Grading the classes: Fresno State

This week, OBNUG will be grading the recruiting classes for each WAC team. Our research may be spotty, but as you can see from the final result, there is no questioning our loyalty.


Fresno State

Pat Hill and Co. have outdone themselves this time. After what many felt was his best recruiting class in 2007, Hill and the Bulldogs reeled in an even better one in '08.

By recruiting-service standards, Fresno State assembled its best class in football coach Pat Hill's 12 seasons.

Of the 22 high school players signed, nine are considered three-star recruits by both Rivals.com and Scout.com.

That's a best for Hill and places the Bulldogs atop the Western Athletic Conference in recruiting for the first time since 2002 with a class ranked 59th in the nation by Rivals.com.

"This class here is as good of a class [as we've had] on paper," Hill said. "We're doing a better job every year of finding personality types. Now it's up to us to develop them."

I'm not sure what scares me more: Dave Tester's mugshot or Fresno State in two years. But why wait two years? I'm scared of them now.

The incoming class features the future backfield for the Bulldogs in QB Ebahn Feathers and RBs Michael Harris and Ricky Pemasa. But the real damage will come in the form of defensive line prospects. Seven of the 22 newbies are defensive linemen; is the 5-2 defense far behind? I hope so because I learned some pretty sweet ways of exploiting it during my high school football days.

We would grade them higher, but honestly, we're giving everybody F's because we're homers.

Scout.com rank: 59
Rivals.com rank: 60
OBNUG grade: F

Bulldogs' football recruiting showing depth [Fresno Bee]