2006 WAC Recruiting Rankings

Ranking the 2006 WAC recruiting classes and trying to figure out what it all means to the college football world.

1. San Jose State
The class is heavy on ... Very, very talented JUCO players. This class wasn't as JUCO heavy as many in the past, but the players coming in should make the Spartans an instant player in the WAC race. QB Sean Flynn is big, strong, and ready to take over the starting role, while tight end Jeff Clark, 350-pound offensive lineman Taase Jennings, DE David Lomu, and corner Dwight Lowery will likely start on opening day.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... RB Dominique Hunsucker
The player you might care about this year ... QB Sean Flynn
What it all means to the real world of college football ...  This is a huge class with 25 players coming in, but unlike past years there's an eye towards the future. 21 high school prospects provide more than bodies, they represent a solid class and a bright future of San Jose State football. Fine, so most of the better prospects are from the JUCO ranks, but this diverse group is a good one.

2. Louisiana Tech
The class is heavy on ... The defensive line. The meat of this massive class is on the defensive front with seven prospects led by JUCO end Ben McGilton and 312-pound tackle D'Anthony Smith. The diverse class also got some help for the secondary with four defensive backs including JUCO transfer Shalmar Walker, who'll be penciled into the starting lineup right away.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... RB William Griffin
The player you might care about this year ... QB Joe Danna
What it all means to the real world of college football ... This is a huge and diverse class with 26 recruits, so there's strength in numbers. Since few WAC teams get the superstar recruits, Louisiana Tech has to be happy with the top-end guys it was able to get with 6-7, 320-pound Cudahy Harmon sure to be a four-year fixture on the offensive line and JUCO transfer Joe Danna, a big 6-4 bomber, likely to be the opening day starter.

3. Boise State
The class is heavy on ... Linebacker. It's not a big class, but the strength is at linebacker with three solid prospects who should all contribute before 2008. JUCO transfer Garrett Tuggle is the best of the bunch, 6-4, 207-pound Ben Chandler offers speed and range, while 235-pounder Derrell Acrey has the potential to be a top run stopper.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Mike Coughlin
The player you might care about this year ... LB Garrett Tuggle
What it all means to the real world of college football ... The loss of Dan Hawkins not only took away a head coach, it also took the team's top prospect, QB Cody Hawkins. Even so, this is a decent class without any glaring holes. Boise State has never needed big-name recruits to succeed, but the question will be whether or not new head coach Chris Peterson can keep everything rolling. Defense was the key to this class, so next year will be a big one for the future of the offense.

4. Fresno State
The class is heavy on ... Wide receiver. There aren't any sure things among the five Pat Hill brought in, and none will be needed right away with a solid corps coming back, but this will have to be the nucleus of the team's 2008 passing game. Jamel Hamler appears to be the best of the bunch, but there will be time to develop them all.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... WR Jamel Hamler
The player you might care about this year ... RB Lonyae Miller
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Rumors of Hill's departure to the NFL slowed things up somewhat, but not enough to prevent a good all-around class from coming in. This was the second straight year the class was light in the offensive backfield with no quarterbacks and Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding the only two running backs. Fortunately for Hill, they're good ones. However, next year there has to be a big push to get a few strong quarterback prospects.

5. Nevada
The class is heavy on ... The offensive line. This isn't a big class, but it's a strong one up front with five offensive line prospects led by, arguably, the WAC's best new prospect, John Romero Jr. 6-9, 335-pound John Bender who should grow into a rock of a tackle.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Colin Kaepernick
The player you might care about this year ... OLT John Romero Jr.
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Strangely enough, Nevada didn't do much about restocking the skill positions for the second straight year. QB Colin Kaepernick is a good prospect and WR Chris Wellington will eventually be a factor, but there aren't any impact running backs and no sure-thing deep threats. Next year will be all about bringing in some more firepower. For this year, what's on the Nevada roster is what you'll get.

6. Idaho
The class is heavy on ... Running backs. What do you do when you finish 117th in the nation in rushing? You go for the quick fix at running back. Five recruits were brought in with big, strong Andre Harris the star of the show and JUCO transfer Brian Flowers providing the warp speed.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Nathan Enderle
The player you might care about this year ... RBs Andre Harris and Brian Flowers
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Idaho came up with a fantastic class, but does it matter now that head coach Nick Holt bolted to take a job with the St. Louis Rams? Certainly there should be more pop to the running game with this group and QB Nathan Enderle will eventually be the face of the offense, but in typical Holt fashion, this class was about defense with the most new bodies helping to try to slow down the high-powered WAC attacks.

7. Hawaii
The class is heavy on ... The secondary. Six new bodies come in to try to help Jerry Glanville's defense stop someone. JUCO transfers Keenan Jones at safety and Myron Newberry and Chris Camacho at corner have to come up big right away. 
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... DE Elliott Purcell
The player you might care about this year ... LB Jacob Patek
What it all means to the real world of college football ... You think Hawaii is happy with all the young players in the passing game? No quarterbacks were brought in with the situation already more than solid led by Colt Brennan, while Davone Bess and the receiving corps doesn't need a lot of help. Even so, C.J. Hawthorne leads a nice trio of receivers to provide some more targets. Also interesting to note was the lack of a running back recruit. Yeah, Hawaii is going to throw the ball for the next several years.

8. New Mexico State
The class is heavy on ... The offensive line. The machine can't go without the men up front, so Hal Mumme brought in seven offensive linemen, almost half of the entire class, and they're BIG. 6-8, 340-pound JUCO transfer Sioeli Fakalata is the biggest of the bunch, but 6-7, 315-pound Kyle Smith has room to add at least 25 pounds on his frame.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... DT Kawika Shook
The player you might care about this year ... LB Dante Floyd
What it all means to the real world of college football ... It's a very, very weird class with little instant help considering last year's nightmare. No defensive backs were brought in, and only linebacker Dante Floyd has a realistic shot of playing right away. Only one receiver and no quarterbacks were signed, so what you see is what you get for the offense.

9. Utah State
The class is heavy on ... The defensive line. 275-pound Jonathon Prock was the only tackle brought in, so he'll need to develop into a playmaker over the next few years. The four ends aren't all that big and will need a little time in the weight room before making an impact. Even so, it's a speedy quartet with at least one of them likely to move to linebacker.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Riley Nelson
The player you might care about this year ... RB Ryan Montague
What it all means to the real world of college football ... There isn't anyone to get excited about, but it's a big class with 20 players providing future depth at several positions. The Aggies could've use more players to help out the offense right away, but didn't get any outside of, possibly, RB Ryan Montague. The last two classes have focused on the future, but next year this team has to start finding some players to provide an instant impact.