Here is what I posted last winter, from around the national championship game. Obviously, you need coaching too, but I found these numbers interesting.
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I was interested to see what type of recruiting classes that it takes to win a national title today, so I went back and looked at the last 10 national champions. I took rivals rankings and used their last 5 recruiting classes.
2016 Clemson(6,4,13,14,14) Avg: 10.2
2015 Alabama(2,1,1,1,1) Avg: 1.2
2014 Ohio State(3,2,4,11,25) Avg: 9
2013 Florida State(10,6,2,10,7) Avg: 7
2012 Alabama(1,1,5,1,1) Avg: 1.8
2011 Alabama(1,5,1,1,10) Avg: 3.6
2010 Auburn(4,19,20,7,10) Avg: 12
2009 Alabama(1,1,10,11,18) Avg: 8.2
2008 Florida(3,1,2,15,7) Avg: 5.6
2007 LSU(4,7,22,2,1) Avg: 7.2
Average ranking of Nat'l Champs: 6.58
The average class ranking of the last 10 is 6.58.There are multiple number 1 classes with Alabama having most of them. Each team had at least 1 top 5 class and at least 2 top ten classes.
Then, I wondered what it takes to be able to play in the CFB Playoff. We have now had the playoff for 4 years. Here is what I found out using the 5 prior class rankings:
2014(Average 8.6)
Oregon(26,22,16,9,13) Avg 17.2
Ohio St(3,2,4,11,25) Avg: 9
FSU(4,10,6,2,10) Avg: 6.4
Bama(1,1,1,1,5) Avg: 1.8
2015(Average ranking 14.2)
Clemson(4,13,14,14,8) Avg: 10.6
Bama(2,1,1,1,1) Avg: 1.2
OU(14,15,15,11,14) Avg: 13.8
Mich St(22,22,40,41,31) Avg 31.2
2016(Average Ranking 11)
Clemson(6,4,13,14,14) Avg: 10.2
Bama(1,2,1,1,1) Avg 1.2
Ohio St(3,9,3,2,4) Avg 4.2
Washington(37,30,36,18,21) Avg: 28.4
2017(Average Ranking 7.7)
OU(7,16,14,15,15) Avg: 10.4
Clemson(22,6,4,13,14) Avg: 11.8
Georgia(3,9,6,7,12) Avg: 7.4
Bama(1,1,2,1,1) Avg: 1.2
Obviously it is a little easier to make the playoff as the average recruiting classes are about 10. MSU and Washington showed that you can get there with "average" classes. The playoff definitely has made it harder to win National Titles today. Wisconsin is trying to buck that trend with their system. They do a pretty good job of recruiting to their system and committing to their system. They do have conference championships to show for it. As a Husker fan right now, I would love to have their level of success they have had recently. But, the trend is against them to win a natty if you look at the latest numbers.