It’s always interesting to take a look at which programs improved their classes the most from one year to the next. So here are the five Power Five programs that made the biggest jump in the team rankings from 2016 to 2017.

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

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Improvement: +35

The skinny: Chris Ash faced an uphill battle when he was hired at Rutgers in December 2015. That showed with his first class, but this year, even after a 2-10 season, Ash and his staff put together a class that could have the Scarlet Knights heading in the right direction. Rutgers' 2017 signing class finished ranked No. 43, which is up 35 spots from last year. The group is highlighted by in-state four-stars Bo Melton and Micah Clark, and Maryland four-star linebacker Tyshon Fogg.

Farrell’s take: Keeping in-state four-stars is impressive and landing one from a neighboring state where division rival Maryland resides is also important. Recruiting obviously went much better than things did on the field. This is an aggressive and smart staff when it comes to knowing how to recruit in today’s day and age. This is a much-needed bump and a terrific job.

Improvement: +34

The skinny: Moving up 34 spots with a No. 32 finish, Colorado’s rise up the team rankings can be directly attributed to its successful season on the field. While the Buffaloes did lose a few pieces during the stretch run to National Signing Day, Mike MacIntyre and his staff should still be applauded for their overall work. Pulling four-state in-state lineman Jake Moretti away from Ohio State was a huge recruiting win, plus grabbing eight recruits from Texas, including four-star receiver K.D. Nixon, was a major accomplishment for the staff.

Farrell’s take: This one isn’t as much of a surprise as Rutgers because of the on-field success of the Buffs. The coaches’ success in Texas was huge and they continued to build momentum up until the end. Flipping prospects from Ohio State and Tennessee is big for Colorado and MacIntyre's program is set up well in certain areas of the country for 2018. Things are trending up for Colorado.

Improvement: +30

The skinny: Finishing with No. 56 class in the country may not seem as much of an accomplishment for many Power Five programs, but considering Kansas’ recent recruiting history, this is definitely a step in the right direction for the Jayhawks. This is especially true after a 2-10 season. The gem of the class is four-star Texan running back Dominic Williams, but David Beaty and his staff also brought in quality talent from Louisiana, Illinois, Arizona, Mississippi and California, as they expanded KU's recruiting radar.

Farrell’s take: With a trio of Rivals250 prospects already committed from Louisiana, the Jayhawks are stunning everyone early for 2018. Now we all know how hard it will be to get those kids to stick, but simply getting the early commitments is something that would have never happened at Kansas in prior years. That is big-time progress.

Improvement: +27

The skinny: After a lackluster 2016 recruiting class, Paul Johnson and his staff were able to use their 9-4 season to their advantage as they finished at No. 41 in the team rankings, up 27 spots. Having four-star brothers Tre Swilling and Bruce Jordan-Swilling follow their dad’s legacy to Tech was a huge bonus for the Yellow Jackets, but they were also able to reel in four-star Tennessee safeties Gentry Bonds and Kaleb Oliver.

Farrell’s take: Things looked bleak for Georgia Tech a year ago, but a surprise season and some very good out-of-state recruiting has improved the recruiting outlook. The state of Georgia is recruited so heavily by so many programs that the Jackets need to steal a few from elsewhere and they did just that. It wasn’t a layup adding the Swillings and pulling kids out of Tennessee was a big deal.

Improvement: +22

The skinny: Up 22 spots to No. 17, the Terps put together one of the pleasant surprises of the 2017 recruiting cycle. A big reason for their jump was Maryland's ability to keep elite local talent home. This was highlighted by the additions of in-state four-stars Anthony McFarland, Deon Jones and Marcus Minor, four-star quarterback Kasim Hill from D.C. and then Tahj Capehart, Breyon Gaddy and Brandon Gaddy from Virginia Beach.

Farrell’s take: This could be the recruiting job of the year as Maryland would have never sniffed a top 20 class under Randy Edsall and his staff. D.J. Durkin is a great recruiter and imagine how good this class would have been if they didn’t lose a couple of four-stars to Penn State late and if they kept five-star Josh Kaindoh. The Terps did a great job in the DMV overall.