ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com’s Heather Dinich

Not a lot of these guys have national reputations, but somebody has to lure in the players to win these games. Here’s a quick look at the top closers in the ACC:

1. Randy Shannon, Miami: His resume speaks for itself when it comes to recruiting, as the Canes have brought in some of the country’s top talent under his direction, and he doesn’t have to leave his area code to get it. He does have to beat the likes of Florida, Florida State and dozens of other top programs who raid the state to get it, though.

2. Jimbo Fisher/Bobby Bowden, FSU: The head-coach-in waiting has an advantage over everyone else in that he’s essentially a head coach who can recruit when others can’t. He’s done a great job of building for the future and has become more proactive. Bowden is one of the few coaches in the ACC who have developed a national reputation as a closer. He's made a name for himself for getting those top-notch players at the last minute.

3. Billy Napier, offensive coordinator, Clemson: Napier used to be the recruiting coordinator before he assumed the play-calling duties, but he’s a major reason the Tigers have lured in the kind of talent capable of contending for the ACC title.

4. Butch Davis/John Blake, UNC: They're a tandem when it comes to recruiting, and they've already made a difference since arriving in Chapel Hill. In 2009 they brought in the No. 13-ranked class by ESPN.com, and within a week after he was hired, Davis brought in a player named Quan Sturdivant, and Marvin Austin committed on signing day.

TIE: 5. Jim Grobe, Wake Forest/Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech: The Deacs have started a pipeline into the talent-rich state of Florida, and hit the heart of it in Pahokee. Recruiting coordinator Ray McCartney and the staff have done a great job of finding smart players with good character who can still win. Beamer and his staff evaluate the same way Tommy Tuberville did at Auburn. Some are great players, but most are good players whom they develop into great players.

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

Recruiting is a competitive game, but some coaches have risen above the others for their ability to close the deal and convince recruits to come to their schools.

These coaches definitely deserve the coffee, according to the classic line uttered by Alec Baldwin in the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

Here’s my list of the very best of the Big 12 closers:

Texas coach Mack Brown: There’s a reason why Texas has dominated recruiting in recent seasons. And it starts with their head coach, who has a knack for convincing top recruits to commit long before their senior seasons -- an accepted practice across the conference.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops: Recruits don’t seem to mind the Sooners’ recent BCS failures. They know they’ll have the opportunity to be in the championship hunt every season and develop their talents while working with Stoops.

Missouri coach Gary Pinkel: He’s changed the recruiting culture at Missouri as the Tigers now dominate in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas where they once struggled. And no Big 12 program has developed a better reputation for building NFL talent than the Tigers under Pinkel, which makes recruiting easier now than when he started.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini: His staff isn’t as much into recruiting rankings as their predecessors were, but Pelini is just as effective sealing the deal with recruits. His no-nonsense style appeals to parents and recruits like his energetic staff keyed by Tim Beck and John Papuchis.

Baylor coach Art Briles: It’s a wickedly competitive battle for recruits in Texas, but Briles seems to be holding his own. Texas high school coaches respect him because of his similar coaching background earlier in his career. But Briles also has an innate way of putting recruits at ease immediately as well as convincing their parents to come to Baylor.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

LOS ANGELES -- Best recruiting closer in the Pac-10? Shoot, USC coach Pete Carroll is the best recruiting closer in the nation.

Why?

Two reasons.

For one, a lot of time he doesn't have to close. Many prep All-American prospects -- not only from southern California but from all over the country -- just want to play for USC. Playing for a powerhouse in the middle of Los Angeles is alluring for many elite, young athletes.

How did Carroll lure Joe McKnight out of Louisiana to USC?

"I always knew I was going to USC," McKnight said. "Once he gave me a scholarship, I told him I was going to commit. He didn't have to win me over."

But Carroll annually signs a top-10 -- more often top-five -- class, so there's got to be more than just getting guys who want to be Trojans.

Part of that, Carroll said, is making sure your message gets through and sticks, no matter how other teams recruit against USC.

"You stick with the truth and make sure the truth is still standing there at the end of the process and it hasn't been clouded," Carroll said. "Your opponents will do everything they can to cloud the issue. You just have to stick with it and be persistent. And we don't roll over easy on these deals. We fight like crazy to make sure everything we needed to get a cross gets across."

Other schools use the Trojans' depth chart against them, pointing out how hard it will be to earn playing time. Yet, Carroll is often able to reverse that and tap into a prospect's competitive spirit.

"Everybody sells that against us," Carroll said. "If a guy is bothered by that, he goes somewhere else. The guys who know they are going to play are the guys who come here."

And Carroll's track record is good. Despite the depth on the roster, true freshman annually get playing time. Five of the Trojans' 18 signees from the 2009 recruiting class saw action in the opener against San Jose State.

"They're going to play as freshmen unless there's some reason they can't," Carroll said. "Every single year over half our guys play as freshman."

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Picking the best recruiting closers in the SEC is like picking the best of Michael Jordan’s highlights.

How do you pick just five?

Here goes my best college try:

1. Nick Saban, Alabama head coach: Nobody has recruiting down to a science the way Saban does. He leaves no stone unturned and knows every detail about every single prospect the Crimson Tide are recruiting. Look at his last two recruiting classes at Alabama. His handprints are all over them. When Saban gets into the living room with a recruit and his family, rarely does he come in second.

2. Rodney Garner, Georgia assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach: Garner’s been a force when it comes to recruiting in the SEC at three different schools -- Auburn, Tennessee and now Georgia. Just look at the running backs he’s signed. He recruited Stephen Davis to Auburn, Jamal Lewis to Tennessee and Knowshon Moreno to Georgia.

3. Urban Meyer, Florida head coach: While it’s true that Meyer has the most fertile recruiting base in all of college football, he has the Florida recruiting machine rolling to the point where the Gators are picking who they want in that state. But he’s also been able to go outside the state and get great players. See Percy Harvin, Brandon Spikes, Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap and Aaron Hernandez.

4. Ed Orgeron, Tennessee assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach: He’s Mr. Relentless and never gives up on a prospect. Players love his passion and the way he relates to them during the whole process, which can obviously be crazy at times. He’s been a wiz at bringing in great defensive linemen wherever he’s been, and has also been known to turn kids at the last minute. The Vols got three nationally rated prospects after signing day this past February.

5. Larry Porter, LSU assistant head coach and running backs coach: Every good recruiting staff has a go-to guy. Porter is the Tigers’ go-to guy and a big reason they’ve continued to pull in highly ranked classes every year. He’s gotten kids out of Texas, out of Louisiana and all points in between. The players he’s recruited all say the same thing about Porter: He builds a sense of trust with them that’s hard to say no to.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The games have finally started in the Big Ten, but recruiting season never ends. Like every league, the Big Ten boasts its share of ace recruiters, but only a select few are adept at getting top prospects to say yes.

Here's a look at the Big Ten's top closers in recruiting:

1. Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson -- Johnson is the biggest reason why Penn State always reloads on defense and has elevated its overall recruiting since 2008. He can get pretty much whomever he wants from Maryland, and his commitments include current linebacker Navorro Bowman, former wide receiver Derrick Williams and former defensive end Aaron Maybin, the first pick from the Big Ten in the 2009 NFL draft.

2. Illinois head coach Ron Zook -- He might not always get the best out of his players (read: Saturday's game against Missouri), but Zook always brings in top talent. Illinois' inconsistent history hasn't stopped Zook from landing loads of elite prospects, especially from Chicago and Washington D.C. Losing top assistant Mike Locksley certainly stings, but Zook will continue to get after it on the recruiting trail.

3. Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell -- A head coach in the near future, Fickell has helped Ohio State consistently bring in top 5 recruiting classes. He lured top defensive prospects Corey Brown and Dorian Bell in the 2009 class and has landed several current defensive starters, including safety Kurt Coleman and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson. Fickell's youth and energy helps him stand out on a staff of good recruiters.

4. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez -- Despite a 3-9 season in 2008, Rodriguez still brought in a top 15 recruiting class in February and got off to a quick start for 2010, landing commitments from standout quarterback Devin Gardner and others. Rodriguez's style might not be for everyone, including some of Lloyd Carr's recruits, but he connects with a certain type of player and should have Michigan back near the top of the Big Ten soon.

5. Michigan State running backs coach Dan Enos -- Enos has reestablished Michigan State as a recruiting force in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs, plucking prospects like Edwin Baker, Larry Caper and Fred Smith from the Motown area. Mark Dantonio wants to build his program primarily with local and regional talent, and Enos is leading the charge in Michigan's largest city.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Recruiting is such an integral part of college football but even moreso at the nonautomatic qualifying schools. Those teams often have trouble attracting high-level recruits and if they do, bigger programs pick them off.

That’s why it’s important to recognize the top recruiting closers among the nonautomatic qualifying schools for their ability to secure high-level talent and see potential when others pass.

(Thanks to our friends over at Scouts Inc., for their help on this post.)

1. Turner Gill, Buffalo: The first thing Gill did when he took the job at Buffalo was secure the commitment of receiver Naaman Roosevelt. Since then, Roosevelt and several other high-level recruits have turned the Bulls from a non-name group into the reigning MAC champion.

2. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU: BYU is consistently among the nation’s best schools and the recent upset of No. 3 Oklahoma proves the type of talent in place. The Cougars are currently on pace for another stellar class led by quarterback Jake Heaps and defensive end Bronson Kaufusi.

3. Chris Petersen, Boise State: There’s no denying Petersen’s recruiting has maintained the level of success for the Broncos. Since taking over the team in 2006, Boise State has had two undefeated regular seasons, two WAC titles, and last year freshman quarterback Kellen Moore was a freshman All-American.

4. Kyle Whittingham, Utah: You don’t have an undefeated season in the Mountain West without a slew of talent. Whittingham has been crucial in recruiting players from both of the Utes undefeated seasons and the talent just continues to come, especially in the quarterbacking ranks and defense.

5. Larry Blakeney, Troy: Blakeney has spent 18 seasons with the Trojans, but since joining the FBS in 2002, the Trojans have had five draft picks and four of those have been in the first or second round. Blakeney believes there are a few more high draft picks on his roster right now.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

When it comes to recruiting, which coaches in the Big East are the best at closing the deal? After consulting with our recruiting experts from Scouts Inc., here's a top-five list:

1. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh: Wannstedt has proved to be a great recruiter since coming to college from the NFL. Flashing his Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl rings probably doesn't hurt.

2. Bill Stewart, West Virginia: With the help of recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday and other assistants, Stewart has helped bring in some top-notch players to Morgantown. His down-to-earth style has to play well in homes.

3. Jim Leavitt, South Florida: Though he can come off as a bit crazy on the sidelines, Leavitt knows how to turn on the charm on recruiting trips. His Bulls landed their best-ever class this past offseason.

4. Greg Schiano, Rutgers: Despite a flurry of decommitments last fall, Schiano managed to bring in a well-regarded class. The Scarlet Knights are starting to make the State of Rutgers a reality.

5. Brian Kelly, Cincinnati: There's no smoother talker in the Big East, and Kelly and his staff have been locking up early commitments from some of the better players in southern Ohio.