:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47840943/GettyImages-499070982.0.jpg)
In a recent article, ESPN went through and rated the 65 Power-5 schools on how easily each can be recruited to. Each school was evaluated on five categories: (1) favorable geography/favorable recruiting territory, (2) recruiting/football budget, (3) facilities, (4) next-level considerations, and (5) other intangibles. Each of those categories were rated on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the best, and then the scores were added up and compared with those of other schools.
Georgia Tech's score put them at #45 nationally, just behind Kansas State, Rutgers, and Utah, and just ahead of Pittsburgh, Arizona, West Virginia, and N.C. State.
In addition to national rankings, they rank 8th of 14 teams in the ACC in terms of ease of recruiting (link requires ESPN Insider access). Overall, Georgia Tech's score was clearly impacted by academic difficulties, but helped by its location in one of the most fertile recruiting states in the country.
The thing I found odd was the score given to recruiting/football budget, where Georgia Tech was scored a 4 out of 5, as ESPN explained:
The Yellow Jackets have a budget that is huge and compares with the powerhouses nationally. While recruiting the home state and neighboring Florida could fill a class, the academic requirements make Georgia Tech a program that has to branch out throughout the region and along the Eastern seaboard.
That stuck out as strange because it doesn't seem consistent with what I've heard and experienced, it puts Georgia Tech's score on par with Clemson and Notre Dame, and ahead of the entire rest of the conference (including Florida State, Miami, et al.). I don't have data to back it up, but it doesn't seem like Georgia Tech has a football budget in line with that of Clemson or Notre Dame, and certainly not ahead of Florida State's.
Some other noteworthy schools and where they fall on the list:
| National Rank | School | Conference | National Rank | School | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | georgia | SEC | 42 | Kansas State | Big XII |
| 6 | Alabama | SEC | 43 | Rutgers | Big Ten |
| 7 | Florida | SEC | 44 | Utah | Pac-12 |
| 8 | Florida State | ACC | 45 | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| 11 | Auburn | SEC | 46 | Pittsburgh | ACC |
| 13 | Clemson | ACC | 47 | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| 14 | Notre Dame | ACC | 48 | West Virginia | Big XII |
| 16 | Tennessee | SEC | 49 | NC State | ACC |
| 17 | Miami | ACC | 51 | Northwestern | Big Ten |
| 20 | Stanford | Pac-12 | 57 | Duke | ACC |
| 32 | North Carolina | ACC | 58 | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| 35 | Virginia Tech | ACC | 64 | Wake Forest | ACC |
| 40 | Virginia | ACC | 65 | Boston College | ACC |
Does 45th sound right, Georgia Tech fans? Surprised to see where other schools fall on this list?