The recruiting process is one of the most fascinating subjects in modern sports. With a variety of player ratings coming from sources like ESPN, 247 Sports, Rivals and many more, it’s extremely hard to actually determine who the best high school players are before they play in college or even the pros. Recent studies have shown, however, that whichever team ends up earning the highest rated recruiting class usually has the most success on the field or court.
Alabama and Kentucky have a tradition of highly ranked recruiting class in football for Alabama and basketball for Kentucky. Alabama has pulled in the #1 ranked class 4 (per Rivals) out of the past 6 years. On the other hand Kentucky is known for producing “One and Done” players who go to college for one year and then immediately enter the NBA Draft. But, two of the greatest recruiting classes in college sports history have taken place this recruiting year and they don’t even involve Kentucky or Alabama.
First, we start off with Georgia’s 2018 football recruiting class. The Bulldogs’ 2018 class grabbed the 2nd highest rated class in recruiting history, 2nd only to Florida’s 2010 football class. The 2018 8 5-Star recruits included the #2 ranked player in the nation: Quarterback Justin Fields. The Bulldogs 26 recruits have an average rating of .9423 out of 1.0000 (per 247 Sports).
The other historic class is The 2018 Duke Blue Devil Basketball class. Duke managed to get commits from the #1, #2, #3 and #9 ranked players in the country (per 247 Sports) in RJ Barrett, Cameron Reddish, Zion Williamson and Tre Jones ranked respectively. These four players combine for an average ranking of .9989. These four players don’t guarantee an NCAA Title but Duke’s 2018 basketball class is the highest rated class in college sports history.
Collins Vaught, Sports Reporter
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