Hits & Misses
Hit: Dwight Dasher (QB) — Originally unranked. Outcome: All Conference. Dasher made a significant impact on the team, earning an All Conference selection despite not being ranked during recruitment.
Hit: Dwight Smith (DL) — Originally unranked. Outcome: All Conference. Smith also distinguished himself as an All Conference player, showcasing his abilities despite entering college without a ranking.
Hit: Jeremy Kellem (CB) — Originally unranked. Outcome: All Conference. Kellem's performance led him to an All Conference designation, indicating a successful development trajectory.
Hit: Deondre Kyles (WR) — Originally unranked. Outcome: College Starter. Kyles emerged as a college starter, exceeding expectations for a player who was unranked upon recruitment.
Miss: Mark Fisher (DL) — Originally ranked 871. Outcome: College Starter. Fisher was expected to contribute at a higher level, yet his outcome of being a college starter suggests he did not fully meet the expectations from his ranking.
Miss: Ted Riley (S) — Originally ranked 8. Outcome: Contributor. As a highly ranked recruit, Riley's performance as merely a contributor reflects a significant underperformance relative to expectations.
Development Story
The 2007 recruiting class for Middle Tennessee State demonstrated a pattern of development that favored unranked players significantly exceeding expectations. The class included several players who, despite being unranked, achieved high outcomes, such as All Conference selections for Dwight Dasher, Dwight Smith, and Jeremy Kellem. These successes illustrate an effective recruitment strategy that capitalizes on player development, suggesting that Middle Tennessee State may have effectively identified talent beyond traditional rankings.
Conversely, the class faced challenges with some of its ranked recruits, particularly Mark Fisher and Ted Riley. Fisher, despite being a top-1000 recruit, only managed to become a college starter, while Riley, who was highly ranked, underperformed as a contributor. This juxtaposition highlights that while some lower-ranked players flourished, higher-ranked recruits did not always translate their potential into on-field success, suggesting variability in the evaluation process.
Outcome Summary
Overall, the 2007 recruiting class for Middle Tennessee State can be considered to have outperformed expectations, particularly with the notable success of unranked players. The S2S rerank moving from 77 to 83 indicates a recognition of this class's effective development and impact. The class's composition, featuring several hits among unranked players, reinforces a takeaway that talent identification and player development can yield substantial outcomes, regardless of initial rankings.