Ranking the classes 2003-17: No. 6

As Week Two of the rankings comes to close, we're looking at a class that was built on arguably the most hype and momentum the Pitt program has experienced in the last 20 years:

The class of 2008.

Why was there so much hype at the time the class of 2008 was signed? Because February 2008 came just two months after Pitt's legendary 13-9 upset of West Virginia at the end of the 2007 season, and while it is often said that one season's results affect the recruiting in the next year's class, the 13-9 game had an immediate impact.

Dave Wannstedt and his staff knew to capitalize on the excitement of that win. The Panthers defeated the Mountaineers on Saturday, Dec. 1; the next day, the coaches were on the road visiting high schools and recruits in their homes. At the end of the week, Wannstedt and company hosted 13 prospects for official visits.

Three of those 13 were already committed when they got to campus for the visit, and while Pitt didn't get a clean sweep on the other 10, the weekend was successful and led to commitments from top targets like Jonathan Baldwin, Jarred Holley and Mike Shanahan.

Here's a rundown of the recruits Pitt signed in the class of 2008.

The Class of 2008

Player	Position	Hometown	Stars

Jonathan Baldwin	WR	Aliquippa, PA	5
Lucas Nix	OL	Jefferson Hills, PA	4
Shayne Hale	LB	Monroeville, PA	4
Chris Burns	RB	New Wilmington, PA	4
Cameron Saddler	RB	Monroeville, PA	4
Jarred Holley	DB	Easton, PA	4
Mike Cruz	TE	Johnstown, PA	3
Ronald Hobby	DB	Brandywine, MD	3
Greg Cross	QB	Fort Scott, KS	3
Tino Sunseri	QB	Pittsburgh, PA	3
Robb Houser	OL	Oroville, CA	3
Antwuan Reed	DB	Johnstown, PA	3
Manny Williams	LB	Clairton, PA	3
Kevin Harper	K	Mentor, OH	3
Mike Shanahan	WR	North Huntingdon, PA	3
Ryan Turnley	OL	Aliquippa, PA	2
Justin Virbitsky	TE	Jermyn, PA	2
Joe Trebitz	LB	Boca Raton, FL	2
Andrew Taglianetti	ATH	Pittsburgh, PA	2

With one five-star recruit and five four-star's, Pitt's 2008 recruiting class packed a powerful punch. The only thing holding it back in terms of recruiting rankings was its size; there were only 19 recruits in the class and it still finished at No. 28, making one of only two schools in the nation that signed less than 20 prospects and cracked the top 30.

The class of 2008 was also the last Pitt class that ranked inside the top 30 until Pat Narduzzi's 2016 class that checked in at No. 29.

With the power of a major victory - Wannstedt's first signature win at Pitt - and a star-studded class, there was a lot of momentum around the program in February 2008.

Five years later, when the players in the class had finished their eligibility, the class had produced some pretty strong results.

For being a smaller class, 2008 brought a lot of contributors to the team. Jonathan Baldwin, Jarred Holley, Tino Sunseri, Mike Shanahan, Robb Houser, Antwuan Reed, Lucas Nix, Ryan Turnley, Kevin Harper, Andrew Taglianetti, Cameron Saddler and Shayne Hale were all starters at some point in their careers; that's 12 out of the 19 players in the class.

The star of the class was Baldwin, the No. 5 wide receiver in the country and the No. 2 prospect in the state - trailing only Terrelle Pryor, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class.

Baldwin didn't have a bad career at Pitt; he was outstanding and, at times, dominant. He caught 57 passes for 1,111 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009, but when he left early for the NFL after the 2010 season, there was a feeling that he might not have reached the level many hoped for him. Still, it's hard to argue with his overall production.

In terms of their careers, the other real standout from the 2008 class was Jarred Holley. A rare four-year starter, Holley was a mainstay in the Panthers' defense through two coaching changes. He had 11 interceptions over those four seasons and made the All-Big East team multiple times.

Baldwin and Holley were two highly-ranked players who panned out at Pitt, but the rest of the top prospects weren't quite as productive. Nix, Hale, Saddler and Chris Burns were all four-star recruits, and while they had varying degrees of success among them, none contributed at a four-star level.

Still, the 2008 class overall was a good one for Pitt. It may not have produced as many outright stars as was expected when the class signed, but it's as deep as any of the 15 classes we're ranking here.