2010 Big 12 Football Recruiting Roundup

The Big XII has been a strong league in recent years and a large portion of that success can be attributed to the conference’s control of the state of Texas, one of the country’s elite states in producing high school stars. Thus it should come as no surprise that two of the top three teams on this list hail from the state of Texas in what is yet another banner year for the Lone Star State.

The Big XII has put together the 3rd highest average star rating, as their 279 commitments average out to a solid 3.05 Average Star Rating (ASR). Expect more than a few superstars to emerge from this excellent recruiting haul.

• Texas Longhorns, 25 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.819

The Longhorns can make a serious claim to having the nation’s number one overall recruiting class. This incredible collection of talent features 18 players who were ranked by one of the major services in their top 150 and nine of their commitments were consensus top 150 players! Their embarrassment of riches gets even better as their ASR is the country’s 2 nd highest. In short, this appears to be a phenomenal recruiting class and is easily the class of the league.

• Oklahoma Sooners, 29 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.632

The Sooners have built their great tradition thanks to a major influx of Texas high school talent and that continues for the Class of 2010. This enormous class features eleven players ranked in the top 150 by one of the services, three of which are consensus 150 players. Underscoring the depth and quality of this class is that fact that their ASR is the country’s 4 th best despite the 2 nd largest class among the top 25 finishers in that category. Expect this class to help continue Oklahoma among the country’s elite programs.

• Texas A&M Aggies, 22 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.212

In all honesty, A&M should have classes like this one every year. The Aggies have put together a very solid group that ranks 16 th nationally in ASR and features an exceptional haul on the offensive line, highlighted by consensus 150 tackles Luke Joeckel and Jake Matthews. If Mike Sherman continues to put together such strong classes in the coming years, A&M could be a real competitor in the brutal South Division.

• Missouri Tigers, 23 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.181

Gary Pinkel has done a great job capitalizing on Missouri’s recent success with this class. Resulting in an impressive 19 th national finish in ASR, the Tigers have put together a strong 23 man class that should help continue their winning ways in the Big XII North. The three prospects to keep an eye on are consensus 4* prospects Nick Demien and Marcus Lucas and quarterback Tyler Gabbert, current starter Blaine’s little brother. Mizzou fans should be very pleased with this class, the best in the North Division.

• Nebraska Cornhuskers, 21 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.142

After a major success on the field this year, Nebraska has recruited to their strengths in a major way. Bo Pelini puts a major emphasis on dominating the line of scrimmage and Nebraska’s class features a total of nine linemen! Is one of those players the next Ndamakung Suh? Either way, this class is one of the 25 best in the country and their ASR finishes 21 st overall nationally.

• Oklahoma State Cowboys, 27 commitments, Average Star Rating: 3.092

Mike Gundy once proclaimed ‘I’m a man! I’m 40!’ Well, with the sheer volume of players in this class, you have to wonder if 40 commitments was his goal. While there’s certainly no doubt that there is a ton of talent coming to Stillwater thanks to a strong average star rating, this class is amazingly only the 4 th best class in the Big XII South.

• Baylor Bears, 23 commitments, Average Star Rating: 2.884

Lowly Baylor has been beaten and bruised since joining the Big XII but recent success on the field combined with this solid class should provide some hope for the first time in years. Consensus 150 safety Ahmad Dixon headlines a class that has to go down as one of the best in recent school history. This solid effort is enough to pull the Bears out of the Big XII South recruiting basement for the first time in years.

• Texas Tech Red Raiders, 25 commitments, Average Star Rating: 2.853

After undergoing a surprise coaching change, Texas Tech faced the legitimate possibility of losing many of their best prospects. However, the hiring of Tommy Tuberville has kept this class largely intact and even though this is the South Division’s lowest rated class, there is certainly a lot of talent coming to Lubbock. The real test of Tubbs’ ability to recruit the state of Texas will come with the Class of 2011.

• Kansas Jayhawks , 18 commitments, Average Star Rating: 2.731

I will be very surprised if the Jayhawks finish this low in recruiting again under new coach Turner Gill. Taking over after former coach Mark Mangino was let go, Gill has strong ties in the Big XII North and is considered a rising star in the coaching community. Unfortunately, his first class only boasts two players whose composite star ratings are above 3.00. Expect a better effort in 2011 as Gill should be a dynamic recruiter.

• Kansas State Wildcats , 23 commitments , Average Star Rating: 2.676

Kansas State has a long tradition of succeeding based off of underappreciated recruits, many of whom hail from the state’s extensive junior college system. It certainly appears that legendary coach Bill Snyder is falling back to that formula to bring the Wildcats back to prominence because this class includes a nation-high thirteen JUCO recruits! Kansas State also wins the national award for most unranked prospects as six of their seventeen signees weren’t even assigned a star ranking from any of the major services! In short, this class is one huge unknown.

• Colorado Buffaloes, 21 commitments, Average Star Rating: 2.515

Colorado’s class has been hampered by consistent concerns about Dan Hawkins’ job status. However, this is still a very disappointing class considering the recruiting successes of the last few years in Boulder. Not one player has a composite ranking above a 3.00 and this is the Big XII’s 2 nd smallest class. If the Hawk is around next year, it had better be better than this one because this is nothing short of a disappointing effort.

• Iowa State Cyclones, 28 commitments, Average Star Rating: 2.482

Paul Rhoads’ first class at Iowa State isn’t full of particularly highly rated players but it is full…..literally. ISU has 28 players who will be coming to Des Moines next year and there are assuredly a lot of diamonds in the rough. Much like in-state rival Iowa, ISU’s success will have to come from strong coaching because the Cyclones are never going to bring in talent like the Texases and Oklahomas of the world. All things considered, this is a pretty good class for Iowa State.

Everyone who watches the Big XII is fully aware of the inequities between the North and South Divisions and this recruiting ranking shows why. The four lowest rated classes hail from the North and the South boasts the three highest rated classes and six of the top eight. In short, the Big XII will always be dominated by the South unless the North can narrow the recruiting gap.

As for the conference at large, the Big XII did a strong job pulling in top flight players. The league snagged 15 players that were ranked as Consensus Top 150 players and 43 players who were considered by one of the major services to rank among their Top 150. Both of those marks rank among the top three in the country.

SUPERLATIVES

Most Surprising (Best): Baylor Bears

For a team that is synonymous with losing, bringing in the conference’s 7 th best ASR and a consensus 150 player is a pretty solid achievement. If Art Briles can continue to amass such solid classes, the Bears will start challenging for bowl berths in the near future. Baylor’s class is a pleasant surprise.

Most Surprising (Worst): Colorado Buffaloes

Dan Hawkins can point to his tenuous job status as the primary culprit for his team’s lowly recruiting ranking. However, he’s had a lot of success in the past and producing the Big XII’s 2 nd lowest ASR with the conference’s 2 nd smallest recruiting class is simply inexcusable, especially at a ‘name’ school like Colorado. This class is quite poor. In fact……

Worst Class Overall: Colorado Buffaloes

…….Colorado has the WORST class in the Big XII. While Iowa State has a slightly lower average star rating, they brought in a lot more players and if you’re going to bring in a low average star rating, you better bring in a big class to increase your chances of finding some overlooked gems. Colorado’s combination of low ratings and low numbers has produced the Big XII’s worst class.

Best Class Overall: Texas Longhorns

Big surprise: Texas has the best class in the Big XII. However, Texas’ class isn’t just the best in the Big XII, it is neck and neck with the Florida Gators for the country’s #1 overall class. This class is just outright exceptional, with 9 consensus 150 players, 18 top 150 players overall (that’s 75% of the class!) and the 2 nd highest ASR in the country. With such a sheer volume of talent, Texas is primed for continued success on the gridiron. The Longhorns are really just an elite recruiting machine.

Texas is the winner of Collegesports-fans.com’s 2010 Big XII Class Of The Year!

Matt Baxendell is collegesports-fans.com’s football writer. If you want to get in touch with him, email him at Matt.Baxendell@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @MattBaxendell