That 2013 class actually was pretty damn good in hindsight. Lots of NFL players in that class. I looked at it thinking it was going to be the class with Vanderdoes because he skewed those rankings but it wasn't.
Yes and no.
Only 5 out of the 23 players in the class went on to be selected. What jumps out the most, is that there were two first round selections (Fuller & McGlinchey), three if you want to count Jaylon Smith. Smythe & Rochell were Day 3 picks, and another two, Cole Luke & James Onwualu, had a few "cups of coffee" in the league.
The rest of the class didn't quite pan out as NFL players, but the class itself, did play an important role in getting the program back up after the first few seasons following the 2012 NC Game.
Like all classes, there were some disappointments with top players not really panning out, some careers derailed by injuries and/or medical hardships, some transfers, but also a few surprises - like Corey Robinson, and the aforementioned James Onwualu.
What turned out to be quite the successful class, happened to be one of BK's worst classes - 2016. Depending on which recruiting website you wish to use, personally 24/7 has always been my go-to, that class finished 15th nationally but also produced NINE NFL draft picks - Eichenberg, Hayes, Claypool, Kareem, Pride, Okwara, Love, Book & Ogundeji. A few others like Kraemer, Jamir Jones, Elliott, Tony Jones and McKinley, are still in the league to some capacity a few years removed from their ND careers.
That's why recruiting is a crap shoot. Honestly. A great class can underperform, but an average class, for ND's standards, can far exceed expectations, and can be the initial piece that can help change and elevate a program.
