This isn’t who’s the best or where they think they will end up type of poll. It’s just based on “The Chase for the Recruiting Champion powered by 247Sports Composite.” It really is a great gauge on how talented a team is and deep.
Last year Utah was the 34th most talented team and this season they come in at #20. Last year they were the 4th most talented Pac 12 team and this season they are third (ahead of hyped Washington). They would be the #1 team in Big XII if it were happening this season:
Every year we have seen improvements in recruiting. That said, having a coaching staff who is notorious for overachieving, if these kids are as the rating say, Utah could be a juggernaut for the next 5 years.
Then again, I will still remember Weddle was a two-star and Steve Smith was a JUCO kid who flew totally under the P5 radar.
I think they adjust the ratings when they start playing as well so it’s a bit more accurate. Alabama had a Three 
in Demeco Ryans and he went on to a heck of a career and now coaches the Texans. I honestly think that 3 is the Saban replacement.
Weddle is a terrible example in relation to today’s recruiting. Whitt found him and hid him. If Weddle was in high school today, he’d be a four/five star kid. He’d be at camps and have offers to wherever he wanted to go. We were just lucky that Whitt found him before anyone else did and offered him and got him to stay home with his Utah offer.
Same with Alex Smith. If Smith had the camps QB’s have today, he would have been a four star QB with offers everywhere.
Since few freshman see the field, seems like you have to wait a few years on this (as mentioned) to see how it all pans out. Sustained and improving recruiting is always a good thing! Glad to be moving from the 60s to the 40s to the 30s and now the 20s (and almost teens)!
Not in modern college football. Freshmen are all over the field even at Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State.
I thought Eric Weddle played high school football in San Diego? I dint think he was a Utah kid.
I dont disagree about Alex Smith, but he played on the same high school team as Reggie Bush. If anything hurt Alex Smith’s high school reputation I think its that he was completely overshadowed by being on the same team as Bush.
Example: 2022 2-deep for Alabama. 1 starting true Fr (WR), backup RG, backup NT, backup LB. Maybe not as common as you think. Maybe role players. A few stars, but with NFL 3 years from graduation, it’s the RS-So and Jr that shine, then leave, making way for the next reloaded class.
Weddle was from SD. I remember hearing Whitt talking about Weddle one day. The interviewer brought up his ability to find talent and mentioned Weddle. Whitt was the one who said they offered him a scholarship immediately with the stipulation that he shut down his recruiting and not talk to anyone else. Weddle accepted. Whitt said he was easily a four star, if not a five star talent and if he went to any camps and was around today, he’d have offers everywhere.
Well this year there are probably 4 starters on a team rated one on the talent composite. By end of year many more will be in rotation. The fact we have 4 starters is wild to me. Used to be def riding the pine and doing special teams in Freshman season.
Exactly plus John L Smith was his uncle he didn’t even offer Alex a scholarship
John L Smith making a bad coaching decision? NOOOOOOOO