Top 15 Recruiting Classes of All Time

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Feb 1, 2010

Top 15 Recruiting Classes of All Time

2008 Alabama

Alabama coach Nick Saban found nose tackle Terrence Cody playing at a Mississippi junior college and signed him in 2008.

1998 Ohio State

Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett was one of 11 members of Ohio State's 16-member class to be selected in the NFL draft. Thirteen of the signees became regular starters for the Buckeyes.

1984 Miami

Michael Irvin was part of the group Miami coach Jimmy Johnson inherited his first season in Coral Gables. Irvin and his class helped the Hurricanes win the 1987 national title.

1982 Penn State

Linebacker Shane Conlan redshirted on Penn State's 1982 national title team. By 1986, Conlan was all grown up, and he led the Nittany Lions to a national title.

1980 Georgia

Herschel Walker, the nation's No. 1 recruit in 1980, didn't sign with Georgia until Easter Sunday that year.

1995 Florida State

Peter Warrick may have missed a few games for getting a deep discount at a Tallahassee department store, but he returned to help the 1999 Seminoles go wire-to-wire at No. 1.

1999 Miami

Quarterback Ken Dorsey entered college with plenty of weapons. His Miami classmates included receiver Andre Johnson and tailback Clinton Portis.

2002 Texas

Quarterback Vince Young turned in the most dominant individual performance in college football history to lead Texas past USC in the 2005 BCS title.

2003 USC

Though his legacy at USC may change after the NCAA committee on infractions announces any punishment the Trojans may face, Reggie Bush was nearly unstoppable on the field. He helped USC to an AP national title in 2003, a BCS title in 2004 and won the Heisman Trophy in 2005.

2006 Florida

Quarterback Tim Tebow won the 2007 Heisman Trophy, but he, receiver Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes and the rest of the 2006 Florida recruiting class are more proud of the two national titles the Gators claimed during their time in Gainesville.

1945 Michigan

Pete Elliott began his Michigan career as a halfback. He finished as an All-America quarterback and a member of two national title teams.

1976 Alabama

Center Dwight Stephenson played on some of coach Bear Bryant's best Alabama teams, including national title winners in 1978 and 1979.

1972 Oklahoma

Defensive linemen Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon (pictured) joined older brother Lucious at Oklahoma and helped create a juggernaut. The Sooners won national titles in 1974 and 1975.

1992 Nebraska

The Florida schools didn't want Bradenton, Fla., native Tommie Frazier as a quarterback. That was a mistake. Frazier led Nebraska to national titles in 1994 and 1995.

1946 Notre Dame

End Leon Hart was part of a Notre Dame recruiting class that never lost a game and won or shared three national titles. Hart was the most decorated member of the class; he won the 1949 Heisman Trophy.