Recruiting Class of 2002--Rating

[NevadaBuck]

With all due respect to LordJeffBuck...if this class doesn't receive the HIGHEST possible rating than something is seriously wrong..

3*??? you've got to be kidding???

A recruiting class is lucky if it produces a handful of productive players--this one has produced a cartful of bond-fide stars...

to put it in perspective, go back and look at classes from 1977-present...you will notice(on just about every one) a couple of stars...a few good players...and a WHOLE LOT of guys that never saw the field..

top to bottom 2002, IMHO, was the best OSU class of my lifetime..and I'm 42..

[jwinslow]

Keep in mind Clarett is arguably the best freshman at tOSU since Archie...

now yes he screwed up and never played again, but his success led to a NC (we would not have one without him IMO, ie scUM game). Had we merely won the big10 or something maybe you could discount his contribution more, but he singlehandedly allowed us to cruise thru our OOC schedule against some pretty decent teams.

I would agree. The 2002 class is extremely impressive considering the 2001 season it was building from (where we had another down year, and altho we beat scum we lost in the bowl). So that recruiting was showing the genius of tressel and those he hired.

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeFROMscUM

but he singlehandedly allowed us to cruise thru our OOC schedule against some pretty decent teams.

I would say that defense had something to do with that as well...singlehandedly is a bit of hyperbole.

As for the overall rating, a few big names have abandoned the program, a few have not reached their potential, a few have only been solid contributors for one year...then you have a handful of guys who have been multi-year mainstays.

As it stands at this moment, I tend to agree with the 3 stars. After this year and the performance of JZ/TS, Mike D, Roy H, a few OL, Richardson, and a few others could make everything Nevada is saying come true...

However, right now it is all potential...it needs to be met before I can annoint them...just my take on the matter.

[stxbuck]

I agree w/ Nevada

Stars-on field only-Clarett,Holmes,Hawk,Carpenter,Pitcock

Starters/Very Solid Contributors-Salley,Sims,Mangold,Downing,Kudla,Zwick,Smith,D'An drea

Possible Contributors this year-Datish,Richardson,Mitchell,Schaefer,Hall,the TE/OL from WV

amazing production from one class

[Buckeye737]

Originally Posted by stxbuck

I agree w/ Nevada

Stars-on field only-Clarett,Holmes,Hawk,Carpenter,Pitcock

Starters/Very Solid Contributors-Salley,Sims,Mangold,Downing,Kudla,Zwick,Smith,D'An drea

Possible Contributors this year-Datish,Richardson,Mitchell,Schaefer,Hall,the TE/OL from WV

amazing production from one class

I agree with you except I'd even give more credit to Sims and Mangold. Those guys were contributors during their freshman season and without them we would have been in serious trouble the last of couple years.

[jimotis4heisman]

Stars-on field only-Clarett,Holmes,Hawk,Carpenter,Pitcock

Starters/Very Solid Contributors-Salley,Sims,Mangold,Downing,Kudla,Zwick,Smith,D'An drea

i would put salley in the "stars" group

i agree with nevada if you get 9 solid players in a class it is an amazing one.

[MililaniBuckeye]

If the start rating is a max of five, then I can't see why this class overall doesn't rate four stars, based on the accomplishments and contributions of the class members.

1. Clarett was a key factor in our national title run in 2002. Regardless of the crap he pulled from 2003 onward, there's no denying that his season was one of the best and most impacting for a freshman RB ever in college football. He was also the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year.

2. Two of the very best, including arguably the best, LBs in the country (Hawk and Carpenter) are from this class. Hawk is a sure-fire repeat first-team AA, and Carpenter has a very good chance of being first-team all-conference. Hawk is also two-time all-conference selectee.

3. Holmes was 2nd-team all-conference last year and is almost guaranteed to be first-team this season seeing as both first-teamers graduated, and has a good shot at AA.

4. Salley was second-team all-conference last year, and should be first-team this year since both first-team safeties graduated. He will also be on many AA lists.

To date, the class of 2002 has produced the Big Ten Freshmen of the Year, a two-time all-conference first-teamer and first-team AA, and two second-team all-conference selectees, and may have as many as four all-conference first teamers and two All Americans this year.

[crazybuckfan40]

Overall this class has been great so far and can only improve.

We have 1 bonafide 5 star in
1. Hawk

I say 5 4.5 stars in
1. Carp
2. Holmes
3. Mangold
4. Sims
5. Salley

All these guys started last year and were main contributers. If any player starts their freshmen year on a national championship team and continues to anchor the line I don't see how they are not up here. All these guys could be rated as 5 stars by the end of this year.

There are 6 legitmate first day draftees.

I'd have to give this class at least a 4* rating right now and potential 4.5 -5* rating.

[tsteele316]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

I would say that defense had something to do with that as well...singlehandedly is a bit of hyperbole.

As for the overall rating, a few big names have abandoned the program, a few have not reached their potential, a few have only been solid contributors for one year...then you have a handful of guys who have been multi-year mainstays.

As it stands at this moment, I tend to agree with the 3 stars. After this year and the performance of JZ/TS, Mike D, Roy H, a few OL, Richardson, and a few others could make everything Nevada is saying come true...

However, right now it is all potential...it needs to be met before I can annoint them...just my take on the matter.

while the above is pretty accurate, then why do this article now and not at the end of next season?

i can write an article giving the class of 2004 1.5* because they had little production, but that's not necessarily fair. I think an article like this is a very good idea nd nice discussion piece, but was done at an inappropriate time.

[MistriBuck]

i would put it at 4 stars, mainly because some of the bigger names like Datish, Hall, Coleman, D'Andrea have not lived up to their billing..........as far as Clarett, there is no denying his impact his freshman season, but he bombed out, and that should affect the rating negatively, considering he was only a contributor for one year..............i agree that it has been a VERY productive class overall..........i don't see how it can be a 3-star, because on a 1-5 scale 3 stars is slightly above average, or maybe even average, and i would say this class is WELL above average, but falls short of being spectacular, and earning a 5-star rating.........don't get me wrong, i think this class is great, but i would reserve a 5-star for something truly special..........i think if you broke it down into decimals it would be a 4.0 on the mark, maybe a 4.2-4.3

[NevadaBuck]

I think we are comparing apples and oranges...NO CLASS is going to be all 5 stars(if the criteria is AJ Hawk--2 time AA is the only 5 star player)

It has to be done RELATIVE to other classes--and on a "relative" basis, no other class is even close..

Hence I would give this the top rating possible(kinda like grading on a curve)...

[jwinslow]

For those of us who didn't follow recruiting back in 02, how was it that Tressel and Co were able to overcome some down years in 00 and 01 (despite beating scUM we still didn't do very well) and land all of these recruits? I understand there is no easy answer to this question, but what were some of the storylines (were many of the lifelong buck fans? or did they like tressel? etc)...

Maybe if you could just clue us in on a few interesting storylines that would be awesome

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeFROMscUM

For those of us who didn't follow recruiting back in 02, how was it that Tressel and Co were able to overcome some down years in 00 and 01 (despite beating scUM we still didn't do very well) and land all of these recruits? ...

Ohio State has always recruited well, even after down years. The 2002 class was a combination of a wealth of talent in Ohio plus Tressel's first year of full recruiting. Keep in mind we had a good recruiting class (top-20 in some circles) in 2003 despite very limited scholarships and had another top-10 class in the 2004 class, even with only 18 signees and a late defection from a top-flight LB (McCoy). JT can flat out recruit, and we can count on getting top classes year in and year out.

[stxbuck]

Couple of reasons

1-The 01 class had some huge contributors to the NC-Gamble and Nugent among them. Fraser was in that class, as was Dustin Fox, and Marcus Green (although he didn't do much the NC year).

2-The 00 class-man, I can't remember who was in that class-Olivea and Jenkins?

That said, I think the main thing Tressel added was an ability to instill confidence in big games/close games-as he has proved. Was Cooper's recruiting declining instate-yes it was. Was he still getting lots of talent-yes. Ohio State could have Richard Simmons as HC, and still get a fair amount of in-state talent in every class. That said, Tressel has kicked it up a notch as far as locking down Ohio and re-instilling the idea that OSU is THE place for Ohio kids. All 13 NFL draftees last year were Cooper recruits, unless you count Gamble. It's amazing how everyone-myself included-obsess about this or that recruit and then watch them become just another cog in the machine, and worry about who we are in on next year from HS.

[MistriBuck]

For those of us who didn't follow recruiting back in 02,

going into the '02 recruiting season it was said that it was possibly our best and deepest class ever in Ohio, according to Duane Long, atleast...........we secured most of the top talent (i believe 12 out of top 15 or so)...........early commits from big-time names like Zwick and Clarett created a bit of a snowball effect..........Zwick was reported to have been very instrumental in helping recruit this class, calling many of the recruits on a regular basis and persuading them to join the class, once a class is looking strong it's easier to land other big names that are on the hook because they want to be a part of something special, and you can sell them on that (notice how many recruits said something similar about USC the last 2 years)............also i would add that there was a buzz and an excitement being created in Columbus with Tressel taking over and the feeling that this would be a new era in Buckeye football, that was a big selling point as well..................combine all of those factors and you have the consensus #2 class, and arguably #1