THE RANKINGS SO FAR - No. 15 - The class of 2011 | No. 14 - The class of 2012 | No. 13 - The class of 2015 | No. 12 - The class of 2005 | No. 11 - The class of 2004 | No. 10 - The class of 2014

At No. 9 in the rankings of Pitt’s recruiting classes from 2003-17, we come to a class represented a geographic experiment that might not have worked out as well as was hoped.

It’s the class of 2003.

The class of 2003 was recruited on the strength of the 2001 season that saw Pitt end with momentum, and the recruits who committed to Pitt in that class did so as the Panthers looked like they were on the rise through the 2002 season.

The result was a class of 26 recruits that ranked No. 34 nationally, and it produced some very good players plus a handful of role players. Here’s a look at the recruits who signed with Pitt that year.

First things first: the class of 2003 was the high-water mark of Pitt’s “Ohio-mania” phase. With Bryan Deal as recruiting coordinator (among other titles), the Panthers went heavy recruiting the state to the west and nearly one-third of the class came from Ohio.

It’s not a terrible plan to emphasize a state if you believe that state has quality talent to be mined. The Pitt staff certainly believed that to be the case with Ohio in the class of 2003, but the results don’t exactly support that theory.

The Panthers signed nine recruits from Ohio in that class:

Offensive linemen Mike McGlynn, Chris Vangas, Zach Slates and Mike DeLuca, defensive end Michael Hearns, cornerback Allen Richardson, safeties Eric Thatcher and Mike Phillips and punter Adam Graessle.

Of those, McGlynn and Thatcher were multi-year starters and Graessle held down the punting duties for several seasons. Phillips was also a starter but he dealt with injury issues. And Vangas started one season (2007), but that was it for the contributors from the Ohio players.

Still, while the Ohio focus was one of the primary storylines from the class of 2003, it wasn’t the only storyline. That class produced two very good linebackers in H.B. Blades and Clint Session, along with Kennard Cox, Joe Clermond, Chris McKillop and Greg Lee, who were all starters during their career. Jemeel Brady was in the class as well, and while he may not have been a full-time starter, he played a key role in the 13-9 win over West Virginia at the end of the 2007 season.

But when a class of 26 recruits produces, at best, 10 or 11 starters, the overall group won’t look great. So much of the class of 2003 flamed out and left early under a variety of circumstances, including most of the five offensive line recruits who were expected to set the foundation for Pitt’s lines in the future (and the failing of that class went a long way in creating the struggles Dave Wannstedt faced during his first few seasons).

It also has to be mentioned that the class included Joe Flacco, who came to Pitt from New Jersey. As is well-known, Flacco transferred to Delaware and went on to a long NFL career.

Really, it’s the strength of Blades, Session and McGlynn that pushes the class of 2003 into the top 10 in these rankings, and the supporting cast was solid.