#1
Sam Houston · 2016
Recruiting #122 → S2S #3
Elite development program
+119 spots vs recruiting rank — 0 NFL outcomes from 11 recruits
Development
+119
- Recruiting Rank
- #122
- S2S Rank
- #3
- Dev Score
- 119
Ignored on signing day. Proven on Sundays.
What it means: this view highlights the biggest positive gap between recruiting reputation and S2S outcomes — the programs that consistently proved recruiting rankings wrong.
Recruiting sets the input. Factories prove development is the multiplier.
Some programs consistently beat recruiting rankings
Development beats recruiting rankings.
Factories don’t just sign talent
They turn overlooked recruits into pros.
The best builders win despite ranking disadvantages
They win without elite recruiting classes.
The pattern is simple: they build players — then the rerank confirms it.
Sam Houston · 2016
Elite development program
+119 spots vs recruiting rank — 0 NFL outcomes from 11 recruits
Jacksonville State · 2016
Elite development program
+118 spots vs recruiting rank — 0 NFL outcomes from 10 recruits
Charlotte · 2016
Elite development program
+116 spots vs recruiting rank — 0 NFL outcomes from 16 recruits
Numbers tell you what happened. The story explains why.
Sam Houston's 2016 recruiting class was ranked low nationally, but it dramatically exceeded expectations by finishing third in outcome rankings.
With an average star rating of 2.7, the class outperformed its recruiting rank by an impressive 119 spots.
Jacksonville State's 2016 class was ranked low at #120 but finished impressively at #2 in S2S outcomes.
This class exceeded expectations significantly, outperforming its recruiting rank by 118 spots despite an average star rating of just 2.75.
Charlotte's 2016 recruiting class was rated poorly at #126 nationally, yet it finished impressively at #10 in outcome rankings.
This class significantly exceeded expectations, outperforming its recruiting rank by a remarkable 116 spots despite an average star rating of just 2.9.
Same recruiting hype, wildly different outcomes. The red bar shows where the class landed.
Compare programs by player development, overall S2S results, and recruiting overperformance.
Ranked by Development Score: the share of signees who became college starters or NFL talent. A higher score means more recruits reached meaningful on-field impact.
See the programs that signed elite classes—and got nothing back.