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National Signing Day 2016: Ranking, grading every Big 12 football recruiting class

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Dec 5, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates the win over the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. The Longhorns defeat the Bears 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong celebrates the win over the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. The Longhorns defeat the Bears 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 2, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Texas Christian Frogs head coach Gary Patterson (center with visor), along with coaches and players rush the field after defeating the Oregon Ducks 47-41 in overtime at the Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Texas Christian Frogs head coach Gary Patterson (center with visor), along with coaches and players rush the field after defeating the Oregon Ducks 47-41 in overtime at the Alamo Bowl in the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /

National Signing Day 2016 has come and gone, and every Big 12 football program has signed a new group of talented players. We rank and grade each class.

The shift in the Big 12 continued through the 2016 recruiting cycle.

Sure, Texas closed unbelievably well and shot up from the mid-30s in the national rankings to No. 11 in less than a week, finishing with the top-ranked class in the conference. But, Baylor and TCU spent most of the year jockeying for position atop the league – much like they have on the field recently.

Oklahoma, who became the first team to represent the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff, was dangerously close to finishing outside the Top 25 in recruiting for the first time in 15 years until the Sooners landed a five-star linebacker late on National Signing Day.

How could the league’s reigning champion, which also happens to be one of the most prestigious football factories in the country, finish with its least talented class on paper in more than a decade? Look no further than Baylor and TCU.

With explosive offenses and underrated defenses, the Bears and Horned Frogs have already closed the gap on Texas and Oklahoma on the field. Both programs were built into annual contenders largely by finding underrated and overlooked players that fit their unique systems. And, after spending the majority of the last two seasons firmly entrenched in the playoff discussion, Baylor and TCU have also become desirable destinations for the most talented high school players in the state.

In 2016, both programs landed players the Longhorns wanted, and the Sooners all but abandoned Texas in 2016 – landing just three players from the Lone Star State. Baylor and TCU have also made it more difficult for Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, who had been able to scoop up the big boys’ leftovers in decades past.

Texas, Baylor and TCU were the talk of the Big 12 during the 2016 recruiting cycle, and for good reason, but how did the rest of the league compare? Let’s take a look at the instant impact performers, underrated signees, and complete classes as we rank and grade the recruiting results of each Big 12 Conference program.

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