Interesting Apr 27, 2020 story from Yahoo.com.
As you will see, Iowa just missed being one of the top 10 programs in the country in developing three-star or lower recruits into round 1-3 draft picks in the last 10 years.
Some excerpts:
No matter how much some college football coaches try to tell you otherwise at their yearly national signing day news conferences, recruiting rankings matter.
The top of the 2020 NFL draft was yet another set of data showing that players ranked as four- and five-star recruits coming out of high school are more likely to end up reaching the NFL.
Using the recruiting rankings from Rivals.com for reference, 21 of the 32 players chosen in the NFL Draft’s first round were rated as at least four-star recruits. Of those 21, seven were five-star recruits. When you consider that there are typically somewhere in the range of 30-35 five-star prospects, 300 or so four-star prospects, and hundreds of other recruits with two- and three-star ratings in a given recruiting class, that’s a pretty good hit rate.
Those high-ranking draftees typically represent the top performing programs in college football. This year, LSU, Alabama and Ohio State combined for 12 of the 32 first-rounders. But not every school can recruit at that level and are forced to search for diamonds in the rough to help them win games and develop into draft prospects.
That got us wondering which programs develop the most low-level recruits — unranked, two-star and three-star prospects — into players picked in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. So we went through each FBS school’s draft picks from the past 10 years (2020 draft included) and looked up those draftees’ Rivals recruiting rankings.
The 10 programs that developed the most three-star (or lower) recruits into Round 1-3 picks in the last 10 years are :
1. Ohio State (14)
2. Wisconsin (13)
3. Boise State (12)
3. LSU (12)
3.Stanford (12)
6. Louisville (11)
6. Washington (11)
8. Mississippi State (10)
8. TCU (10)
8. Utah (10)
Iowa just missed this list, having 9 three-star (or lower) recruits drafted in Rounds 1-3 in the last 10 years.
Many of the programs that end up atop recruiting rankings are still finding high-upside three-star recruits as well, and no program is doing that better than Ohio State.
OSU has had 43 players go in the top three rounds of the draft over the last 10 years, and 14 of them were rated at three stars or below — more than any other program. Six of those players went in the first round.
By comparison, Alabama has had 54 players drafted in those rounds, with just six rated at three stars or below. Notre Dame (3/24), USC (2/23), Georgia (3/22) and Oklahoma (4/21) all had a similarly low percentage. That, of course, is also a reflection of how well those programs recruit.
It could be argued that no program is doing more with less talent than Wisconsin. In the Rivals.com era (dating back to 2002), Wisconsin’s average team recruiting rank is 41.7. Yet the Badgers are routinely developing top NFL draft choices. Over the last 10 years, 18 Badgers have gone in the top three rounds. Thirteen of those players were ranked at three stars or lower and six went in the first round.
Below is a look at how every B1G team and Iowa State has fared with lower-level recruits over the past 10 years. A more detailed look including all the players is available at the bottom of this post.
Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only.
1. Ohio State
Total: 43
4/5 star: 29
3-star: 13
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Bradley Roby, Darron Lee, Malik Hooker, Gareon Conley, Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette
2. Michigan
Total: 20
4/5 star: 15
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
3. Wisconsin
Total: 18
4/5 star: 5
3-star: 9
2-star: 3
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): J.J. Watt, Gabe Carimi, Kevin Zeitler, Travis Frederick, T.J. Watt, Ryan Ramczyk
4. Penn State
Total: 15
4/5 star: 11
3-star: 2
2-star: 1
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
5. Iowa
Total: 14
4/5 star: 5
3-star: 7
2-star: 2
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Riley Reiff, Brandon Scherff, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant
The details for the nine 3 Star or lower Iowa players:
NFL........Rivals
Round....Stars......Player...................
1...............3...........Riley Reiff
3...............3...........Christian Kirksey
1...............3...........Brandon Scherff
3...............3...........Carl Davis
3...............3...........CJ Beathard
2...............2...........Josh Jackson
1...............3...........TJ Hockenson
1...............3...........Noah Fant
3...............2.......... Michael Ojemudia
6. Illinois
Total: 10
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 7
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Whitney Mercilus, A.J. Jenkins
7. Michigan State
Total: 8
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 2
2-star: 3
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes, Jack Conklin
8. Nebraska
Total: 8
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 2
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Prince Amukamara
9. Maryland
Total: 6
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Darnell Savage
10. Rutgers
Total: 6
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 3
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
11. Indiana
Total: 4
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
12. Minnesota
Total: 3
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 2
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
13. Purdue
Total: 2
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 2
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Ryan Kerrigan
14. Northwestern
Total: None
OTHER:
Iowa State
Total: 2
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 1
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
LINK to Full Story: https://sports.yahoo.com/which-coll...ruits-into-top-nfl-draft-picks-125011523.html
As you will see, Iowa just missed being one of the top 10 programs in the country in developing three-star or lower recruits into round 1-3 draft picks in the last 10 years.
Some excerpts:
No matter how much some college football coaches try to tell you otherwise at their yearly national signing day news conferences, recruiting rankings matter.
The top of the 2020 NFL draft was yet another set of data showing that players ranked as four- and five-star recruits coming out of high school are more likely to end up reaching the NFL.
Using the recruiting rankings from Rivals.com for reference, 21 of the 32 players chosen in the NFL Draft’s first round were rated as at least four-star recruits. Of those 21, seven were five-star recruits. When you consider that there are typically somewhere in the range of 30-35 five-star prospects, 300 or so four-star prospects, and hundreds of other recruits with two- and three-star ratings in a given recruiting class, that’s a pretty good hit rate.
Those high-ranking draftees typically represent the top performing programs in college football. This year, LSU, Alabama and Ohio State combined for 12 of the 32 first-rounders. But not every school can recruit at that level and are forced to search for diamonds in the rough to help them win games and develop into draft prospects.
That got us wondering which programs develop the most low-level recruits — unranked, two-star and three-star prospects — into players picked in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. So we went through each FBS school’s draft picks from the past 10 years (2020 draft included) and looked up those draftees’ Rivals recruiting rankings.
The 10 programs that developed the most three-star (or lower) recruits into Round 1-3 picks in the last 10 years are :
1. Ohio State (14)
2. Wisconsin (13)
3. Boise State (12)
3. LSU (12)
3.Stanford (12)
6. Louisville (11)
6. Washington (11)
8. Mississippi State (10)
8. TCU (10)
8. Utah (10)
Iowa just missed this list, having 9 three-star (or lower) recruits drafted in Rounds 1-3 in the last 10 years.
Many of the programs that end up atop recruiting rankings are still finding high-upside three-star recruits as well, and no program is doing that better than Ohio State.
OSU has had 43 players go in the top three rounds of the draft over the last 10 years, and 14 of them were rated at three stars or below — more than any other program. Six of those players went in the first round.
By comparison, Alabama has had 54 players drafted in those rounds, with just six rated at three stars or below. Notre Dame (3/24), USC (2/23), Georgia (3/22) and Oklahoma (4/21) all had a similarly low percentage. That, of course, is also a reflection of how well those programs recruit.
It could be argued that no program is doing more with less talent than Wisconsin. In the Rivals.com era (dating back to 2002), Wisconsin’s average team recruiting rank is 41.7. Yet the Badgers are routinely developing top NFL draft choices. Over the last 10 years, 18 Badgers have gone in the top three rounds. Thirteen of those players were ranked at three stars or lower and six went in the first round.
Below is a look at how every B1G team and Iowa State has fared with lower-level recruits over the past 10 years. A more detailed look including all the players is available at the bottom of this post.
Note: Drafts from 2011-20, Rounds 1, 2 and 3 only.
1. Ohio State
Total: 43
4/5 star: 29
3-star: 13
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Bradley Roby, Darron Lee, Malik Hooker, Gareon Conley, Denzel Ward, Damon Arnette
2. Michigan
Total: 20
4/5 star: 15
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
3. Wisconsin
Total: 18
4/5 star: 5
3-star: 9
2-star: 3
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): J.J. Watt, Gabe Carimi, Kevin Zeitler, Travis Frederick, T.J. Watt, Ryan Ramczyk
4. Penn State
Total: 15
4/5 star: 11
3-star: 2
2-star: 1
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
5. Iowa
Total: 14
4/5 star: 5
3-star: 7
2-star: 2
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Riley Reiff, Brandon Scherff, T.J. Hockenson, Noah Fant
The details for the nine 3 Star or lower Iowa players:
NFL........Rivals
Round....Stars......Player...................
1...............3...........Riley Reiff
3...............3...........Christian Kirksey
1...............3...........Brandon Scherff
3...............3...........Carl Davis
3...............3...........CJ Beathard
2...............2...........Josh Jackson
1...............3...........TJ Hockenson
1...............3...........Noah Fant
3...............2.......... Michael Ojemudia
6. Illinois
Total: 10
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 7
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Whitney Mercilus, A.J. Jenkins
7. Michigan State
Total: 8
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 2
2-star: 3
Unranked: 1
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Darqueze Dennard, Trae Waynes, Jack Conklin
8. Nebraska
Total: 8
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 2
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Prince Amukamara
9. Maryland
Total: 6
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Darnell Savage
10. Rutgers
Total: 6
4/5 star: 2
3-star: 3
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
11. Indiana
Total: 4
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 4
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
12. Minnesota
Total: 3
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 2
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
13. Purdue
Total: 2
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 2
2-star: 0
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): Ryan Kerrigan
14. Northwestern
Total: None
OTHER:
Iowa State
Total: 2
4/5 star: 0
3-star: 1
2-star: 1
Unranked: 0
Round 1 (3 star or lower only): None
LINK to Full Story: https://sports.yahoo.com/which-coll...ruits-into-top-nfl-draft-picks-125011523.html
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