, and have to make headlines this season to have any sort of near term impact on 2026/27 recruiting. Lots of talent after that. Only real losses so far are Patterson and Rudolph.

Can this be a Top 5 NFL class just as it was ranked a Top 5 HS recruiting class? Need to get 8+ kids drafted to be in the rankings.

----------------------

* 2025 NFL Draft | # Players Drafted by College Team | Source: NCAA

14Ohio State
13Georgia
12Texas
10Oregon
8Ole Miss
7Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan
6Maryland, Notre Dame
5Iowa, Penn State, South Carolina, UCLA, Virginia Tech

I think 90% of the problem is due to lack of top draft picks. Players aren’t impressed by a coach having 8 players get drafted in the 7th round. It probably leads to more criticism if you don’t win (as it did with Golden)- “you had a bunch of nfl players, why didn’t you have a better record?!”

Solution

1. Get nfl ready transfer prospects. No one remembers Cam Ward went to WSU. Miami gets credit for those guys getting drafted. Pay top dollar for an elite DT and WR transfer just once. Once they get drafted it helps end the narrative that it is a career death sentence to play those positions under Cristobal.

2. Hire coaches with a proven track record of putting players in the nfl at those positions. Beard seems to be a nice guy and decent recruiter, but what happens when a player or parent asks, “How many first rounder picks have you produced?” There are more accomplished position coaches (it’s not just WR). Few players want to a 4 year “proof of concept.”

Neither of these things are financially out of reach, but it takes a HC willing to admit that top recruits at key positions think he’s poison for their career prospects, and he doesn’t have the ability (or time) to simply coach his way out of it.
 
Carrying Red Star GIF by FK Crvena zvezda
 
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The ONLY step is to switch conferences.. or hope half the ACC magically becomes good and dominates the Top 10 more than the SEC/B1G for the next few years lol
 
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I think 90% of the problem is due to lack of top draft picks. Players aren’t impressed by a coach having 8 players get drafted in the 7th round. It probably leads to more criticism if you don’t win (as it did with Golden)- “you had a bunch of nfl players, why didn’t you have a better record?!”

Solution

1. Get nfl ready transfer prospects. No one remembers Cam Ward went to WSU. Miami gets credit for those guys getting drafted. Pay top dollar for an elite DT and WR transfer just once. Once they get drafted it helps end the narrative that it is a career death sentence to play those positions under Cristobal.

2. Hire coaches with a proven track record of putting players in the nfl at those positions. Beard seems to be a nice guy and decent recruiter, but what happens when a player or parent asks, “How many first rounder picks have you produced?” There are more accomplished position coaches (it’s not just WR). Few players want to a 4 year “proof of concept.”

Neither of these things are financially out of reach, but it takes a HC willing to admit that top recruits at key positions think he’s poison for their career prospects, and he doesn’t have the ability (or time) to simply coach his way out of it.
Hit the nail on the head ⬆️
 
no it wouldn't, this post is a lie. If Texas, OSU, UGA joined the ACC tomorrow does that hurt what they recruit?
A lie is a bit strong, but ok. We are both talking hypothetical. Your question about those teams joining changes the entire dynamic of the current conferences. Think about like when Marty McFly started to evaporate from the photo because his dad couldn’t lock down the poon at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance…a different reality was being created.

Now to answer your question, I think if one of those teams ended up in the acc, it would be for some odd reason. Why they wound up there would be the place to start as to whether or not it would affect them negatively or not. If all of those teams came over to the ACC, then yeah, your point is a fair one. I also think you’re trying to point out what I wrote as cope and maybe there’s a bit of that, but if you look at where we finished last year and where we are at right now in recruiting, we are the top team outside of those two conferences. Yes, we are the smartest ******. So I get what you’re saying.
 
Joining B1G/$EC truly would level the playing field.
I know people say this a lot and I’m not saying we don’t need to get out of the ACC

But we would certainly have to step up the record

Like I’m not glazing the SEC but if we can’t get over the hump in the ACC what’s our record every year in the SEC? Would recruits start coming here if we are bottom feeders in the SEC? Or maybe that’s too strong maybe middle of the pack
 
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