Editor's Note: This is part of a 10-story series looking at how the top recruiting classes from each conference came together before fully turning the page to 2020.

Boise State's never signed an offensive recruit who ranked higher than Hank Bachmeier.

California’s state record holder for total touchdown passes, Bachmeier ranked as the nation’s No. 235 overall player and No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the 247Sports Composite for the 2019 cycle. Bachmeier held offers from as far East as Boston College and as far West as Cal with programs in between like Georgia and Tennessee offering as well.

He could’ve gone almost anywhere. He chose Boise State.

“I think Hank understood that how we do things and the things we had to offer him fit him best,” Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin told 247Sports. “He followed that process, and that lead to Boise State.

“I think that doesn’t happen often enough. We had a lot of guys this class that figured that out.”

The Broncos’ 2019 class ranked 50th nationally and No. 1 in the Mountain West. Boise State finished with a better class ranking than 16 Power Five schools. It's a historic class, too, when you go by a per-commit average. The Broncos joined Houston in 2016 as the only programs to produce a class with a per recruit average of 85-plus. Boise State’s 85.67 average rating edges the Cougars’ 85.62 score. Remember, Houston signed five-star defensive tackle Ed Oliver that cycle.

Not that this record-setting haul changes Boise State much.

The Broncos have earned the top class in the Mountain West every year since 247Sports’ full rankings inception in 2011. Harsin, who took over the program from Chris Petersen in 2014, said continuity is key to the team’s continued success.

Harsin is a previous Bronco player and long-time assistant. He is one of many Boise State coaches with long-term ties to the program or the Western poriton of the country. That’s allowed the Broncos to develop relationships with high school coaches across the region, helping the team find players that best fit the team’s specific culture – nothing means more to program.

Each Boise State signee must share a few traits: High character, hard worker and academically curious. Harsin said 11 of his 15 signees from the Early Signing Period were team captains, and his overall roster has more than a few of those examples.

“You don’t get these wins without the right type of people,” Harsin said. “The culture comes before anything else.”

No program, outside of perhaps Alabama, wins like Boise State. The Broncos are the winningest FBS program since 2000, and they’ve won 10-plus games all but two seasons over the last decade. That winning percentage comes up plenty in the Broncos’ recruiting pitches. But Harsin said those victories are more of a way in the door as opposed to a swaying factor.

Boise State is a relationship-driven program. It’s the only way the Broncos can find players who truly fit their culture.

Bachmeier, one of five Boise State signees to earn a four-star grade from 247Sports, is someone who fits what the Broncos want in an athlete. He could also represent a shift. Boise State’s long found the right type of player culturally, developed them and won with them. Bronco players go to the NFL, too – 19 Broncos were on NFL rosters last season. Yet, this class brought in a different sort of athlete from top to bottom, resulting in a record-setting group.

Harsin admits his staff this cycle may’ve found a few more players with ideal measurables. But the overall baseline of the class – the players’ makeup – remains the same.

“I think we just identified really well and did a good job finding those guys,” Harsin said. “They happened to be good football players with some recognition on top of it. We’re not going to deviate from that culture.”

Previous Best in Class Stories

AAC: UCF Knights

Big 12: Texas Longhorns

C-USA: FAU Owls

Sun Belt: Louisiana Rajin' Cajuns

Big Ten: Michigan Wolverines