What a National Championship Recruiting Class Looks Like

[MontyPython]

Ready your slings and arrows, but know I want a Nattie just like you.

This is Georgia's recruiting class of 2018. These guys went on to win 2 in a row. While I believe Heupel can outcoach any other O in the nation, without elite players, is an NC possible?

We know Fulmer recruited the lights out. While they're no Rivals or Football 24/7 ratings back in the 90s, our NFL players show he had alot of talent.

So... can we win it all with our current class and trajectory? Can Huepel recruit at the highest level?

 

[Govolsman98]

It'll take some years of sustained success before we get a class like that

 

[Volbucky]

Ready your slings and arrows, but know I want a Nattie just like you.

This is Georgia's recruiting class of 2018. These guys went on to win 2 in a row. While I believe Heupel can outcoach any other O in the nation, without elite players, is an NC possible?

We know Fulmer recruited the lights out. While they're no Rivals or Football 24/7 ratings back in the 90s, our NFL players show he had alot of talent.

So... can we win it all with our current class? Can Huepel recruit at the highest level?

View attachment 560172

Those stars are pretty and not completely useless but one thing you didn’t mention was development. Another thing Heupel has over bowl cut

 

[Jackcrevol]

Ready your slings and arrows, but know I want a Nattie just like you.

This is Georgia's recruiting class of 2018. These guys went on to win 2 in a row. While I believe Heupel can outcoach any other O in the nation, without elite players, is an NC possible?

We know Fulmer recruited the lights out. While they're no Rivals or Football 24/7 ratings back in the 90s, our NFL players show he had alot of talent.

So... can we win it all with our current class? Can Huepel recruit at the highest level?

View attachment 560172

Bowlcut gave you dat look din' he? Got dat Tim Tebow-Gary Danielson vibe.

 

[Tennessee Golfer]

 

[TAF]

Where's the part where they rape the white girls and kill each other in University rental cars street racing...?

 

[Vol423]

Off the strength of only one 10+ win season, Heupel and his coaching staff are assembling what will likely be the best recruiting class we've landed in the last 20 years; yet, there are many Vol fans that do nothing but complain that the man can't recruit.

 

[Voldog1998]

We won’t win a natty or the SEC till we recruit like Georgia or closer to it we need back to back top 5 recruiting classes for starters. Heupel is the best coach we have had since Phil but in the end a plethora of 5 star studs usually win you a national championship. Our recruiting has to improve and it’s pretty good now but Georgia has dominated us on both LOS the past two years in their convincing wins primarily due to the talent difference in recruiting and rotating fresh guys in and depth. They plug and play 5 Star for 5 Star we can’t do that. We could very well end up with a a top ten recruiting class in the country for 2024 and 4th best in the SEC but that won’t be good enough if you want to win the SEC and natty and I’m not sure how we can close the gap and overtake Kirby and Georgia. Stealing a win this season in Knoxville and ending that 6 game losing streak against them would be a great first step though.

 

[Adam Sandler]

It'll take some years of sustained success before we get a class like that

I don’t think you have to have 8 5stars but I do think you have to have 70% bluechip (4star) or better. I’d have to dig it up but I did some analysis on recruiting classes and playoff competitors/champs. It basically came down to the perennial playoff participants had a combined overall former recruit (current player) rating of like 91.5-92 points or higher (bama, uga, Ohio state, Clemson, etc) and the perennial playoff/championship competitors had a player rating of 93 or better. And it takes about 2 classes of this magnitude and a “10+ win per season” coach to get there.

If my memory serves correct (and it could be a bit off), Kirby came in and sold the “dream team” concept. He went from a 8-5 coach with top 10 talent from Richt to an 13-2 coach the next year. His first class was #6. So top talent and certainly he developed them to that 13-2 spot. That said, and it should be noted, Kirby’s first 4 years were identical to Richts in wins and sec/nat champs numbers. The difference later showed from recruiting. By the time his second class (which was #3 with a 92 overall rating) were juniors/seniors (I don’t really factor in covid year with shortened schedule) and sophomores/juniors were the following number 1 overall class (94 overall rating), freshmen were the following #2 class (93 overall rating), they won their first championship.

Note that Clemson did it with top 10 classes.

So really you need top 10 and a couple top 3-5 close together to make it happen these days, plus a coach that is definitely top 25. I believe Heupel is top 25 for sure and if he can get us into that mostly blue chip players a couple top 5 classes with those a few consensus 5stars to make impacts at various levels of the offense and defense, we will win at least one championship, or more.

 

[MontyPython]

I don’t think you have to have 8 5stars but I do think you have to have 70% bluechip (4star) or better. I’d have to dig it up but I did some analysis on recruiting classes and playoff competitors/champs. It basically came down to the perennial playoff participants had a combined overall former recruit (current player) rating of like 91.5-92 points or higher (bama, uga, Ohio state, Clemson, etc) and the perennial playoff/championship competitors had a player rating of 93 or better. And it takes about 2 classes of this magnitude and a “10+ win per season” coach to get there.

If my memory serves correct (and it could be a bit off), Kirby came in and sold the “dream team” concept. He went from a 8-5 coach with top 10 talent from Richt to an 13-2 coach the next year. His first class was #6. So top talent and certainly he developed them to that 13-2 spot. That said, and it should be noted, Kirby’s first 4 years were identical to Richts in wins and sec/nat champs numbers. The difference later showed from recruiting. By the time his second class (which was #3 with a 92 overall rating) were juniors/seniors (I don’t really factor in covid year with shortened schedule) and sophomores/juniors were the following number 1 overall class (94 overall rating), freshmen were the following #2 class (93 overall rating), they won their first championship.

Note that Clemson did it with top 10 classes.

So really you need top 10 and a couple top 3-5 close together to make it happen these days, plus a coach that is definitely top 25. I believe Heupel is top 25 for sure and if he can get us into that mostly blue chip players a couple top 5 classes with those a few consensus 5stars to make impacts at various levels of the offense and defense, we will win at least one championship, or more.

Well said. The D part of the equation concerns me the most, honestly.

 

[Pride85]

LOTM unite.

 

[Adam Sandler]

Well said. The D part of the equation concerns me the most, honestly.

We’ll we certainly don’t need to be concerned about offense so yeah, get the players to win man matchups and lock down parts of the field and he will be able to be much more calculated, and with his aggressive defense we will win many games by many points.

 

[TNVOLFN]

Those stars are pretty and not completely useless but one thing you didn’t mention was development. Another thing Heupel has over bowl cut

I wouldn’t trade Coach Heupel for any other Coach in the country, but have you paid attention to the last few drafts? UGA has been in a class all to itself on the field, in recruiting, and especially in the draft - makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[TNVOLFN]

I don’t think you have to have 8 5stars but I do think you have to have 70% bluechip (4star) or better. I’d have to dig it up but I did some analysis on recruiting classes and playoff competitors/champs. It basically came down to the perennial playoff participants had a combined overall former recruit (current player) rating of like 91.5-92 points or higher (bama, uga, Ohio state, Clemson, etc) and the perennial playoff/championship competitors had a player rating of 93 or better. And it takes about 2 classes of this magnitude and a “10+ win per season” coach to get there.

If my memory serves correct (and it could be a bit off), Kirby came in and sold the “dream team” concept. He went from a 8-5 coach with top 10 talent from Richt to an 13-2 coach the next year. His first class was #6. So top talent and certainly he developed them to that 13-2 spot. That said, and it should be noted, Kirby’s first 4 years were identical to Richts in wins and sec/nat champs numbers. The difference later showed from recruiting. By the time his second class (which was #3 with a 92 overall rating) were juniors/seniors (I don’t really factor in covid year with shortened schedule) and sophomores/juniors were the following number 1 overall class (94 overall rating), freshmen were the following #2 class (93 overall rating), they won their first championship.

Note that Clemson did it with top 10 classes.

So really you need top 10 and a couple top 3-5 close together to make it happen these days, plus a coach that is definitely top 25. I believe Heupel is top 25 for sure and if he can get us into that mostly blue chip players a couple top 5 classes with those a few consensus 5stars to make impacts at various levels of the offense and defense, we will win at least one championship, or more.

Period. It’s a players game, funny how the greatest coaches have the best players.

Clemson has shown it’s possible to not have top classes stacked every year, but I’d also say their great teams might not have been so great playing an SEC schedule.

 

[BlinghamptonVol]

This is Georgia's recruiting class of 2018. These guys went on to win 2 in a row.

Actually, 9 of the 16 in your screenshot won 0 national titles, due to transferring out or going to the NFL. 6 won 1 national title. Only 1 person on your screenshot won 2 national titles.

 

[DonDiego]

I say we upset them this year.

 

[9876543vol]

Ready your slings and arrows, but know I want a Nattie just like you.

This is Georgia's recruiting class of 2018. These guys went on to win 2 in a row. While I believe Heupel can outcoach any other O in the nation, without elite players, is an NC possible?

We know Fulmer recruited the lights out. While they're no Rivals or Football 24/7 ratings back in the 90s, our NFL players show he had alot of talent.

So... can we win it all with our current class and trajectory? Can Huepel recruit at the highest level?

View attachment 560172

It is obvious that our team needs talented players to win a championship, and coach Heupel is getting plenty of them, but many of our fans don't want to believe that a player can be very talented, unless a recruiting site bless him with a 5 star ranking (or at least a high 4 star ranking).

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

Recruiting is important but so is coaching. We have it at a high level on the offensive side but the concern for me is on the defensive side of the ball at the coordinator position. I’m not sure that Banks is going to be the guy to get us there and we’ll be looking for his replacement soon. We’ll see by the end of this season though.

 

[9876543vol]

Recruiting is important but so is coaching. We have it at a high level on the offensive side but the concern for me is on the defensive side of the ball at the coordinator position. I’m not sure that Banks is going to be the guy to get us there and we’ll be looking for his replacement soon. We’ll see by the end of this season though.

Our defense is going to be quite good this coming season, i think you will be surprised.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Actually, 9 of the 16 in your screenshot won 0 national titles, due to transferring out or going to the NFL. 6 won 1 national title. Only 1 person on your screenshot won 2 national titles.

This is the post

 

[cherokeeeVOL]

Our defense is going to be quite good this coming season, i think you will be surprised.

I sure hope so. I know that we’ve got a nice defensive class coming in along with a couple transfers so maybe they can put it together and finally establish an identity on that side of the ball.

 

[thehardknoxlife]

It's funny. Through the years many fans have the recipe for success and it usually boils down "do what xxxx national champion does".

 

[TrippieRedd]

So let’s say we finish with:
Russell, Matthews, Wingo, Jefferson, Satterwhite, Bennett, Franklin, Ross, Okoye, Spillman, Singleton and Bates.

That’s
- 3 five stars
- 19 four stars
- 5 three stars

You tell me, is that national championship type class?

27 commits, 296.26. That’s a top 5 class every year.

What I think is the most impressive part of all this is the fact that we already have those 5 three stars committed, which means the rest of the players were in on are 4 stars or higher.

 

[Dougie_D]

It definitely doesn’t hurt.. but according to 247 sports, GA has been top 4 since 2017. And was ranked #6 in 2016... Kirby’s first year. Plus Georgia is a hotbed of football talent. But with transfers, the new SEC , and 12 team playoffs, .. those top recruiting classes will be irrelevant

 

[Batman1948]

Off the strength of only one 10+ win season, Heupel and his coaching staff are assembling what will likely be the best recruiting class we've landed in the last 20 years; yet, there are many Vol fans that do nothing but complain that the man can't recruit.

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