Top 5 College Football Schools Who Win Without Great Recruiting Classes
Jan 19, 2015; Fort Worth, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head football coach Gary Patterson addresses the crowd after accepting the Peach Bowl trophy at half of the game between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns at Wilkerson-Greines Athletic Center. Texas beat TCU 66-48. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
1. TCU Horned Frogs
This might be prisoner of the moment because of this past year. But in reality, this past year made all the difference in the world.
The TCU Horned Frogs are now the only team on this list to have mid-major level recruiting classes, something Oregon and Wisconsin cannot always say, and then be in the national championship running while competing in a Power Five conference, something Boise State and Utah can’t say.
As a result, Gary Patterson gets the credit for doing the best job after this past year. The Horned Frogs did have an undefeated season in 2010 and were one quarter away from going undefeated this past year as a Power Five team, and they do this consistently with bad recruiting classes.
How?
Well, Gary Patterson focuses on defensive players who can be coached up into studs. That’s his strength. And he has always found a great offensive coordinator to maximize the talents of a quarterback and the parts around them. Andy Dalton developed that way, and Trevone Boykin has turned into a Heisman candidate that way.
None of this can be ignored, which is why the Horned Frogs get to be the top team that wins without great recruiting.
Next: Pac-12 Signing Day Recruiting Grades, Recap
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