Risers and fallers in team rankings

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DallasJacksonClickMORE:Teamrankingsfor2013HeretoviewthisLink.istheNationalColumnistforRivals.com.EmailhimyourcommentsorstoryideastoDallasJ@Yahoo-Inc.comClickMORE:Teamrankingsfor2013HeretoviewthisLink.andfollowhimonTwitterClickMORE:Teamrankingsfor2013HeretoviewthisLink..

Whileheisunsureifitisacloudorthesilverlining,HughFreezeknowswhattoexpectthisspring.

Thesecond-yearheadcoachatOleMissisontheheelsofa7-6seasoninwhichhisteamwontheEggBowlandabowlgame.HealsosignedtheNo.7recruitingclassinthecountry.

Itisthatlastpointthathashimmostconcerned.The33-spotimprovementfromNo.40lastyearwasthegreatestgainofanyBCSautomaticqualifyingschoolinthecountry.ItismakingexpectationFreeze'sgreatestenemy.

"Intheoffseason,Idomyspeakingtour,"FreezesaidonYahoo!SportsRadio."Lastyear,itwasallaboutcreatinganattitude;thisyear,itwillbeallaboutmanagingexpectations."

(ListentothefullHughFreezeinterviewwithJohnHarrisonY!SportsRadio)

Risingdemandsonsuccessareunderstandable.

Freezesecuredthetopplayerinthecountry,defensiveendRobertNkemdichefromLoganville(Ga.)Grayson.Healsolandedthetopreceiverinthenation,LaquonTreadwellofCrete(Ill.)CreteMonee,andthetopoffensivetacklebysigningLaremyTunsilfromLakeCity(Fla.)Columbia.Allwerefive-starplayers.

Theclasswasroundedoutwithninefour-starplayersrepresentingMississippi,Tennessee,AlabamaandTexas.Bycomparison,OleMiss'classof2012hadonlytwoplayersratedasfour-starsanditdidnothaveonefive-starplayer.

Freezesaidtherearenoone-yearwondersintheSECandthatthosewhobelievethatOxfordisdestinedforautomaticglorymaynothavetheirfeetontheground.

"Therealityiswehadasurprisingyearandaverysurprisingrecruitingseasontomost,"hesaid.

"Thefactsarethattheleagueweplayin,particularlythisside,theyhavehadfiveclasseslikethisoverthepastfiveyears."

Alabamahaswonthenationalrecruitingtitleinfourofthelastfiveseasons.AuburnandLSUhavebeentop15recruitersinthatsamespan.New-to-the-divisionTexasA&Mwasinthetop15lastyearandthetop10fortheclassof2013.ArkansasandMississippiStatehavefluctuatedmore,butneitherisanalso-ranintherecruitingindustry.

Freezesaidthat,whilehewillpushtogetallhecanoutofhisplayers,winningontherecruitingpathdoesnotlockvictoriesontothescoreboard.

"Forustoexpecttodosomethingoutofthisworldwithjustonefullyearofrecruiting,Ithink,isabitpremature,"hesaid."Winningandlosingcanbeyourenemy."

OleMisswasnotaloneinitsriseintherecruitingrankingsfrom2012to2013,butofcoursethereareothersthatwenttheotherway.Here'salookatfourotherteamsontherise,followedbyfivewhomadeadramaticdrop.

TEAMSONTHERISE

KENTUCKYClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Up33spotstoNo.29fromNo.62

TheSkinny:MarkStoops.Plainandsimple.WhatStoopshasdonesincehisarrivaloncampushaspiledontotheso-sorecruitingthatwasbeingdonebyJokerPhillips.StoopshasredoubledhiseffortsonkidswhowereonthefenceandhasmadearunatplayerswhowerenotinitiallyinterestedinKentucky,andhehasgottenthem.ThereisabuzzinLexington,anditisbeingfeltintheOhioRiverValley,wheretheprogramhaslandedseveralkidsoutofCincinnati.

Quotable:"Partofthisriseisjustarecentrun,becausebeforeMarkStoopsgottherethiswasaprettydownclass.Hegotacoupleofhigh-profilejuniorcollegeplayers,includingfour-starZa'DariusSmith,andthenwentintoOhioandgotthreekids,JaleelHytchye,KyleMeadowsandLovellPeterson.Ithinkthathefoundaperfectplanandisgoingafterit.Hedidn'tgiveuponthisclassandisshowinghecangetplayersintoKentucky."--WoodyWommack,Rivals.comSoutheasternanalyst

IOWASTATEClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Up29spotstoNo.58fromNo.87

TheSkinny:OnehastogobacktoEarleBrucefrom1973to'78tofindacoachatIowaStatewholeftwithawinningrecord.Throughfourseasons,PaulRhoadsisascloseasanyonehascomeatjustthreegamesunder.500and,yes,thatisthegoodnews.ThecombinationofanimprovedproductonthefieldandIowabeingdownthelastfewseasonsisstartingtomakeadifferenceinrecruiting.IowaStateisn'tajuggernaut,butitisfightingforrespectability.

Quotable:"PaulRhoadsisprovingtobeareallygoodcoachandsomeonekidsbelievein.LandingJakeCamposfromanin-statepower(WestDesMoinesValley)wasabigstatementbecauseheisthetypeofkidwhoeithergoestoIowaorgoessomewhereelse.Ifhecankeepgettingguyslikethatoncampus,itwillstartacyclethatfeedsitself."-MikeFarrell,Rivals.comnationalanalyst

KANSASClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Up28spotstoNo.46fromNo.74.

TheSkinny:Kansassufferedthrougha1-11seasonwithitslonevictorycomingagainstSouthDakotaState.Itwasheldto17pointsorfewerinsevengames,andCharlieWeisstruggledtogettheteaminthegearthatfansexpected.Allofthat,somehow,madeplayerswanttocometotheschool,andithaspushedtheclassintothetop50nationally.

Quotable:"Kansasiskillingitwithjuniorcollegekids,almosttakingapagefromKansasStateinthatrespect.JUCOkidsareobsessedwithgettingtothenextlevel,andtheylookatKansasandseeaplacewithimmediateplayingtime.TheyseeCharlieWeisandhisSuperBowlringsandthinkthatthisisaplacethatcangetthemtothenextlevel.BeingabletohelpsomeoftheseguysgettherewilllikelydetermineifthiskindofapproachcanbesustainedatKansas."--RobCassidy,Rivals.comWestanalyst

WESTVIRGINIAClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Up24spotstoNo.24fromNo.48

TheSkinny:WVUfollowedanexplosivestarttotheseasonwithastrongclosetotherecruitingseason.Theteamlandedsixplayersaftermid-January,andtheyincludedthetopplayer,receiverSheltonGibsonfromCleveland(Ohio)ClevelandHeights.ThemovetotheBig12seemstohaveboostedthestockoftheprogram,anditsdipintothejuniorcollegerankshelpedscorepointsintheRivalsformula.

Quotable:"WestVirginiadidaverygoodjobonsellingguysintheMidwest.GettingSheltonGibsonandDarrienHowardandGrantLingafelterfromOhiowasabigmoveforthembecauseitisnotanareathattheyusuallyhithardorhavemuchsuccessin.Thosearethreeofthetopfiveplayersintheclass,andwithoutthemitwouldn'tbeinthetop25."--Rivals.comMidwestanalystJoshHelmholdt

FIVEWHOTOOKATUMBLE

STANFORDClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Down58spotsfromNo.5toNo.63

TheSkinny:Thiswasasmallclass,just12commitments,andthereisnorealreasontopanicforCardinalfans.Therearefourplayerswithfourstarsinthisclass,includingtwoU.S.ArmyAll-Americans:linebackerPeterKalambayiandquarterbackRyanBurns.Theclassmightstaysmall,butitwillstillhavethequalitythathasbeenexpectedfromtheprogram.Nextyear,itwillbeabiggerclassandlikelywillboostStanfordbackintotheteamsontherise.

COLORADOClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Down31spotsfromNo.36toNo.67

TheSkinny:Thiswasamoderateclasswith19signees,butnonewasratedasafour-starplayer.TheseasondidnotgoasanyoneexpectedinColorado,andtheBuffswererelativelynoncompetitiveinmanygames.TheresultscostJonEmbreehisjobafterjusttwoyears,andhewasreplacedbySanJoseStatecoachMikeMacIntyre,whoscrambledtofinishthisclass.ThereissomeoptimismasMacIntyreworkedhismagicatSanJoseState--whichwasinjustasbadashape,ifnotworsethanthisColoradoprogramthatmaybeatanall-timelow.

GEORGIATECHClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Down28spotsfromNo.56toNo.84

TheSkinny:Thisisyetanothersmallclass,whichhurtstherawnumbersofrecruiting.TheYellowJacketssignedonly14players,andnonewasafour-star.ThiswasanincrediblytalentedyearinGeorgia,andtheprogramwasshutoutofallthebestplayers.ThehighlightsoftheclassareRickyJeuneofMontvale(N.J.)St.Joseph'sandtheanomalyofbeingtheonlyprogramtosignthreeunrelatedplayerswiththesamelastname:ChrisGriffin,CoreyGriffinandTyGriffin.Thisclassdoesnothavealinebacker,whichcouldbeaconcern.

TEXASTECHClickHeretoviewthisLink.:Down25spotsfromNo.26toNo.51

TheSkinny:Adisappointingseasononthefieldcombinedwithacoachwhowasnevertrulyembracedmadeittoughintheearlygoing.WhenTommyTubervilleskippedtownforCincinnati,itallbutstalledtheprocess.TexasTechactuallyclosedtheyearwithadecentrunaftertheclasssatatNo.86withjustovertwoweeksleftuntilsigningday.ThebrightspothereisthatnewheadcoachKliffKingsburylovesrecruiting,andhehasbeenthetoastofthetownsincegettingoncampus.Thereisplentyofupsidehereandhopethatariskyhirewillmakegood.

BOSTON COLLEGEClick Here to view this Link.: Down 24 spots from No. 63 to No. 87

The Skinny: This can be excused as another small class with just 15 signees, but there are seven two-star players and that is cause for concern. The team has struggled in recruiting, and this year typifies that because there are no four-star players and more alarmingly there were no offensive lineman signed. There are many needs for the BC team, and a class like this may be a two-year issue. New head coach Steve Addazio is respected in the Northeast, and he will have his work cut out for him.

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