Recruiting

National Signing Day came and went and the University of Florida has seemed to come out the big winner with a recruiting class, that if you look at just ratings, is one of the best ever in college football.

Urban Meyer and his staff assembled 4- Five Star, 15 - Four Star and 7 - Three Star recruits among the 28 total signed. A great haul for the Gators, even though some questions still remain about the health of Meyer. While next year may be a slight down year for the Gators it looks like the future is very bright in Gainesville.

If you look at ESPN's ranking there are not a whole lot of surprises but there are a few. Texas and Alabama rounded out the top three behind Florida. Auburn surprised with a class that ranks #4 when the final tallies are completed.

The Tigers wound up with 1 -Five Star, 10- Four Star and 13- Three Star commits among the 32 strong signing class. Head coach Gene Chizik and his staff worked hard and and if everything goes as planned should contend in the near future in the SEC.

Oklahoma, no surprise, rounded out the top five but the sixth rated recruiting class is a little bit of shocker considering the 2009 record of 7-6 and the loss of a legendary head coach. Florida State and Jimbo Fisher proved that the staff he assembled can recruit and close some deals. The Noles assembled a class that includes 2 -Five Star, 9 - Four Star and 9 - Three Star among the 24 signees. The Noles were also able to get some much needed defensive help with 14 defensive recruits that include many of the higher ranked players.

The biggest shocker of National Signing day was where Tennessee finished, 9th. With Lane Kiffin leaving to take the head coaching job at USC many thought that this recruiting season would be a lost one for the Volunteers but Derek Dooley and his staff dug their heels in and pulled in quite a haul. The class included 10 - Four Star recruits and 6 - Three Star recruits in the total 25 signed.

The over all view of recruiting is that the SEC continues to get stronger with four schools ranked in the top ten and two more among the top 25. The PAC-10 fared well with two schools in the top ten and and three more among the top 25. The ACC has four teams among the top 25.

The biggest surprise may have been the Big 10, not having a school among the top and only three in top 25. Penn State came in 11th followed by Michigan and then Ohio State.

As with the NFL, recruiting is like the draft. They look good in high school and do well at the high school showcases but you still never know what you have until they buckle those chin straps up on Saturday and see some real game action. The funnel effect will start to take place. Some of these highly touted recruits will fade and never see the field and some who went unnoticed may some day find themselves winning a Heisman Trophy.

Taken a look back you have to think the big winner of course was Florida, because with the ability to recruit that much talent the odds will be in their favor for some of that talent to pan out and have an impact.