Where do the Sooners land in 247 Sports' 2021 developmental rating?
Recruiting has often become synonymous with a teams success on the gridiron. Since 2002, every team that appeared in the national title game has had at least one five-star player among the roster. However, top recruits do not always result in a return of investment. Coaching, scheme and development of players has to be factored. Being able to maximize players individual talents and developing recruits into top-level draft picks is what differentiates programs from one another. Annually, 247Sports releases a developmental rating and evaluates data. The current examination covers a five-year span of the 2012 to 2016 signing classes. The 2017 class was not included because some prospects from that class are still playing college football. Some will not be drafted and that will be weighed. The rating measures the total number of 247 prospects a program signed along with where the players were drafted or if they were. To make the point system more fair, the process was tweaked. 247 placed the top 247 into five categories to acknowledge the programs that developed less sought after players into elite talent, while still recognizing the schools that turned coveted recruits into high-round draft picks. Here is the formula used:  Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Top 50 2.5 1.5 .5 51-100 2.75 1.75 .75 101-150 3 2 1 151-200 3.25 2.25 1.5 201-247 3.5 2.5 2  Four categories were removed: players who were dismissed, players who didnt qualify, players who medically retired and players who transferred after two or fewer seasons on campus. Every year, four- and five-star players are marveled at, but sometimes the real highlights are the under-the-radar players are shaped into top-tier NFL prospects. 247Sports yearly rating is designed to reward those programs as well. In this years rating, Alabama came in at No.1, followed by Florida at No. 2, Washington at No. 3, Ohio State at No. 4 and LSU at No. 5. Oklahoma landed at the No. 8 spot behind Miami (6) and Stanford (7). Oklahoma at No. 8 is an interesting case. Kyler Murray, a transfer, is the only qualifying first-round pick the Sooners have produced between 2012-16 for these rankings. But they have almost the same number of Day 2 picks as LSU (8 vs. 7) despite nearly half the number of prospects overall. The Sooners are due for a jump next year when early round picks CeeDee Lamb and Creed Humphrey count. OU is known for being the QB U, developing top quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley. Both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray transferred to Oklahoma, won the Heisman Trophy, and were first overall picks in the NFL draft. Jalen Hurts was a runner-up in Heisman voting and a second-round pick. Current quarterback Spencer Rattler is a favorite contender for the Heisman and top-projected draft pick. But the value goes beyond stellar quarterbacks. OU has also produced some premier offensive lineman, prolific rushers, elite pass catchers and dominant defenders over the 2012-16 span. Riley and company put players in a position to have success and tailor their system to players individual strengths. It translates into the programs continuous production down the stretch year in and year out.