As we get set for Monday’s National Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State, a closer look at recruiting rankings show that having a large number of blue-chip recruits still matters.
As reported by On3 Sports, Ohio State and Notre Dame’s rosters consist of 108 former blue-chip recruits — prospects rated as four- or five-star players as high school seniors according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Ten former five-stars and 45 four-stars are on Ohio State’s roster, in addition to 14 former three-star recruits. The Irish do not have any former five-star recruits, but four players ranked as five-star prospects in the On300 Ranking. Fifty-three Industry four-stars and 29 three-stars make up the Notre Dame football roster.
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What the Big 12 Can Learn?
In the ever-changing landscape of college football, it’s no longer as simple as recruiting four and five-star recruits at the high school level. Now, Big 12 teams can land former highly-ranked recruits who may be stuck in a back-up role at a blue blood school, or are not happy with their current program.
It’s also important to note the development of players. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard played at Kansas State, and was a former three-star prospect. He’s now leading Ohio State. Program development matters. And you can reach the apex of college football with the right blend of highly-rated, and well-developed three-star recruits. The notion that it’s all about four and five-star players is an SEC media myth.
And the transfer portal can be a positive for the Big 12. Just look at Texas Tech, who has had a huge transfer portal Winter Window, ranking in the Top 3 by most major recruiting services, including 247Sports.
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Colorado has also hammered the transfer portal effectively, and the Buffaloes finished tied for first place in the Big 12 in 2024. And the same can be said for Arizona State, who was picked to finish last in the Big 12 in the preseason, and then reached the College Football Playoff.
Other programs like Iowa State, BYU and Kansas State have used the transfer portal on a per need basis, but have preferred to use the developmental route with the best recruits they can get their hands on. And Iowa State and BYU proved that model can still work, both also finishing tied for first place in the Big 12.
As the old cliché goes, there are many ways to skin a cat in today’s college football climate, and Big 12 teams are proving just that. But having high-end players still matter, however how you go about getting them is changing rapidly. And the Big 12 needs to stay ahead of the curve.
