quote:
5 points: All-American, top-50 NFL draft pick
4: Multiyear starter, all-conference honors
3: One-year starter or key reserve
2: Career backup
0: Left the program, minor or no contribution

I wanted to post this as it shows why we were struggling towards the end of the miles era and why we are seeing rapid improvements across the board now.

2014-

quote:

13. LSU

Adjusted average: 2.72

Hit rate: 65%

Class rank in 2014: 2nd

Four-year record: 34-16

Top signees: RB Leonard Fournette, DB Jamal Adams, OL Will Clapp, DT Davon Godchaux, WR Malachi Dupre

Fournette was the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit and, as he proved in his three years at LSU, rightfully so. He was as can’t-miss as it gets. Adams was as good a leader as he was a playmaker and went two picks after Fournette in last year’s draft. The rest of this class? A mixed bag of solid starters, backups and disappointing transfers. The biggest miss was five-star LB Clifton Garrett, who left for a junior college after his freshman year and didn’t have the grades to join UAB.

2015-

quote:

17. LSU
Adjusted average: 2.71
Hit rate: 54 percent
Class rank in 2015: 5th
Four-year record: 36-14
Top signees: RB Derrius Guice, DE Arden Key, CB Donte Jackson, TE Foster Moreau, CB Kevin Toliver II

Attrition is the reason this class isn’t ranked among the best of the best. Ten signees ended up leaving the program, including five-star recruits Tyron Johnson and Maea Teuhema, and two more failed to qualify. So that was nearly half of their 25-man class.

Only six 2015 signees earned starts in 2018: Moreau, running backs Nick Brossette and Lanard Fournette, receiver Derrick Dillon, lineman Adrian Magee and long snapper Blake Ferguson. Les Miles did not land a long-term answer at quarterback in this class, either, because he had Feleipe Franks (who signed with Florida) committed for 2016. But this group did still yield several NFL players and three 2018 captains.

2016-

quote:

11. LSU

Adjusted average: 2.86
Hit rate: 67%
Class rank in 2016: 2nd
Four-year record: 42-11
Top signees: LB Devin White, CB Greedy Williams, CB Kristian Fulton, OL Lloyd Cushenberry, DL Rashard Lawrence

This was the final recruiting class of the Les Miles era. Did it yield some elite players? Absolutely. Devin White became the No. 5 pick in the 2019 draft, and Williams was a consensus All-American. Fulton emerged as a terrific corner once he was reinstated in 2018. And the leadership that Cushenberry, Lawrence and the members of this class provided helped turn the Tigers into national champions.

The only reason they’re ranked here is that one-third of the class ultimately did not pan out and left the program, and one-third ended up being reserves who haven’t made significant contributions. The Tigers’ next two recruiting classes produced most of the stars of their magical 2019 season, and there’s no question they will rate among the very best of future re-ranks. Ed Orgeron and his staff did a great job with the players they inherited, but they’ve clearly taken LSU’s recruiting, development and talent retention to a much higher level.

For reference Alabama had the following rerank and hit ratio

2014-#2- 89% avg-3.31
2015-#1 -60% avg-3.19
2016-#2 -73% avg-3.48

You are not going to compete for titles with a adjusted average under 3. Now the 2017 is gonna be at or near the top. Add in key transfers and you see why we have been so much more successful.

The whole character thing that Jack has preached to the coaches is paying off big time and unlike our classes above, which were full of star at the top and nothing below, I expect our classes to be much more balanced going forward.