There was a time not that long ago when recruiting rankings were pretty much total BS.

We're talking 20 years ago when the prospect of 56Kbps modems was considered exotic science fiction and Internet video streaming was a theory. When summer camps in which kids from different areas of the country could face off against each other in controlled environments were pretty much nonexistent.

Back then, the same handful of faux experts slapped together their lists and faxed them out. Because nobody else was there to challenge them, their ignorance went unquestioned.

And that's how you got "can't-miss" recruits who did - on a regular basis.

That doesn't happen nearly as much anymore. Because of the time, money and personnel devoted to reporting on recruits. Because of the explosion of Hudl video vignettes. Because everyone can not only see everyone but recruits from all corners of the country can compete against one another in pad-less camps.

In the last 5-10 years, the grading of recruits has improved exponentially simply because the number of eyeballs and the prevalence and quality of camps and high-definition video has exploded

No one can hide. Nobody's and assets and flaws go unseen.

Now, there are still busts because sometimes camp work and measurables do not translate to winning football players. But in general, the evidence is pretty clear recently: Highly-rated recruiting classes are very often translating to wins soon after.

"Of course, there are going to be examples of 5-stars who are busts and no-stars who make it," said Michigan-based BTN recruiting expert Allen Trieu when I spoke with him yesterday. "But if you zoom out and look at the big picture, teams with the higher recruiting rankings tend to fare better."

The only remaining variable is how that talent is developed.

You have heard and will hear today that James Franklin's 2016 Signing Day class is underwhelming because of recent de-commits draining what six weeks ago had been a hyped class of verbals. In that narrow context, the disappointment is valid. What once was billed as a class possibly on par with Ohio State and Michigan has now descended to the recent Michigan State level, around 20th best in the country.

But dolly back from that narrow focus a bit and I think what Franklin has accomplished is borderline miraculous. In his three classes now, the Nittany Lion head coach has overseen three top-20 classes in succession.

How does that rank historically? I'll tell you how: It's never happened before. And Franklin has done it in the immediate aftermath of the Sandusky scandal and the NCAA sanctions.

"You hate to lose some of those guys," said Trieu of the recent de-commits. "I'm sure these last couple of weeks haven't been what they've wanted. But I still think you have to consider the class a success."

And historically, Trieu affirmed there is no question PSU is in a better place with talent than it has been in a while:

"I think when you look at what Penn State has done the last three years under James Franklin, recruiting is not an issue. He's recruited right at the top of the conference. He's beaten those schools on a number of kids.

"I think James Franklin can recruit with the best of them. The challenge is competing with those teams on the field. But, on the recruiting trail, he's done a phenomenal job. They're right there with those guys [OSU, Michigan, MSU] in terms of bringing in talent."

No, the questions surrounding Franklin are not about his salesmanship. They revolve around his coaching acumen. This has been discussed ad nauseam.

I also believe the head coach is on a short leash with the PSU decision-makers because he has made his name as a recruiter and the loss of DC Bob Shoop to Tennessee and the subsequent deterioration of this class is being judged critically by them.

So, what do we have here with a good-not-great 2016 group? I think there's reason for hope but only if patience is granted with it. Because the most urgent need - the offensive line - is being addressed. But OLs take more time than any unit. This one is a total mess. And the work being done now cannot reap benefits for at least another two years.

I don't know if Franklin will be granted that sort of time.

Back to this No. 19-rated class and the broad scope of it. I think the most comprehensive combined recruiting rankings of the past decade and a half are compiled by Portland, Ore.-based Dave Bartoo who runs the College Football Matrix website, cfbmatrix.com. He combines all the major recruiting sites' rankings (Rivals, Scout, 24/7, ESPN) into one aggregate number.

What pops out is this:

Franklin and his staffs have collected the Nos. 19, 14 and 19-ranked classes in the past three Februarys. The closest PSU has come to stringing three consecutive top-20s in the past 15 recruiting classes was 2004-07 when PSU's rankings went, in order: 12-26-5-23.

Further, only two other schools in the Big Ten have managed such a feat in that 15-year span and you can guess who they are - Ohio State (now six consecutive top-7 classes) and Michigan (nine top-20 classes in a row, 2002-10). Nobody else has come close.

Which brings us to this question: Why can't Penn State do more with less, like Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State, none of which had lured a single top-20 class in the last decade until MSU's today?

My answer is twofold and it gets to where I think Franklin has made a critical hire on his staff:

First, Penn State has never fully embraced the run-based systems of either the Badgers or the Hawkeyes who have reloaded on the offensive line annually and coached up their recruits there consistently. Systems like Wisconsin and Iowa are not sexy. But they deliver consistency. And all three including MSU have been at the pinnacle of taking second-tier talent and coaching into championships.

I think, especially in a division as brutal as the Big Ten East, that sort of philosophy is absolutely necessary. Nobody is out-recruiting Urban Meyer or Jim Harbaugh in the foreseeable future. They must be out-developed.

Second, I think Franklin has made an extremely good and important hire in recently-fired Minnesota OC Matt Limegrover as his new OL coach. Limegrover began his career as a grad assistant during the Northwestern glory days of 1995-96 under Gary Barnett. He has excelled every step of the way since, almost all of it at the side of Jerry Kill for 17 seasons through the FCS ranks, then on to Northern Illinois and finally with the Gophers.

Minnesota made its little run during the last few years under Kill by owning scrimmage on offense and running the ball. Again, not sexy, but the Gophers had no choice. Kill and his staff simply had no other option in a recruiting grounds as barren as they come. Minnesota has not even cracked the top 50 nationally in any class in the past eight.

Limegrover was fired after this season because Kill forced to resign by his epileptic condition, he had been overextended as an OC and former DC and now head coach Tracy Claeys was bent on going in another direction.

But as an OL coach, Limegrover has proven his mettle. He's a good one.

Now, how much time will he get to mold recruits like Reading's Michal Menet and coach up the holdovers from Herb Hand's squalid unit? That's the big question, because he will need more than just this season and he's starting pretty much from scratch.

Once the OL is fixed, backs like Saquon Barkley and new signee Miles Sanders can take the heat off whoever is chosen at quarterback. The wideouts have time to get open. Functional offensive lines create balance and balance leads to success.

Franklin has done the job in February three times in a row. His challenge remains the last four months of the year, not the second one.

DAVID JONES: djones@pennlive.com