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2005 Recruiting Rankings Were Wrong
We re-ranked 2,521 recruits across 120 teams based on what actually happened — not hype.
The story in 3 lines
- 🏆 Ohio State: #24 → #1 (Elite outcomes)
- 💎 Rutgers: #89 → #22 (Best development class)
- 💀 Tennessee: #2 → #24 (Massive underperformance)
What Stands Out — 2005
• Rutgers = biggest development success
• Tennessee = #2 class → #24 (collapse)
• ACC dominated top-end outcomes
• Mid-majors produced elite value (Cincinnati, Northwestern, Florida State)
Biggest Recruiting Busts
Tennessee
(#2 → #24)
Iowa
(#9 → #21)
Nebraska
(#10 → #18)
Talent Factories
Rutgers
(#89 → #22)
Utah
(#87 → #25)
Northwestern
(#71 → #14)
Lived Up to the Hype
Ohio State
(#24 → #1)
USC
(#1 → #2)
Texas
(#8 → #3)
What This Data Shows
Recruiting rankings measure potential.
S2S measures outcomes — including NFL production, longevity, and real contribution.
⭐ Star ratings are inconsistent predictors
📈 Development programs outperform talent-heavy ones
💀 Top classes bust more often than expected
Sort by:
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Ohio State
🔺 +23S2S Rank
#1
Recruiting Rank
#24
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 24
S2S Rank: 1
USC
🔻 -1S2S Rank
#2
Recruiting Rank
#1
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 1
S2S Rank: 2
Texas
🔺 +5S2S Rank
#3
Recruiting Rank
#8
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 8
S2S Rank: 3
Oklahoma
🔻 -1S2S Rank
#4
Recruiting Rank
#3
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 3
S2S Rank: 4
Miami
🔺 +37S2S Rank
#5
Recruiting Rank
#42
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 42
S2S Rank: 5
Wisconsin
🔺 +16S2S Rank
#6
Recruiting Rank
#22
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 22
S2S Rank: 6
LSU
🔻 -1S2S Rank
#7
Recruiting Rank
#6
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 6
S2S Rank: 7
California
🔺 +4S2S Rank
#8
Recruiting Rank
#12
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 12
S2S Rank: 8
Maryland
🔺 +7S2S Rank
#9
Recruiting Rank
#16
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 16
S2S Rank: 9
Virginia
🔺 +7S2S Rank
#10
Recruiting Rank
#17
✔ — NFL Players
✔ — College Starters
✔ Hit Rate —
Recruiting Rank: 17
S2S Rank: 10
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