Five programs that made the least improvement from 2016 to 2017

With National Signing Day 2017 in the rearview mirror, it’s always interesting to take a look at which teams had the biggest change in their recruiting class ranking from one year to the next.

Tuesday we analyzed the teams that improved their rankings the most. Today we examine the five Power Five programs that fell the furthest in the team rankings from 2016 to 2017.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

MORE: Teams that made most improvement from '16 to '17 | Three-point stance

Change in ranking: -51 spots

The skinny: After finishing with the No. 22 class in 2016, the Golden Bears plummeted all the way to No. 75 this year. Having a small class of only 14 signees didn’t help this fall, but the sudden firing of Sonny Dykes in early January was a bigger issue. New coach Justin Wilcox only had a few weeks to try and piece together the class, and while he did add in-state four stars Chase Garbers and Elijah Hicks, overall the class was lacking in quality.

Farrell’s Take: This is a combination of numbers and a coaching change, but it doesn’t come at a good time for Cal, as the Bears need an influx of talent with Stanford, USC, UCLA and Washington recruiting so well and Oregon finishing so strong with a new coach. Cal could fall far off the Pac-12 radar if the Bears have another poor class, especially next year with more numbers.

Change in ranking: -35 spots

The skinny: It's hard to be surprised with this drop after the departure of coach Tom Herman to Texas in late November. The Cougars pulled in an impressive class in 2016, highlighted by five-star Ed Oliver, but they didn’t come close to equalizing that achievement this year as they dropped from 41 to 76. The only four-star in the group is Bryan Jones from Louisiana, while several other decommitted after the coaching change.

Farrell’s Take: Tom Herman was obviously the reason for Houston’s recruiting jump and losing him is a big reason for the dip. I don’t see Houston being able to rise to the top 45 or so on a consistent level even with new head coach Major Applewhite being a good recruiter. However, I also don’t see it being outside the top 75 either, so I expect this to rebound quickly.

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Change in ranking: -31 spots

The skinny: Ole Miss has seen its recruiting explode in recent years, but with the dark cloud of NCAA sanctions, it slipped from No. 8 to No. 39 in 2017. Many programs would be happy with a No. 39-ranked class, but it’s a blow for the Rebels. Adding four-stars Kam White and Mohamed Sanogo on National Signing Day did give the class a boost, but until this current NCAA situation is remedied it’s hard to see how the Rebels can go back to becoming an elite recruiting program.

Farrell’s Take: This is clearly due to the NCAA investigation, and this will continue as long as that hangs over the Rebels' head. The season didn’t help either, but there’s no doubt in my mind that recruiting opponents are using the NCAA deal against Ole Miss and it’s hurting badly. For their sake, the Rebels need to hope the investigation ends ASAP.

Ranking change: -67 spots

The skinny: As with Houston, this is an easy one to figure out. Not only did P.J. Fleck leave for Minnesota, but he also took half the class with him to Minneapolis. The Broncos were left scrambling and as a result saw their class go from No. 64 last year to No. 91 this year. With only five three-stars in this year’s class, the new staff, now headed by Tim Lester, will have to work overtime to equal the recruiting success accomplished by Fleck.

Farrell’s Take: This is clearly the Fleck effect, as he was the reason Western Michigan was hot on the recruiting trail last year. Taking many of the commitments with him to Minnesota is one of the reasons for the fall. I don’t expect Western Michigan to be near the top 60 anytime soon, but I could be wrong.

Ranking change: -24 spots

The skinny: The days of annual elite recruiting classes seem to be a distant memory for many Texas fans. With the firing of Charlie Strong and arrival of Tom Herman, many hoped it would revitalize recruiting efforts, but the overall turmoil saw the class drop from No. 7 last year to No. 31 this year. The Longhorns did bring in eight four-stars, six of them from Texas, so that’s a plus, but more work needs to be done to bring the Longhorns back to where their fans expect them to be.

Farrell’s Take: This obviously won’t continue. Yes, this was a tough transition for Herman and staff, but if anyone thinks that Texas will be outside of the top 25 again next year or any other year under Herman, they are mistaken. I know Texas fans are freaking out a bit, but this isn’t the future.