Ohio State 2005 — Recruiting Outcomes

Hits & Misses

Hit: Malcolm Jenkins (S) — Originally ranked 658. Outcome: NFL Pro Bowl. Jenkins was a standout performer significantly exceeding his initial recruiting rank. Hit: James Laurinaitis (LB) — Originally ranked 659. Outcome: NFL Starter. Laurinaitis was another diamond in the rough who outperformed his initial ranking. Miss: Jamario O'Neal (CB) — Originally ranked 24. Outcome: College Starter. O'Neal, despite his high initial ranking, did not achieve beyond a college starter level.

Development Story

The 2005 Ohio State recruiting class was a classic example of outstanding player development. Despite an initial class ranking of 24, the outcomes were extraordinary with the class achieving a remarkable S2S rerank of 1. This signifies that the majority of recruits, regardless of their original rankings, managed to exceed expectations. A key trend in this class was the development of recruits originally ranked lower or unranked. Players like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis, both originally ranked in the 600s, achieved the outcome of NFL Pro Bowl and NFL Starter respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of Ohio State's player development program.

Outcome Summary

The 2005 Ohio State recruiting class significantly outperformed original expectations. With an original class ranking of 24 and a final S2S rerank of 1, it is evident that the coaching staff was able to extract exceptional performance from their recruits. This is further illustrated by the fact that several lower-ranked and even unranked recruits achieved high outcome scores. The S2S rerank moved up significantly due to the high-performing outcomes of many recruits, regardless of their initial ranking. Notably, the class had a high percentage of recruits reaching the NFL level, which significantly contributed to the rerank. The key takeaway is that Ohio State's 2005 recruiting class was a resounding success, outperforming expectations and producing a host of high-impact players.