Ohio State Buckeyes: How the 2015 recruiting class compares to recent history

Hilliard, the top-rated recruit in the class, was held back early in his career by injuries but ended up carving out a niche in his last two seasons.

His up-and-down (or more accurately down and up) experience in some ways mirrors that of his class, which produced high numbers of starters, NFL Draft picks and transfers.

Here is a look at the success rate of the class, how it stacks up to others from recent years and more:

1. Eleven players from the 2015 OSU signing class were picked in the NFL Draft.

Hilliard was not drafted, but before him Damon Arnette, Jerome Baker, Joe Burrow, Jashon Cornell, Jamel Dean, DaVon Hamilton, K.J. Hill, Dre’Mont Jones, Isaiah Prince, Denzel Ward and Mike Weber were.

That is the most of any OSU class since the 2002 signing group produced 12 picks.

Since 1988, the only other classes to have double-digit draft totals are 1998 (11) and 2014 (10), though the ’17 class is already at nine and likely to add more next year with Thayer Munford and Haskell Garrett among several juniors and seniors opting to stay in school this year.

From 2000-15, Ohio State recruiting classes contained on average 6.5 future draftees.

2. The 2015 class is one of four since 2000 to have at least 40 percent of its players drafted.

Only the 2002, ’14 and ’17 classes better the most recent group. The 2002 class had 48 percent of its players picked while the ’14 and ’17 class are both at 43 percent with more potential players still to be picked from the latter.

Going back farther, the only other class to have had at least 40 percent of its players picked since 1988 is the ’98 class, which was the definition of puny but mighty. Then-coach John Cooper signed 16 players in ’98 and had 11 drafted, a 69-percent hit rate that blows away all others in recent history.

Since ’88, the average percentage of draft picks per class is 29. Since 2000, that number is 31 percent.

3. With 27 members, this was the largest of the six classes Urban Meyer recruited from start to finish and signed at Ohio State.

At No. 7 in 247Sports Composite rankings, it was also the lowest-rated nationally.

The others all ranked No. 4 or better.

With 12 Ohio natives, it had the most in-state recruits of any of Meyer’s classes and the second-highest percentage of Ohioans at 44. That trailed the 2013 class, which was 46 percent Ohioans.

4. A total of 14 players became at least part-time starters, equal to the 2013 class and one less than 2014.

Since 2000, the average Ohio State recruiting class has produced 10.8 starters. If we go back to 1988, the number is 10.4

Since ’88, the only classes to produce more than 14 starters are 2002 (16) and 2014 (15).

The 2017 class also has produced 14 starters so far but is likely to have more.

5. More than half of the 2015 signees became starters — 52 percent.

The average class since both 1988 and 2000 has included 49 percent players who would go on to become starters.

Eight classes since 2000 have had a higher percentage, led by the 2017 class (67 percent — so far). Since 1988, the highest percentage of starters belongs to the 1998 class that had 13 starters (81 percent).

6. Twelve of the 2015 signees did not make it to the end of their eligibility at Ohio State for one reason or another.

That includes eight transfers, a rate of 30 percent that is higher than the ’13 and ’14 classes (17 percent for each) but lower than 2016 (32 percent).

While transfer rate has steadily risen over the past two decades, this was still a high number overall for Ohio State. Since 2000 it ranks fourth-highest and is well above the median of 20 percent. Along with 2016, the 2012 and 2003 classes (both 33 percent) both ranked higher.

7. The transfers also did something relatively rare at Ohio State: Boost the draft number.

Burrow, who left in the spring of 2018 in pursuit of a chance to start, and Dean, who was medically disqualified shortly after enrolling and ended up at Auburn, represent 40 percent of the players to leave Ohio State, finish their careers elsewhere and be drafted since 1988.

The others are Jonathan Newsome, Noah Spence and Hamilton High School grad Brandon Underwood.

Burrow was an oddity for another reason. He is one of 10 Ohio State quarterback recruits to be drafted since 1988 and one of the seven from that group actually drafted as a quarterback.