ESPN Ranks the Non-AQ Recruiting Classes

With signing day in the books, it’s time to look at the winners from the recruiting bonanza. Several teams from the nonautomatic qualifying conferences came away with great classes, and while none of them stayed in ESPN's Top 25 classes, some were still among the best in the country. Here’s a look at the top 10 classes among the non-AQ teams:
1. BYU: Quarterback Jake Heaps is the hook of this class. He signed early and really helped reel in some other talented players, including defensive end Bronson Kaufusi.
2. Utah: Things looked a little bleak early for the Utes, but they rallied with a strong class full of immediate help. Offensive tackle John Cullen was a huge steal from USC and linebacker V.J. Fehoko should provide immediate help to the linebacking corps.
3. TCU: The loss of running back Josh Huff to Oregon was an early blow, but the Frogs class finished strong and addressed its needs not only for 2010, but also 2011. Defensive tackle David Johnson should ensure that there’s no dropoff in defensive production.
4. Houston: The Cougars had about 95 percent of their class done before the season and Sumlin made sure to load it up with athletes and players that could help one of the worst defenses in the country. He succeeded across the board.
5. Southern Miss: Coach Larry Fedora is no stranger to pulling in big classes, and for the third consecutive season he picked up a great running back in Jamal Woodyard, some good receivers and some great offensive line talent.
6. UCF: The Knights got some nice surprises with the pledges of top offensive linemen Torrian Wilson and Jose Jose, and athlete Jordan Akins. Jeffrey Godfrey could be the team’s next starting quarterback and he should be throwing to receiver Joshua Reese.
7. Fresno State: Coach Pat Hill said for the first time in his tenure he had a few kids switch their commitments from Pac-10 schools to the Bulldogs. Fresno State got a lot of speed and it will be interesting to see them try to transition to more of a spread offense.
8. Boise State: The Broncos didn't have a lot of room in this class to really do a lot of heavy-duty recruiting, but for a 10-player class Boise State did a nice job of filling its needs and grabbing a nice dual-threat quarterback in Grant Hedrick.
9. Toledo: Tim Beckman put together the best class in the Mid-American Conference and several of those guys might see the field this year. The big get is receiver James Green, but across the board there’s a lot more athleticism and speed than the Rockets have had in awhile.
10. Marshall: Call me crazy, but I thought Doc Holliday and his staff did a nice job of bringing in athleticism from Florida in a short amount of time. Running back Antwon Chisholm might fill the greatest need with Darius Marshall leaving early for the NFL Draft.