The countdown to kickoff of the college football season continues this week with the final month of summer right around the corner now. While fans can’t wait for the action to begin, it’s important to remember that success in the fall months starts well in advance with strong recruiting results laying the foundation for a quality football program. We decided to look at five different teams that have improved in terms of their overall recruiting results in recent years. Here is a look at five college football programs on the rise when it comes to recruiting.
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks were an absolute mess last season. The good news for Oregon football fans is that it likely won’t be long before they turn things around thanks in large part to strong recruiting results. Head coach Willie Taggart landed the No. 23 recruiting class of 2017 according to the ESPN rankings. The Ducks now have eight ESPN 300 commitments locked in. If Oregon could put together a strong season on the field then they could end up with a top-10 recruiting class for 2018.
Oregon fell off the map last year, so they are hoping to be in much better shape in the coming years. Last year, they were shockingly dead last in the Pac-12 Conference North Division. They finished with only two wins in nine conference games and were 4-8 overall. It’ll take them some time to get back on top, but this year’s college football recruiting class should help them.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Huskers have never had a top-15 recruiting class but they could crack that list in 2018. Mike Riley has done an excellent job as head coach and the addition of assistant Keith Williams has really helped on the recruiting trails. Tapping in to the state of California in addition to strong results in Lincoln has really helped Nebraska’s efforts. A strong 2017 season in the Big Ten could help the Huskers land a top-15 recruiting class in 2018.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Virginia Tech landed top-20 recruiting classes for three straight years from 2007 through 2009. However, the Hokies haven’t ranked that high since. Virginia Tech could be on the verge of climbing back up the ladder under head coach Justin Fuente. The Hokies are coming off a 10-win season and they already have seven four-star commitments from five different states. If Virginia Tech can continue winning in 2017 then they could be in for a solid recruiting class in 2018.
Maryland Terrapins
D.J. Durkin’s first full class at Maryland opened a lot of eyes as the Terrapins finished with a top-20 recruiting class. The team’s five ESPN 300 commitments matched their total from the previous three classes combined. Durkin wants the Terrapins to carry that momentum over and that will require a strong performance in the Big Ten. Maryland has the tools to improve on the football field. It won’t be a surprise if on-field success leads to even more success off of it in 2018.
The Terps are quickly becoming a Big Ten sleeper. They seem to have a decent team already and should do better than what they did last season. They were just 3-6 last year in conference play and 6-7 overall. They should be better in 2017 and 2018 as they move further into the Durkin years. He’s been a solid hire for them.
Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns had dominated the recruiting trails over the past decade but after struggling the past couple of years there were some changes needed. The hiring of head coach Tom Herman and some much-needed facility upgrades should help Texas return to the top of the recruiting chain in 2018. The Longhorns are at a crossroads following a couple of brutal years but they have an excellent head coach, massive reach and enough talent to contend in the Big 12 in 2017. Herman has Texas back on the rise heading in to the 2017 season. They are worth keeping an eye on as a program that should be able to land a solid recruiting class in 2018.
Texas finished with just three wins in conference play last year. Expect that to change in the coming years as this team has far too much talent to miss college football bowl season.
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