2002 No. 1: Texas
Standouts: OL Justin Blalock, LB Aaron Harris, TE David Thomas, DT Rod Wright, QB Vince Young
Starters: DL Larry Dibbles, DL Chase Pittman (transferred to LSU), DE Brian Robinson, CB Aaron Ross, OL Lyle Sendlein, OL Kasey Studdard, RB Selvin Young
Busts: WR Marquis Johnson, CB Edorian McCullough, DL Brian Pickryl
Assessment: If you watched the Rose Bowl, you know this class -- led by top-rated quarterback Young -- certainly fulfilled its prophecy, though not without some hitches. Besides Young, Wright and Blalock, the most heralded prospects in the class were Dibbles, McCullough and Pickryl, none of whom became stars. After the Longhorns won the national championship with this class in 2005, it would be hard to argue Texas didn't deserve No. 1.
Who should've been: Texas
Texas may have held the top spot, but the Longhorns weren't a runaway winner.
Close second: Ohio State
Standouts: LB Bobby Carpenter, RB Maurice Clarett, LB A.J. Hawk, WR Santonio Holmes, OL Nick Mangold, QB Troy Smith
Starters: OL Doug Datish, OL T.J. Downing, DB Tyler Everett, DB Nate Salley, DE Mike Kudla, DT Quinn Pitock, OL Rob Sims
Busts: LB Mike D'Andrea, CB E.J. Underwood, QB Justin Zwick
Assessment: No need for revision here, either; OSU was a consensus No. 2. Clarett had the biggest immediate impact, playing a huge role in the Buckeyes' 2002 title season, while Hawk, Holmes and Smith were the stars of the '05 team that beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. Interestingly, Zwick was far more touted than Smith, and D'Andrea was rated much higher than Hawk and Carpenter.
