Which power-conference teams will be outrecruited by Western Michigan this year?

Since taking over Western Michigan on Dec. 17, 2012, former Northern Illinois wide receiver P.J. Fleck has brought a recruiting renaissance to Kalamazoo. The Broncos have turned into one of the top recruiting smaller-conference schools in the nation.

Western Michigan’s 2014 class was by far the best in the MAC, ranking No. 71 in the nation thanks to the signing of 15 three-star recruits, sixth-most among non-powers. The only small-conference schools ranked ahead were relatively big names or schools in fertile recruiting territories: USF, UCF, Marshall, Cincinnati, Boise State and Temple.

More telling were the teams behind the Broncos in the recruiting rankings: power-conference schools Illinois and Colorado. If you’re in one of the big conferences, you really don’t want a MAC team outrecruiting you. (For one example of the resources disparity, WMU ranks No. 80 in Division I public school revenue, 49 spots below the Illini.)

66. Colorado -- 145.37

71. Iowa State -- 137.10

73. Pittsburgh -- 136.34

81. Florida -- 122.32

88. Oregon State -- 112.86

92. Michigan -- 108.01

Unsurprisingly, four of the six are breaking in new head coaches (Pitt, Oregon State, Michigan, and Florida). The Wolverines and Gators will certainly pass the Broncos, but the Panthers and Beavers could end up finishing below (although they would have reasonable excuses this year, unlike Colorado and Iowa State). A few others that rank just above: No. 58 Minnesota, No. 59 Kansas State, No. 60 Kansas and No. 62 Rutgers.