Topic: Big 12 has 3 teams in the top 25 recruiting classes.

[Tetonhawk]

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/classrankings?&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2fclassrankings

[SoonerNation#1]

This has been the norm for Oklahoma and Texas as both schools have landed top 5 classes every year the last decade.

[Cynical Puppet]

This has been the norm for Oklahoma and Texas as both schools have landed top 5 classes every year the last decade.

Ummm, Texas maybe. But Oklahoma gets a top 5 recruiting class on avg about every 2-3 years.

Texas almost always has a higher rated class than OU.

[MIZtigersZOU]

Mizzou has been included in every non-ESPN ranking I've seen.

Just sayin.

[Hsker4Life]

ESPN is late to the game when it comes to recruiting services.  I put more stock in Rivals.

Having said that, recruiting rankings overall is pretty pointless.  If a player is a good athlete, and has multiple offers from BCS schools (including NU), I'll take him. 

You start splitting hairs between athletes that play different style ball against all kinds of different competition.  It's all about getting good athletes who can be coached up once they hit college.

[Cynical Puppet]

ESPN is late to the game when it comes to recruiting services.  I put more stock in Rivals.

Having said that, recruiting rankings overall is pretty pointless.  If a player is a good athlete, and has multiple offers from BCS schools (including NU), I'll take him. 

You start splitting hairs between athletes that play different style ball against all kinds of different competition.  It's all about getting good athletes who can be coached up once they hit college.

Maybe they are late, but they're scouts are much more qualified than the Joe Blows that Rivals has.

[mpalmer4]

Maybe they are late, but they're scouts are much more qualified than the Joe Blows that Rivals has.

Yes, but they don't put very much time or money into it, unlike Rivals and Scout.

[Cynical Puppet]

Yes, but they don't put very much time or money into it, unlike Rivals and Scout.

Being a member of OUInsider(ESPN affiliate site), I can tell you that ESPN is putting forth millions of dollars into it. Buying the rights to the Elite 11 camp, starting the UA AA game, hiring Scouts Inc., starting their own databse, and they have apparently bought a HS/College sports magazine that is national and plan to use that for their college affiliate sites. All for the sake of basically taking over the recruiting site scene.

The affiliate sites are ESPNs inside link into every major college program in the nation. When the site gets news, they email it straight to ESPN.

ESPN has pretty much done what our gov't is doing in throwing money at the problem, but getting more out from it.

[Hsker4Life]

I'll stick to trusting the evaluations of successful coaches over ESPN, Rivals or Scout.

[Hsker4Life]

Being a member of OUInsider(ESPN affiliate site), I can tell you that ESPN is putting forth millions of dollars into it. Buying the rights to the Elite 11 camp, starting the UA AA game, hiring Scouts Inc., starting their own databse, and they have apparently bought a HS/College sports magazine that is national and plan to use that for their college affiliate sites. All for the sake of basically taking over the recruiting site scene.

The affiliate sites are ESPNs inside link into every major college program in the nation. When the site gets news, they email it straight to ESPN.

ESPN has pretty much done what our gov't is doing in throwing money at the problem, but getting more out from it.

More from ESPN's recruiting coverage:  Todd McShay on pick-up of Corey Nelson: "Great recruiting class but Oklahoma really needed this, they are a program that is at a crossroads. They are depleted from a personnel standpoint. The entire defensive unit really, is gone. Who are the leaders and who are the stars for 2010?"

[Blackshirts]

Maybe they are late, but they're scouts are much more qualified than the Joe Blows that Rivals has.

Bo flat out said today the only reason he ever reads recruiting sites is because he is down and needs a good laugh, I'll trust Bo over ESPN's scouts...

[Cynical Puppet]

Bo flat out said today the only reason he ever reads recruiting sites is because he is down and needs a good laugh, I'll trust Bo over ESPN's scouts...

I'm not comparing college coaches to Scouts Inc. I'm comparing Scouts Inc. to Rivals and Scout.com.

And btw, ESPNs recruiting scouts are all former coaches/players. Their most recent hirer was an assistant coach from Ohio State about 2 years ago.

[mpalmer4]

I'll take their judgment.  NU already has 3 commitments, all of whom are listed in ESPN's early Top 100.  Also, NU is high up for their #7 player, RB Aaron Green.

Oh yeah.....all 3 of these Top 100 guys are on the offensive side of the ball. 

[Cynical Puppet]

More from ESPN's recruiting coverage:  Todd McShay on pick-up of Corey Nelson: "Great recruiting class but Oklahoma really needed this, they are a program that is at a crossroads. They are depleted from a personnel standpoint. The entire defensive unit really, is gone. Who are the leaders and who are the stars for 2010?"

ou lost 2 corners, 1 DT, 1 DE, and 1 MLB. Frank Alexander was in the 3 man rotation with Beal/English, so those two will be fine. OU has talented DEs behind them. Gerald McCoy won't be replaced easily, but neither is OU putting scrubs out there. At CB is probably the biggest concern. There's potential, but not much that's been proven beyond Fleming.

And I'm not worried at all about LB. the last 2 years we've shored up that position very well.