It’s no secret that recruiting is the lifeblood of any college football program. But a top recruiting class doesn’t always translate to on-field success, especially at the Group of Five level.
The reasons why are endless. A previous coach could have pulled in a killer class that just doesn’t fit the scheme for the next coach. Injuries and attrition can wipe out an entire class. Lastly, and perhaps most crucially, the recruiting services just don’t do a great job of evaluating G5 classes. Teams with more three star athletes tend to win more games, but complete misses are more common at the G5 level where there are less analysts keeping an eye on each program’s commitments.