Hits & Misses
Hit: Jammie Kirlew (EDGE) — Originally ranked 861. Outcome: NFL Drafted. Despite being ranked outside the top 800, Kirlew managed to surpass expectations, ultimately being drafted into the NFL.
Hit: Kellen Lewis (QB) — Originally unranked. Outcome: All Conference. Lewis, an unranked recruit, became an All Conference player, demonstrating a significant development within the program.
Miss: Matt Lewis (EDGE) — Originally ranked 360. Outcome: Bust. As the highest ranked recruit in the class, Matt Lewis was expected to make a significant impact, but unfortunately, he didn't live up to those expectations.
Miss: Dennis Underwood (RB) — Originally ranked 863. Outcome: Bust. Despite being a mid-range recruit, Underwood's performance fell short of expectations.
Development Story
The 2005 Indiana recruiting class demonstrated a mixed pattern of development. The class, originally ranked 93rd, was eventually reranked to 77, indicating that a number of recruits exceeded their initial expectations. This was especially true for unranked recruits like Kellen Lewis, who became an All Conference player, and lower-ranked recruits like Jammie Kirlew, who was drafted into the NFL.
However, there were also instances of underperformance, particularly from higher-ranked recruits. This suggests that while the program was successful in developing some recruits beyond their initial rankings, it was less successful in leveraging the talents of its more highly ranked recruits.
Outcome Summary
Overall, the Indiana 2005 recruiting class slightly outperformed expectations. This is reflected in the S2S rerank, which moved up from the original ranking. The class boasted a number of players who became regular college starters, and two standout players who significantly outperformed their initial rankings. However, the class also had a number of misses, particularly among its higher-ranked recruits.
The most significant takeaway from this class is the ability of the program to develop players beyond their initial rankings, particularly those who were unranked or lower-ranked coming in. However, it also highlights a potential area for improvement in capitalizing on the talents of higher-ranked recruits.