Click on
each team for the fill class list
and top players
East
UAB
|
UCF
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East Carolina
|
Marshall
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Memphis
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Southern Miss
West
Houston
|
Rice
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SMU
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Tulane
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Tulsa
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UTEP
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2006 CFN Recruiting Rankings
1.
UCF
The
class is heavy on ... Pass
catchers. Eight wide receivers and
two tight ends were brought in to
provide an instant boost to the
depth of the passing game. Give
George O'Leary's penchant for
playing freshmen when needed,
several new receivers should see
time right off the bat. Alphonso
Bryant is the star of the show, but
A.J. Guyton, Kama Aiken, Darnell
Williams and Sidney Haynes were all
big-time steals.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... WR Alphonso
Bryant
The player you might care about
this year ... QB Mike Greco
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Compared to last year, this was a
monster recruiting season in sheer
numbers and overall talent. It was a
statement class that should throw a
bit of a scare into the rest of the
league when it comes to the speed
and athleticism O'Leary was able to
bring in. In other words, watch out
for UCF over the next few years
because of this group.
2. Houston
The
class is heavy on ... Receivers
and corners. The future of the
passing game was addressed with
plenty of speed and options for the
receiving corps led by Demetrius
Woods. Stopping the pass was also a
priority with five corners and two
safeties. A.J. Edwards and Loyce
Means are 4.4 runners who need to
grow into a top corner tandem over
the next few years.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... RB Chris
Tate
The player you might care about
this year ... OT Rodney Brisbon
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
The defending Conference USA
champions didn't bring in any
quarterbacks, but they got a little
bit of everything else with a good
enough class to keep the program
among the best in the league for a
long time to come. There might not
be any sure-thing steals from the
bigger Texas programs, but there are
enough options to develop a few into
top playmakers over time.
3. Marshall
The
class is heavy on ...Tackles.
Not only did Mark Snyder and his
staff bring in five offensive
tackles, they brought in five really
good ones including elite prospects
in Charles Wood and 6-6, 310-pound
Branden Curry. The defensive tackles
might not be as promising, but there
might be strength in numbers with
JUCO transfer Montel Glasco certain
to provide immediate depth and
Delvin Johnson and good future
prospect.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Chris
Smith
The player you might care about
this year ... RB Terrell Edwards
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Beefing up the lines was a big
priority for the Herd, and this
class accomplished that. The offense
got a few interesting playmakers in
quarterbacks Chris Smith and Mark
Cann, who might be in a battle for
playing time in 2008, while RB
Terrell Edwards might be needed
right off the bat to help fill the
hole left by the early departure of
Ahmad Bradshaw to the NFL.
4. Southern Miss
The
class is heavy on ... Defensive
backs. The strength of the class is
on offense, especially in the
backfield, but the bulk is in the
secondary with eight prospects to
play around with. JUCO transfer Gene
Anderson will be a part of the
corner mix from day one, while the
rest of the DBs will likely spend
time learning the system and being
moved around where needed. The raw
speed and athleticism is there,
there just needs to be some
developing.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Randy
Hardin
The player you might care about
this year ... OT Julius Gray
What it all means to the real
world of college football ... No
Conference USA team made a bigger
instant splash offensively. Damion
Fletcher is one of the league's best
runners, and now he'll get a little
bit of help carrying the workload
after the program's major coup of
getting Antwain Easterling, arguably
the league's best recruit this
season. QB Randy Hardin is for the
future, but tackle Julius Gray and
tight end Brennan Houston will help
right now.
5. East Carolina
The
class is heavy on ... Receivers.
Four receivers and three tight ends
were brought in with a nice
combination of players to build
around and possible instant helpers.
6-6, 210-pound Rodney Cox is a wide
receiver who could eventually grow
into a devastating receiving tight
end, while JUCO transfer Travis Lee
will be in the mix from day one.
Michael Byrd leads a good group of
tight ends that could make the short
passing game shine over the next
several years.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... WR Rodney
Cox
The player you might care about
this year ... RB Tyrell
Worthington
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Skip Holtz and his staff brought in
a big class of players with plenty
of options to work with and players
to build around for the future. The
secondary got a ton of help for the
future, but the real excitement is
for the offense. There are so many
prospects that there are bound to be
several playmakers who grow out of
the pack into something special.
6. SMU
The
class is heavy on ... Receivers.
The offensive line and the secondary
got the most prospects, but the
receiving corps is the strength of
the class thanks to De'Von Bailey
and Bradley Hawkins. How many can
help right off the bat? It might
take a little while, but this group
needs to develop some sort of a
rapport in practices with new
quarterbacks Logan Turner and
Terrance Wilkerson. This is the
future of the Mustang passing game.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... OG Josh
LeRibeus
The player you might care about
this year ... WR De'Von Bailey
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
It's all about building around QB
Justin Willis and giving him the
most help possible, and where there
might not be a slew of immediate
playmakers, the receiving corps and
the linemen should shine in two
years just when Willis, hopefully,
goes from special to
Conference-USA-Player-of-the-Year
caliber. Guard Josh LeRibeus will be
a huge help for the ground game.
7. Memphis
The
class is heavy on ... The
offensive line. Ten prospects were
brought in led by JUCO transfer Cody
Stubblefield, who should grab a
starting spot right off the bat. The
class has five guards ranging from
the monster road graters (6-4,
340-pound Ronald Leary) to the
athletic (Keenan Bratcher and Tommy
Walker) to potentially help the
running game that struggled so much
with its consistency last year.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Dallas
Walker
The player you might care about
this year ... WR Steven Black
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
JUCO, JUCO, JUCO. After a horrific
year, the team underwent a facelift
with nine ready made players from
the junior college ranks with five
possible instant starters in WR
Steven Black, OT Cody Stubblefield,
DT Fred Barnett, LB Tom Phelps, and
CB LeRico Mathis. Tommy West and his
staff need to win and win now, and
this class reflects that.
8. UTEP
The
class is heavy on ... The
defensive back seven, especially up
the middle. With four safeties and
four linebackers, the UTEP defense
got an infusion of talent to help
right away if JUCO transfers Torrey
Huckaby, Justin Halas and Roddray
Walker live up to their billing.
It's a diverse group that will make
or break the class.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... LB Chris
Dowell
The player you might care about
this year ... DT Charles Ofili
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Mike Price and his staff brought in
plenty of offensive prospects, but
there's no one of note. It would've
been nice if the program took
another big step in recruiting after
an abysmal haul last year, but it
didn't happen. Price has to make all
the pieces fit and show, like he did
when he took over the program, that
he can develop players in a hurry.
9. Tulsa
The
class is heavy on ... Receivers.
After the way Todd Graham developed
the Rice receiving corps in just one
season, pitching receiver prospects
to come to Tulsa was a relatively
easy sell. Five players were brought
in, with JUCO transfer Dion Toliver
and C.J. Chaten likely to get looks
right away, for Graham to work with
and help grow into the system.
Michael Johnson will get players to
work with over the next few years to
become the quarterback of the
future.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... LB Rashad
Robinson
The player you might care about
this year ... RB Charles
Opeseyitan
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Graham had no time whatsoever to
work, but he's had to deal with
worse when he took over at Rice.
Charles Opeseyitan could be an
instant boost for the running game
and a player to build the offense
around over the next few years. This
was a diverse overall class to help
build for the future, but after
Graham bolted after one year at
Rice, will this class have its head
coach around five years from now if
there's any sort of success?
10. Rice
The
class is heavy on ... The
offensive backfield. With four
running backs and three quarterbacks
coming in, new head coach David
Baliff has his backfield of the
future to work with. There aren't
any real star talents of note, but
there's a variety of options to work
with. The offensive line also got
plenty of attention with six
recruits led by JUCO tackle William
Hinton, who should be a mainstay
from the day one of spring ball.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... TE Kody
Emmert
The player you might care about
this year ... OT William Hinton
What it all means to the real
world of college football ... As
if recruiting at Rice isn't hard
enough, Baliff had roughly two weeks
to put together a recruiting class.
Most of his work was spent making
sure the commitments to Todd Graham
stuck, but it's not like Rice
recruits are being courted by USC
and Florida. All things considered,
this is a good class of prospects
with several options to hope a few
pan out into Conference USA
playmakers, especially on offense.
11. UAB
The
class is heavy on ... Running
backs. New head coach Neil Callaway
is trying to upgrade the speed and
talent in the backfield right off
the bat with a slew of runners who
can all move. Darrell Norman and Jae
Fitzgerald are speed backs, but JUCO
transfer Aaron Johns might get the
early look at playing time. With
five prospects coming in, look for
there to be plenty of movement over
the next few years with the speed
and athleticism being moved where
needed.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Bryan
Ellis
The player you might care about
this year ... RB Aaron Johns
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Last year's recruiting class was
tremendous, so with the regime
change, this year's haul was all
about building towards the future
with as much athleticism as possible
to develop. Callaway will open
things up for everyone giving the
newcomers a chance to play right
away, but most likely, most of this
class won't be heard from until
2009.
12. Tulane
The
class is heavy on ... Players
for every spot. There's no one area
of strength in Bob Toledo's first
class, but every position got
addressed with a prospect or two.
The backs, J.T. McDonald and Andre
Agers, are quick, the receivers are
tall and fast, and most of the
offensive line prospects are
ready-made size, but can any of them
play? Tulane fans looking for
a quick fix under the new coaching
staff needs to look to last year's
solid recruiting class for new
players to step in; this group will
need a while to develop.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Joe Kemp
The player you might care about
this year ... PK Darren
DeRochemont
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Tulane is just now getting back from
the Katrina nightmare with a full
season under its belt since being
college football's nomadic team. The
coaching change didn't help
recruiting, but in time, Toledo and
his staff should get the offense
going like the Green Wave used to
be. With that said, this class isn't
going to scare anyone for a while,
if at all.
