Marcus Freeman's First Notre Dame Class Stacks Up Very, Very Well
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman can take solace in this little nugget.
The Fighting Irish, with 21 signed commitments, currently rank seventh in team recruiting, according to 247Sports and Rivals. That’s higher than the first-year finish for Nick Saban at Alabama, Dabo Swinney at Clemson, Kirby Smart at Georgia and Ryan Day at Ohio State.
Freeman had a bit of an advantage over Saban and Smart; he was partially responsible for the success of this class as an assistant. Saban and Smart had to start fresh while Swinney and Day were also assistants on those staffs.
The hope is that recruiting only gets better under Freeman.
It’s worth noting, that at least in terms of team recruiting rankings, Swinney isn’t in the same league as Smart, Saban and Day and yet he’s won two national titles, which is second to Saban in this list.
1. In 2007, Alabama was ranked 10th overall in recruiting in Nick Saban’s first class, according to Rivals. Saban arrived late in the recruiting cycle after Mike Shula was fired at the end of the season. Shula lost four of five at the end of the year, costing him his job. The quality of Saban’s class wasn't much different than where the Crimson Tide ended up in 2006. That class was ranked No. 6. It didn’t take long for Saban to establish himself as the No. 1 recruiter in college football. In 2008, Alabama signed 32 players and they were a consensus No. 1. The headliners in that class were wide receiver Julio Jones, who now plays for the Titans, and Mark Ingram, a running back for the Saints. That class started a period of recruiting dominance for Saban that still continues. Alabama was ranked No. 1 in 2009, No. 5 in 2010, and No. 1 again in 2011. In 2008, Notre Dame in a class that included Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph, was ranked No. 2. That was Charlie Weis' best class.
2. In 2009, Clemson landed just 12 recruits and was ranked 39th overall in recruiting, according to Rivals. Swinney had started as the interim coach in 2008 after Terry Bowden resigned during the season. He was named the head coach after the season. Clemson’s 2010 ranking was 19th, according to Rivals and 27th from 247Sports. The Tigers' best year under Swinney came in 2015 when Rivals had them ranked fourth and 247Sports ranked them ninth. In 2016, Clemson was ranked sixth and 11th by Rivals and 247. Clemson's 2020 class was his best, ranking 2nd by Rivals and 3rd by 247. The Tigers have not consistently finished in the top 10 in the recruiting rankings under Swinney yet he’s won two national titles, finished second twice, and third once.
3. Smart took over as the head football coach at Georgia after replacing Mark Richt in 2016. Smart arrived from Alabama after being the defensive coordinator for eight seasons. Smart had immediate recruiting success with the Bulldogs, finishing ninth, according to Rivals and sixth by 247Sports. Both sites had them ranked third in 2017 and they were ranked first in 2018. Georgia was ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively by rivals and 247 in 2019. Again, in 2020, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 by both sites. Georgia has been in the top five under Smart every year since 2017. Smart’s recruiting success hasn’t paid off in terms of a national championship. Georgia underperforms on the field compared to its success in getting players. The Bulldogs finished the year ranked 2nd in 2017 and fourth in 2019. Georgia made the College Football Playoff in 2017.
4. In 2018, Ryan Day took over as the interim coach at Ohio State after Urban Meyer was put on administrative leave because of accusations against Zach Smith, an assistant for Meyer who was accused of domestic violence by his wife. Day was hired full-time at the season’s end. His 2019 class ranked 21st by Rivals and 14th by 247. The 2020 class was ranked fifth by both sites and the 2021 class was ranked second by both sites. OSU is ranked fourth currently by the sites for 2022. The Buckeyes finished third in 2019 and second in 2020 in the final rankings for their success on the field.
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