The Class of 2015: A Look at the Future of College Football

For my semester long research blog, I chose to research topics regarding college football recruiting. The topics I covered ranged from the keys to getting recruited to play college football, to a few of the most prominent recruiting scandals that have occurred in college football, and  even talking about the various sites and outlets that rank the incoming recruits. For my final project, I have chosen to do a run down of some of the most prolific incoming recruits and recruiting classes, and provide some insight as to where I see the future of college football heading.

While much of the talk in the college football world is the upcoming bowl season, National Signing Day is still 8 weeks away, and college fans can't help but be intrigued by what kind of impact the incoming class of 2015 recruits will have on college football. Many recruits have already made the verbal commitments to their respective collegiate destinations, while still others will keep everyone on their heels and wait til Signing Day before tipping their hand. But before I dive in to the different team's recruiting classes and players that make them up, let's first take a look at the latest news on the college football recruiting front, as well as the current rankings of the nation's top recruits, as well as where overall incoming class rankings by team stand at this point in the process.


It's impossible to talk about an incoming recruiting class without mentioning the guy who comes in at #1 as the most coveted recruit. For the class of 2015, that honor goes to 6'4" quarterback and UCLA commit, Josh Rosen (aka "The Rosen One). It had been a while since UCLA had landed a prolific quarterback recruit, but the Southern Cal native will look to follow in the footsteps of one of the best QB's in school history, Brett Hundley.  While Rosen is not the most fleet of foot, his exceptional arm strength and strong decision making in the pocket make him the nation's top overall recruit. With highly ranked recruit Ricky Town committing to cross town rival USC, college football fans could be in for quite a treat watching these two QB's go head to head for the next few years. With UCLA's program on the rise under the direction of Jim Mora, Rosen will be an interesting player to watch develop, and should expect all the scrutiny that comes with being the highest ranked player in his recruiting class. He certainly seems poised to take UCLA to the next level, as anyone might expect.


The other seemingly unanimous choice as one of the top two quarterbacks in this year's class is Alabama commit Blake Barnett. The highly touted recruit stands in at a similar 6'4" frame as Rosen, but is advertised as more of a dual threat, running quarterback that can pick defenses apart in a number of ways. He headlines an Alabama recruiting class that comes in as the top ranked class to this point. While rankings are certainly subject to change with National Signing Day still a few weeks off, the Crimson Tide's clinch of the college football playoff berth would lead me to all but guarantee the rich will only get richer. Joining Barnett in this ridiculous recruiting class is someone who figures to be one of his go to receiving targets in Calvin Ridley, as well as 5 star defensive backs, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Deionte Thompson. You have to figure the list of exceptional recruits will only grow with time, and even now it is already being considered to have the potential to be the best recruiting class of the Nick Saban era.

Josh Sweat

The Defending National Champion Florida State Seminoles also appear is if they will have no problem reloading their talent. While they have rolled off 29 straight wins on the field, Jimbo Fisher hasn't lost his step in reeling in some of the nation's top recruits. With Jameis Winston set to declare for the NFL draft after this season, there is sure to be some uncertainty in Tallahassee this offseason, but with the (currently ranked) #2 best recruiting class coming in, Seminoles fans should fear not. The class is loaded with defensive studs such as the nation's top ranked pass rusher in Josh Sweat (pictured right), as well as two 5 star defensive backs, and a 2nd highest rated running back recruit in Jacques Patrick.  As if that weren't enough, the Seminoles also got a verbal commit from 4 star recruit and potential quarterback of the future Deondre Francois. Needless to say, I think everything down at Florida State will be just fine in the post-Jameis era.

Justin Hilliard

It should be no surprise to see schools such as Ohio State and Notre Dame rounding out some of the top ranked classes. While neither of these schools have won a national title in quite a while, they tend to dominate the Midwest recruiting scene as opposed to the Southern, SEC recruiting territory. With Everett Golson set to graduate and coming on the heels of a bitterly disappointing end to regular season play, Fighting Irish fans can take comfort knowing the fact one of they landed one of the top 5 rated quarterbacks in the class of 2015. The electrifying Brandon Wimbush could make an impact as early as next season in South Bend. Meanwhile in Columbus, everything seems to be going well for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. Ohio State recently shocked the college football world by crushing Wisconsin in the Big 10 championship despite starting their 3rd string QB, and is having similar success on the recruiting front. Their recruiting class is loaded defensively, headlined by two of the top linebacker recruits in the nation in Jerome Baker and St. Xaver product Justin Hilliard.

Terry Godwin

While some fans may be rattled to see a program like the Tennessee Volunteers with a top 10 recruiting class, the fact of the matter is they are an SEC program with a huge, loyal fanbase, and not to mention have by far the largest recruiting budget in the nation. Until they can get a proven coach in Knoxville, though, the Vols have some work to do before getting mentioned with the big dogs. Both Clemson and Georgia boast very impressive recruiting classes to this point as well. The Bulldogs class is anchored by massive defensive lineman recruit Trenton Thompson, who figures to clog up all sorts of SEC running lanes, as well as the versatile speedster Terry Godwin. Clemson's class has athletes top to bottom, and will hope to continue the push to be considered in the same weight class as the elite SEC teams (despite being in the ACC). Speaking of which, Clemson's in state and most hated rival isn't doing too badly on the recruiting front themselves. The South Carolina Gamecocks currently boast the 7th rated class in the country. Despite not landing a single 5 star recruit yet, Steve Spurrier has been able to recruit an exceptionally deep class, with 4 star recruits at virtually every position. With both of these heated rivals making waves in the recruiting scene, these next few years of head to head matchups will be sure to be entertaining.

With 13 of the 33 Rivals 5 star rated recruits still undecided on where they will take their talents, there is still much to be determined before National Signing Day rolls around. Unlike many recruiting classes before it, the class of 2015 has no unanimous top 5, and how these players develop is really anyone's guess. Like I mentioned before, these ranks are all subject to change with National Signing Day lurking around the corner. As I discovered in constructing my research blog, whether it's the recruits mom forging their sons signature, or a coach leaving a school at the last second and prompting the player to change his mind, no one knows for certain how these classes will turn out.

With that said, the future of college football looks like the big dogs will hold their spot. With Alabama and Florida State's recent successes, it's no surprise to see those schools dominating the recruiting scene. Pairing that with the fact they both have one of the top coaches in the nation, and coaches who figure to be there for the long haul, and as I said before, the rich just keep getting richer. As I learned from my research blog, it is often the players who were overlooked during the recruiting process because they didn't possess the measurements to be a highly coveted recruit that end up making the biggest impacts. This year's Bronko Nagurski award winner as the nation's top defensive player was Scooby Wright (aka @TwoStarScoob) who was rated a 2 star recruit and only managed a single Division 1 offer. This just proves that while the rankings of the players and teams gives fans something to read and get excited about, the fact of the matter is how these recruiting classes turn out is anyone's guess.

Day 16 of March: The Slipper Still Fits

It's finally here, the greatest week of the year. Literally anything in the entire world can happen later this week, just like what happened in 1999. Back then, Gonzaga was just some tiny school John Stockton went to that had never won an NCAA Tournament game in history. They took out a suspension-ridden Minnesota team in the first round, but when they knocked off two seed Stanford in the second round, everyone started to notice. The Cardinal returned all five starters from their Final Four team the year before, and Gonzaga dominated them. Then, in the Sweet Sixteen game against Florida, we got one of the greatest basketball games ever. The Gators took a three point lead with 45 seconds left and the Zags followed with a Jeremy Eaton lay up to cut the lead to one. And that's when the Cinderella magic started. After the inbounds, 6-9 Brent Wright was pressured by 5-8 Quentin Hall and drug his second foot turning the ball over. With 15 seconds to go and a one point Gator lead, Gonzaga and Gus Johnson took over, and finished off one of the greatest endings in the history of March Madness. Que Gus Johnson's voice: Shot clock turned off... Calvary... Hall... 8 to shoot...Hall... The Runner!!!... Loose Ball!!!!!... It's good!!!!!!.... With 4.4 to go!!!... Shannon... don't wanna foul... Shannon... From the corner!!!!!!!... And it's over!!!!... Gonzaga!!!!!... THE SLIPPER STILL FITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Undoubtedly, one of the greatest finishes and calls in the history of sports. My only bone to pick is with the color commentator for interrupting Gus at the end. Of course you don't want to foul, and Gus was in the zone. Why would he want to step in the way of that? Even with that, it will still always be my favorite tournament moment, and my favorite YouTube video (I think 5000 of the views are mine). Anyway, enjoy the Selection Show, enjoy March Madness, and I hope your team gets buckets.

Day 15 of March: You Can't Be Serious

Hopefully everyone is pumped on Selection Sunday Eve as we begin to wrap up with my two favorite March Madness moments. Today we look at one of the greatest collection of characters in the history of sports with the Northern Iowa Panthers. Going against top overall seed Kansas, nobody really gave Northern Iowa much of a shot, and figured they'd get rolled over the way 9 seeds are supposed to in the second round. However, Ali Farokhmanesh, Jordan Eglseder, Lucas O'Rear, and Lucas O'Rear's sideburns had other plans. The Panthers controlled most of the game before withstanding a late Jayhawks run in the final two minutes. The defining moment came with around 40 seconds left with the Panthers up one. The typical approach would be to hold the ball as long as possible, run out some clock, and try to escape with the win. Farokhmanesh had a better idea, though, as he let a deep three fly and buried it, extending the lead to four. After a charge on Tyrel Reed on the ensuing possession, Ali hit two free throws to ice the game and send the Panthers to their first ever Sweet Sixteen. One of my biggest beliefs is that a team gunning for an upset this big has to land the knockout punch when they get the opportunity, and that's exactly what Northern Iowa did. The worst thing a team can do is try to coast with a small lead, and start playing conservatively. You have to go for jugular if you want to take out one of the big dogs. With that said, enjoy the awesome slate of games today, and come back tomorrow to see my all time favorite NCAA Tournament memory (which also doubles as my favorite Gus Johnson memory), it's gonna be awesome.

Day 14 of March: Double Order of Onions

There's only one thing better than March Madness, and that's March Madness with Bill Raftery. This all came in full effect during the Ohio St vs Siena game in 2009 when a record three "ONIONS" calls were recorded. The first came from Buckeye guard PJ Hill after knocking down a pair of free throws with 9 seconds left in the first overtime, extending the lead to 3. Then, after Ohio St questionably decided not to foul, Ronald Moore hit a big three with three seconds left sending the game into double overtime, and earning himself some onions. At the end of the second overtime, down a point, Moore hit another three earning himself an unprecedented double order of onions, and sent Siena to the second round. It truly was "garden variety" with "the little guy knocking them down big time" as the legend Bill Raftery shouted. The Saints were cold from behind the arc for the majority of the game, finishing 6-24, but drilled them when they counted. At the end of the day, that's what having onions is all about.

Day 13 of March: From The Parking Lot

On a cold day back in 2005 in Worcester, Massachusetts, TJ Sorrentine, Taylor Coppenrath, and Germain Mopa Njila made a name for themselves as the Vermont Catamounts upset Syracuse in front of thousands of screaming fans as well as a screaming Gus Johnson. It all started with two minutes left when Cameroonian guard Mopa Njila hit a three to put the Catamounts up by one. Then, after a bad pass by Hakim Warrick, TJ Sorrentine looked like he was just burning clock as the upset minded crowd began going nuts with their U-V-M chants. All of a sudden, Sorrentine drilled a three FROM THE PARKING LOT setting off major excitement from Gus Johnson and major panic from Orange fans everywhere (pause the video at 1:13). This gave Vermont a two possession lead and all but sealed their victory. In the end, the Catamounts held on for a 60-57 win and their first ever NCAA Tournament win, while TJ Sorrentine (with help from Gus Johnson) became a hero for small schools in March Madness.

Day 12 of March: Jayhawks Win The Title

So far in my articles, I've focused more on underdogs and cinderellas, but the Jayhawks' performance in 2008 deserves it's spot. Down seven with two minutes left, Kansas rallied to tie the game on a Mario Chalmers three as time ran down. Of course, this doesn't happen if Memphis could just make their free throws. The Tigers missed plenty of opportunities to put the game away down the stretch. Derrick Rose split a pair of free throws right before Chalmers' shot that could have made it a four point game. This has always left fans wondering if it was a better comeback by Kansas or a choke job by Memphis. In the end, it was a little bit of both. The Jayhawks made big plays when they needed to, but the Tigers just couldn't put the nail in the coffin. In overtime, Kansas took the momentum they built up and coasted with an early lead. It was their first title in 20 years, and will also go down as one of the greatest championship games ever.

Day 11 of March: The Demon Comeback

Straight outta Natchitoches, Louisiana, the Northwestern St Demons met up with Iowa, and for about 32 minutes looked exactly like what you'd expect from a 14 seed representing the Southland Conference. Suddenly, with 8 minutes left, down by 17, Northwestern St launched a massive comeback led by Ben Wallace look alike Clifton Lee  and cut the lead to two with just ten seconds left. Of course a team like this will always go for the win, and while the first three was off, Jermaine Wallace grabbed the offensive board, turned around, and fired while falling down out of bounds, yet still swished it. The Demons were so pumped that they immediately started celebrating and forgot to play defense and gave up a semi open look for the win. Fortunately, Adam Haluska just missed, and Northwestern St was off to the second round. This capped off a thrilling comeback, and will perhaps go down as the greatest shot in history to not receive an "Onions!" but for the Demons it will probably remain the greatest moment in school history.

Day 10 of March: Pittsnogle and Paulino

The 2006 Sweet Sixteen featured a crazy battle full of characters between West Virginia and Texas. The Longhorns were led by Kenton Paulino, a senior guard from Maine, and solid young players like A.J. Abrams and LaMarcus Aldridge. The senior heavy Mountaineers featured Mike Gansey, Johannes Herber, and the insanely popular Kevin Pittsnogle. Texas controlled the game early, but with 15 threes, West Virginia stormed back, tying it at 71 with 5 seconds left on a Pittsnogle three, before Paulino hit another at the buzzer to send the Longhorns to the Elite Eight. This game featured all of the quick turn arounds and momentum swings that make the tournament so exhilarating and awesome. Tomorrow, we'll look at another three pointer buzzer beater from the 2006 tourney, so be sure to come back then.

Day 9 of March: Shootout in Salt Lake

Kansas St vs Xavier in Salt Lake City back in 2010 had everything you want in a tournament game. From crazy shots to clutch threes to Gus Johnson going bananas, it was the complete package. With clutch threes by Jordan Crawford and Terrell (before the Tu era) Holloway for Xavier and Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente from Kansas St, it seemed like the game would never end. With the Wildcats seemingly in control, Holloway hit three free throws at the end of regulation and Jordan Crawford hit a parking lot three in the first overtime to extend the game. In the second overtime, however, Pullen and Clemente outdueled the Musketeer guards, and Kansas St advanced to the Elite Eight and earned a date with Gordon Hayward and the Butler Bulldogs. It was an effort that even led the great Frank Martin to admit that his guys played "pretty good" in the roller coaster of a game. In the end however, it was Gus Johnson who was the star of the game. With a slew of rise and fires and p-ures, Gus stole the show once again, proving that he is the most intense and dramatic play by play man around. Hell, Gus might even be able to make NASCAR and/or tennis actually exciting. Don't worry, as there will be plenty more Gus and plenty more insane highlight videos and head down the stretch for the final week before Selection Sunday

Day 8 of March: Jimmy Chitwood Jr

2010 was personally my favorite NCAA Tournament to watch, and Butler's run to the title game played a big part in that. It kind of surprised me how the media made them out to be such big underdogs, when in reality they were a five seed, and its not all that uncommon for five seeds to make runs. I guess its because many fans, players, and members of the media refuse to believe that good teams can come out of small conferences. The Bulldogs took out the likes of Syracuse, Kansas St, and fellow five seed Michigan St setting up a battle with Duke in Indianapolis for the Championship. Ultimately, Gordon Hayward came about half an inch away from becoming the real life Jimmy Chitwood, and Duke took home the title. (Side note: I wonder if Hickory fans got ripped for storming the court). Regardless, Butler did enough that Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward will always go down as legends of college basketball. Plus, they did it again the next season. It was one of the most exciting runs in one of the most exciting tournaments ever, I just wish one more shot could have fallen for Hayward. I also wish CBS wouldn't have ruined that tournament with Jennifer Hudson's God awful rendition of One Shining Moment, but that's an article for another day. Check back tomorrow as we revisit the 2010 tourney yet again.