Using actual numbers(5 year average)
Outside of the SEC -- we are significantly outrecruited by:
FSU
Clemson
Ohio St
Michigan
Texas
UCLA
USC
Notre Dame
Nothing we -- or any coach in the country -- can do at MSU to jump into that category in the next 20 years. Thinking it can be done in the short term is ridiculous. It's believing in the Hugh Freeze facade. Those most wanting to travel that path are also the loudest about how hard OM is going to fall. It's irrational. The only way to get there -- is to do it so slowly over time -- that by the time you are actually there, everyone has forgotten there was a time we did not belong there.
We are within striking distance(but clearly behind) Oregon, Stanford, Miami, and Oklahoma.
We are prettymuch equal to Nebraska, Michigan St, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Penn St, Arizona St, Washington, Baylor.
We are notably ahead of every other team in the country. Yes -- we are #27 mean average over the past 5 years.
We do need to continue to improve on recruiting. And I've been critical of 2 of the last 3 classes -- especially the last one -- since we undersigned significantly against the 85. In reality, personnel usage is a bigger problem that recruiting -- outside of the one position group that is a dead horse.