Hits & Misses
Hit: Bernard Pierce (RB) — Originally unranked. Outcome: NFL Starter. Despite being unranked, Pierce emerged as a strong contributor at the college level and achieved a high outcome score.
Hit: Brandon McManus (K) — Originally unranked. Outcome: NFL Starter. McManus, also unranked, developed into a reliable starter, showcasing his ability to exceed initial expectations.
Miss: Ryan Murray (OT) — Originally ranked 23. Outcome: Contributor. Murray was highly ranked but did not reach a level of impact expected from a player of his standing, resulting in a lower outcome classification.
Miss: Cody Bohler (OT) — Originally ranked 1438. Outcome: Bust. Bohler, despite being ranked, did not meet expectations, leading to a classification as a bust.
Development Story
The 2009 recruiting class for Temple displayed a mixed bag of outcomes, with a notable emphasis on unranked recruits who exceeded expectations. The class's original ranking of 97 was not particularly favorable, yet the subsequent S2S rerank to 58 indicates a significant improvement in talent evaluation post-recruitment. The overall performance of this class reflects a trend where Temple was able to identify and develop players who were overlooked by traditional recruiting rankings.
A substantial portion of the recruits were originally unranked, and several of these players, such as Bernard Pierce and Brandon McManus, transitioned into impactful roles during their collegiate careers. This highlights a key development pattern for Temple: the ability to cultivate talent from less heralded backgrounds, making effective use of their resources to enhance player performance.
Conversely, the class also included a couple of misses, particularly among ranked recruits. Ryan Murray, who was highly regarded, and Cody Bohler, who was lower-ranked but still classified, did not perform at levels commensurate with their rankings. This underscores the complexity of recruiting, where not all high-ranked players fulfill their projected potential, while unranked players can sometimes emerge as key contributors.
Outcome Summary
Overall, the 2009 recruiting class for Temple outperformed expectations, primarily due to the development of several unranked recruits into significant contributors. The S2S rerank improved, indicating that the coaching staff effectively identified talent that was initially overlooked in the recruiting process. The standout performances from players like Pierce and McManus reveal the potential for high outcomes even from those not initially recognized as top-tier prospects.
In summary, the class illustrates Temple's capability to maximize talent development, leading to a favorable reevaluation of their recruiting efforts.