Nebraska Football Recruiting: The Top 10 Classes of All Time

We all know that projecting college football recruits is an inexact science, right up there with playing the slot machine or investing in derivatives. But looking backwards on recruiting classes past to see where they fall? There's a lot more hard data to fall back on for that analysis.

So, let's open the Husker History tomes and see which of Nebraska's recruiting classes were the greatest of all time.

(And just to be clear, I am defining a "recruiting class" as the four years that a recruit in that class could have played if he did not redshirt. Thus, the class of 1990 spans the time from 1990-1993. Clear enough?)

No. 10: 1980

Class star: Irving Fryar (WB)

Notables: Turner Gill (QB)

Class accomplishments: Four All-American, eight All-Conference, three conference championships

Although the "Scoring Explosion" didn't bring home the national title, Fryar and Gill led the way for what might have been the best offense in college football's history.

No. 9: 2007

Class star: Roy Helu (RB)

Notables: Jared Crick (DT), Prince Amukamura (DB)

Class accomplishments: Two division championships

This class has a bit of an incomplete on it, as we have yet to see how the graduates of the class perform. But there is the potential for at least three impact NFL stars to be a product of NU's 2007 class.

No. 8: 1979

Class star: Dean Steinkuhler (T)

Notables: Roger Craig (RB)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, one All-American, three All-Conference, two conference championships

The trophy haul is impressive, and the 1979 class produced two figures of Nebraska legend.

No. 7: 1978

Class star: Dave Rimington (C)

Notables: Steve Damkroger (LB), Jamie Williams (TE/DE)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, one All-American, five All-Conference, two conference championships

A tough battle between two years back-to-back, but the extra all-conference players gives the class of 1978 a slight edge.

No. 6: 1981

Class star: Mike Rozier (RB)

Notables: Tom Rathman (OL/LB)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, three All-American, five All-Conference, four conference championships

Hard not to view a class including a Heisman Trophy winner that won a conference title in each of its four years as anything other than special.

No. 5: 1990

Class star: Zach Wiegert (OL/DL)

Notables: Brendan Stai (OL), Ed Stewart (DB), Calvin Jones (RB), Donta Jones (LB)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, three All-American, six All-conference, three conference championships

Not only were there individual awards, but this class laid the foundation for the most successful run in the history of Nebraska football.

No. 4: 1989

Class star: Will Shields (OL)

Notables: Trev Alberts (LB), Johnny Mitchell (TE/LB)

Class accomplishments: Two major trophies, two All-American, five All-Conference, two conference championships

Winning not one, but two major trophies highlights the accomplishments of this class, with individual and team honors rounding out the production.

No. 3: 1993

Class star: Aaron Taylor (OL)

Notables: Jason Peter (DT), Lawrence Phillips (RB)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, two All-American, five All-Conference, three conference championships, two national championships

Amazing talent in the class, as well as accomplishments, but it's hard to know how to judge Peter and (especially) Phillips given the troubles they encountered at the professional level.

No. 2: 1997

Class star: Eric Crouch (QB)

Notables: Dominic Raiola (C), Kyle Vanden Bosch (DT)

Class accomplishments: Two major trophies, two All-Americans, three All-Conference, one division championship, two conference championships, one national championship

Two major trophies (including a Heisman) headline the 1997 class, the high-water mark of talent before the post-Osborne era at Nebraska began.

No. 1: 1992

Class star: Tommie Frazier (QB)

Notables: Mike Minter (RB/DB), Chris Dishman (OL)

Class accomplishments: One major trophy, one All-American, five all-conference, four conference championships, two national championships

Quite simply, the members of this class, highlighted by Frazier, defined the greatest period in the history of Nebraska football. As such, it's hard to argue how that class couldn't be the greatest.

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