10 Programs That Should Be Better at Recruiting but Still Struggle
Tradition, geography and on-field performance are just a few of the factors that help programs build a successful recruiting class.
Also, anytime a new coaching staff is brought in, that new blood and energy can help boost a program that has been searching for a shot of energy on the recruiting trail.
However, there are some programs that struggle despite possessing at least one or more of the elements listed above.
Which programs fall under the category of schools who struggle in recruiting and have room to improve in that area?
*Teams listed in alphabetical order.
Arkansas
1 of 10
Anytime a school goes through coaching changes, the transition period between an old staff leaving and a new staff getting comfortable can lead to gaps in finding success on the recruiting trail.
Such a change has left Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema to play catch-up in the toughest division in college football: the SEC West.
The same division that currently has six of its seven teams ranked in the Top 15 of both polls (via ESPN) also has all of its members among the nation's top 25 recruiting classes in the 2015 cycle.
Arkansas is the only school in the SEC West that is unranked, and its class is ranked No. 18 nationally—which places them sixth among their division foes.
Texas A&M's entry into the SEC has hurt the Razorbacks' efforts to mine the state of Texas—an area that had been traditionally kind to the Hogs in the past—for top talent and hidden gems.
Bielema has recruited well by most standards, but given the ruthlessness of the division the Hogs are in, he and his staff will have to look to win more battles on the recruiting trail if they hope to climb out of the cellar of their division.
Colorado
2 of 10
For a program that was a powerhouse in the late 1980s and early '90s, the Colorado Buffaloes have fallen on hard times in recent years.
The move to the Pac-12 hasn't provided the boost that one would expect for the Buffaloes.
Second-year head coach Mike MacIntyre has made some strides, but the Buffaloes currently have the lowest-rated class in the Pac-12.
For MacIntyre, he has to find a way to give Colorado a presence in states such as California and Texas.
While that process will take time, given the Buffaloes history, the program has enough tradition to sell when it comes to recruiting.
Georgia Tech
3 of 10
The metro Atlanta area is home to one of the country's largest pools of Division I talent.
The in-state Georgia Bulldogs have a large presence there, but so do schools such as Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State and South Carolina.
One school conspicuously missing from that list is Georgia Tech—which is conveniently located in downtown Atlanta.
Head coach Paul Johnson and his staff have struggled to land elite talents such as Calvin Johnson in recent years.
If the Yellow Jackets continue to fall behind in recruiting, especially with respect to homegrown talent, it's hard to envision the program returning to the upper echelon of the ACC anytime soon.
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Illinois
4 of 10
With metro cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis all less than 200 miles away from its campus, the University of Illinois doesn't suffer from a lack of talent in its near vicinity.
However, the Fighting Illini have struggled to pluck highly rated players in territories close to Champaign.
Dating back to 2011 and including the current 2015 class, the Illini have only signed or gained commitments from three players with 4-star ratings or higher—with two of those coming from in-state recruits.
Until Illinois can establish a stronger presence in Chicago and the surrounding areas with fertile recruiting territories, it will remain an uphill climb to get out of the Big Ten's cellar.
Maryland
5 of 10
When it comes to underrated areas that produce talent in droves, the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia) area is one that jumps out.
Considering that Maryland's campus is the closest program in that vicinity, the Terrapins have struggled to keep the area's top talent at home.
With enough talent present within a 100-mile radius to build a power, the Terps have allowed schools such as Penn State, Ohio State, Florida State and others come in and raid their territory for the DMV's best players.
Considering the Terps are freshly minted members of the Big Ten, perhaps head coach Randy Edsall and his staff will do a better job of mining their home turf in hopes of getting the best players to stay home for college.
Missouri
6 of 10
The case can be made that head coach Gary Pinkel has done an outstanding job at evaluating talent and developing the players he does sign.
Considering the Tigers haven't signed a top-25 class since 2010, their success on the field in recent years backs up that claim.
However, unlike fellow SEC newcomer Texas A&M, recruiting-wise, the Tigers haven't benefited from the boost of moving to the nation's toughest and most visible conference
If the Tigers are going to take the next step into becoming a perennial powerhouse, they will have to close the gap in recruiting with fellow Eastern division rivals such as Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina.
Nebraska
7 of 10
Bo Pelini is in his fifth year at Nebraska, and the ‘Huskers are still in search of their first league title since joining the Big Ten back in 2011.
While Nebraska isn’t a state that produces a ton of talent, the ‘Huskers are another once-proud program who have struggled to keep up the nation’s current powers on the recruiting trail.
Only three of Pelini’s seven recruiting classes in Lincoln have finished in the Top 25 nationally—with the Huskers’ top class in that period being a No. 16 finish in 2011. Currently, Nebraska’s 2015 class is No. 38 nationally and sixth overall in the Big Ten.
If Nebraska is to get over the hump in the Big Ten, it will be up to Pelini and his staff to land a couple of elite difference-makers from the prep ranks on both sides of the ball.
Pittsburgh
8 of 10
Similar to Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh is a program with tradition and history that benefits geographically from an area that produces a ton of talent within close proximity to the school's campus.
The Panthers program has undergone a facelift in recent years, and head coach Paul Chryst is attempting to provide some stability after a number of coaching changes in a short period of time.
However, the arrival of James Franklin at Penn State has resulted in the rejuvenation of the Nittany Lions program—especially on the recruiting trail and in-state. In the 2015 class, the Lions have seven of the Keystone State's top 10 prospects committed while Pitt has zero.
If the Panthers expect to rise to the top of the ACC, winning the recruiting battles—especially those close to home and within the city limits—will be critical to their chances of ascending into a perennial Top 25 program.
Tulane
9 of 10
LSU has risen to prominence in large part due to its ability to keep the top talent in Louisiana home.
Success in the New Orleans area, in particular, has been critical in helping the Tigers rise into a national power.
However, Tulane—which is located in prime territory in New Orleans—has struggled to find the Pelican State's hidden gems.
Fourth-year head coach Curtis Johnson has done a great job at making in-roads on the recruiting trail. However, if the Green Wave are ever going to take the next step and become a consistent winner, it will start by earning more victories on the recruiting trail in their home territory.
Virginia Tech
10 of 10Since they arrived in the ACC in 2004, the argument can be made that no program in that league has been as consistently good as Frank Beamer's Virginia Tech Hokies.
The Hokies have been to five BCS bowl games in the last decade, yet they have struggled to keep the top talent in Virginia home in recent years.
In fact, the last time the Hokies landed two of the state's top five players was in 2009. In that same period, they have managed to sign more than two of the state's 10 best players just twice: 2010 and 2012.
The last time the Hokies landed the state's top prospect was 2007.
Considering the school's on-field success and its dependency on recruiting the territories closer to its campus, the Hokies will have to find a way to keep talents such as 2015's top overall player, defensive end Josh Sweat, close to home.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
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