No one expected Chris Ash to work recruiting miracles when he took over as Rutgers' coach in December. An abbreviated 2016 recruiting cycle that had its share of ups and downs left Rutgers with the 74th ranked class nationally, according to 247Sports.

Expectations will change with the 2017 class, as Ash and his staff will have a full year to build relationships with top recruits. Rutgers hasn't finished higher than 50th in the national recruiting rankings since 2012, which makes a stronger showing in 2017 critical.

"It's huge. A new coaching staff always wants to get off on a good start," said Adam Friedman, the Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "That can really set the tone for your era. The 2016 class, certainly they did the best they could with that, they finished it out all right, but here in 2017, they've already offered a lot of guys. They (hosted) about 200 kids for their junior day, which is just a huge number. It's a good way to put this new program on display and really set the tone for how this new staff will act, coach and recruit. It really helps them get their message out."

New Jersey's 2016 class was stocked with talent, but Rutgers managed to land just two of the state's top 20 recruits and none in the top 10. That continued a trend, as Rutgers landed just one top 10 New Jersey recruit in the previous three years combined under former coach Kyle Flood.

"That really hurts. There's no way around it," Friedman said. "They didn't land any of the guys that were in the top 10 in the state, which is brutal. New Jersey always has high-level players, whether it be the top one or two or most of the top 10 if we're looking at last year's class. It's always important for Rutgers to keep, at the very least, a couple of the top guys home."

New Jersey's 2017 class isn't considered as strong as 2016, which could benefit Rutgers, as Ash may not have to battle as many national powers for local talent.

"I don't think there's a lot of star power right now like last year, but there's certainly a lot of good football players," said Steve Wiltfong, the national recruiting director for 247Sports. "There's a lot of good football players that can help Rutgers win and there's a lot of guys that they are going to have a shot at. It's just about getting them on campus and getting them comfortable with you so it's hard to tell you, 'No,' because they've been there so many times."

Ash inherits a team that went 4-8 last season. An immediate turnaround could be a challenge while playing in the loaded Big Ten East Division, but recruits aren't likely to judge the program strictly on its record next season.

"The success that they have on the field this year is not as important as really getting the point across and showing what kind of team they want to run and what kind of system they want to run," Friedman said. "I think that's what is important. They're still going to be selling a vision this year. They're going to have some big wins, but they're also going to have some losses and probably some big losses. Especially with a first-year coaching staff taking over a team that obviously didn't do so well last year, it's important for them to make sure their message is really implanted, not just with the team, but with the people connected to the program -- the coaches in the state, the players in the state. Really changing the attitude there and understanding that this program is taking steps forward, they're making the right steps."

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.