Northwestern 2006 — Recruiting Outcomes

Hits & Misses

Hit: Corbin Bryant (DL) — Originally unranked. Outcome: NFL Starter. Despite not being initially ranked, Bryant had an outstanding career and was a key defensive component for Northwestern. Hit: Sherrick McManis (CB) — Originally unranked. Outcome: NFL Starter. McManis is another unranked recruit who exceeded expectations and became a significant performer for Northwestern. Miss: Mike Boyle (OT) — Originally ranked 486. Outcome: Contributor. Boyle was among the top recruits for Northwestern in 2006, but his impact was less than anticipated, contributing only modestly to the team's performance. Miss: Carl Fisher (WR) — Originally ranked 602. Outcome: Contributor. Fisher, another highly ranked recruit, ended up having a minimal impact on the team's performance.

Development Story

The 2006 recruiting class for Northwestern was a prime example of the unpredictability and potential of college football recruits. The Wildcats' recruiting class was originally ranked 113th, which was among the lower tiers of college football. Yet, their recalculated ranking catapulted to 13th, based on post-college outcomes. The team's development process appears to have thrived on identifying and nurturing talent that may have been overlooked by traditional ranking systems. The case of unranked recruits Corbin Bryant and Sherrick McManis becoming NFL Starters is a testament to this approach. The program was also able to develop a mid-tier recruit like Quentin Davie into an All Conference player, further demonstrating the effectiveness of their talent development.

Outcome Summary

The 2006 Northwestern recruiting class significantly outperformed expectations. The original class rank of 113 was drastically improved in the S2S rerank to 13, demonstrating the impressive development and utilization of talent by Northwestern. The primary reason for this dramatic rerank is the unexpectedly high outcomes of several unranked recruits, who went on to become significant contributors and even starters in the NFL. The key takeaway from this class is the substantial value and potential hidden within unranked recruits, and Northwestern's success in unlocking that potential.