In a game of inches, measurables make recruiting difficult

Harry · January 27, 2016

Over the past two seasons, Will Reed passed for more than 5,000 yards, along with 61 touchdowns, while playing at the highest level of Texas high school football. But although Reed's numbers helped Rockwall light up the scoreboard, his number of note right now is zero.

Zero Division I scholarship offers. Nothing in Division II, either, for a three-year starter who was an all-district selection as a junior and senior.

Reed knows the reason, or at least part of it. At 6-1, he's considered too small for a pro-style quarterback.

"I don't see the difference in two inches," he said, "but college coaches know what they want."

Reed said what a lot of former high school football players are thinking this week, as the Feb. 3 national signing day approaches. Why does an inch or two of height make such a big difference? How can a couple tenths of a second in the 40-yard dash determine whether a recruit is elite or waiting by the phone?

Well, more than a million kids played high school football last year. Recruiters at the power programs can be choosy, and the result is the same thing each year:

Players who put up big numbers on the field can get stuffed in the recruiting game.

Denton's Xavier Scott, Frisco Idrees Ali and Terrell's Dawonya Tucker were offensive centerpieces last season, each rushing for more than 2,000 yards. But Tucker is 5-7, Ali is 5-9 and Scott is 5-10, and without head-turning speed, attracting scholarships has become a headache.

"I was thinking they were going to come in real hard after the year I had," Tucker said. "But it didn't happen."

It didn't happen for Arlington linebacker Matthew Anunda, either. The senior had 169 tackles and was named the Class 6A Defensive Player of the Year. But he's 5-9, and although solidly built at 195 pounds, he doesn't fit the "measurables."

read more: http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/high-school/high-schools/2016/01/26/notable-high-school-football-players-getting-lot-recruiting-attention

GrandGreen · January 27, 2016

It is funny that measurables such as height, weight and speed are so important, but at the same time so exaggerated. About everyone knows that a player listed at 6'4 is much more likely to be closer to 6'2 than 6'4 and most 40 times must be timed going downhill with a hurricane at your back.

Still there must be a strong correlation between measurables and success in college football. Coaches are not recruiting the players in this article because they hate short people. It is that based on their experience those players usually do not do well in college football. There are great numbers of players that defy that logic, but generally bigger and faster are better.

It does present an opportunity for lower tier football programs like NT at the moment to get players that don't fit the mold of big time football. However, for every Booger Kennedy there are lot of misses.

SilverEagle · January 27, 2016

7 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

It is funny that measurables such as height, weight and speed are so important, but at the same time so exaggerated. About everyone knows that a player listed at 6'4 is much more likely to be closer to 6'2 than 6'4 and most 40 times must be timed going downhill with a hurricane at your back.

Still there must be a strong correlation between measurables and success in college football. Coaches are not recruiting the players in this article because they hate short people. It is that based on their experience those players usually do not do well in college football. There are great numbers of players that defy that logic, but generally bigger and faster are better.

It does present an opportunity for lower tier football programs like NT at the moment to get players that don't fit the mold of big time football. However, for every Booger Kennedy there are lot of misses.

And for every Joe Greene (who easily fit the size requirements) there were also "lots" of "right sized" players that flopped.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2016

Here's a 6' even pro-style quarterback committed to Notre Dame.

https://rivals.yahoo.com/ucf/football/recruiting/player-Ian-Book-155371

Also has offers from Boise State, Washington State, and four other FBS offers.

Even big programs do give undersized guys a shot if they have traits that can make up for their lack of size. Most college coaches are not like Mccarney, where he seemingly wouldn't even consider a player if he didn't meet his height requirements.

Ben Gooding · January 27, 2016

If I am this staff I am buying Matthew Anunda stock right now. Like right now.

GOMG2013 · January 27, 2016

6 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Most college coaches are not like Mccarney, where he seemingly wouldn't even consider a player if he didn't meet his height requirements.

Where does this mccarney height requirement statement come from? It's repeated a lot on here. Seneca Wallace was listed as 5'11. Bret Meyer was listed as a 6'3 dual threat QB. Only thing I remember mac saying consistently about a QB was that he didn't want a statue...meaning someone that is mobile. Not nessessarily a dual threat.

Of course ideal QB size is 6'5, and almost EVERY coach wish they had that. Why do people on this site consider that crazy? Did UNT have a bunch of tall QBS that couldn't play? No. So why is this repeated so much. Mac had enough shortcomings to gripe about without making up some.

Mcnulty was listed at 6'2...demarcus smith is 6'1...

And mac was not calling shots like some think. That may have been his biggest issue. Not coaching much at all.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2016

Just now, GOMG2013 said:

Where does this mccarney height requirement statement come from? It's repeated a lot on here. Seneca Wallace was listed as 5'11. Bret Meyer was listed as a 6'3 dual threat QB. Only thing I remember mac saying consistently about a QB was that he didn't want a statue...meaning someone that is mobile. Not nessessarily a dual threat.

Of course ideal QB size is 6'5, and almost EVERY coach wish they had that. Why do people on this site consider that crazy? Did UNT have a bunch of tall QBS that couldn't play? No. So why is this repeated so much. Mac had enough shortcomings to gripe about without making up some.

Mcnulty was listed at 6'2...demarcus smith is 6'1...

And mac was not calling shots like some think. That may have been his biggest issue. Not coaching much at all.

UNT did have tall QBs who couldn't play. Greer's performances were not good, and Means couldn't pass up anyone on the depth chart. Chumley didn't show much either. Then the other QBs Mccarney brought in were listed at 6'3" and up, in Berglund, Cooper Jones, and Brent Osborn.

Almost all of the high school QBs Mccarney offered were 6'2" and up. Usually 6'3" and up.

The exceptions here were Mcnulty, who was practically family to Mccarney, and JT Barrett, who was one of the best QBs in the country and signed with Ohio State. Damarcus Smith was Chico going out and getting his guy, knowing that his job was on the line and if he was going to be a scapegoat he was going to go down at least running more of what he wanted to do. Seneca Wallace was offered 15 years ago.

And Mac was calling the shots with QB offers. Riddle's dad said so on the board. That's proof that doesn't even require knowing behind the scenes moves.

GOMG2013 · January 27, 2016

2 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

UNT did have tall QBs who couldn't play. Greer's performances were not good, and Means couldn't pass up anyone on the depth chart. Chumley didn't show much either. Then the other QBs Mccarney brought in were listed at 6'3" and up, in Berglund, Cooper Jones, and Brent Osborn.

Almost all of the high school QBs Mccarney offered were 6'2" and up. Usually 6'3" and up.

The exceptions here were Mcnulty, who was practically family to Mccarney, and JT Barrett, who was one of the best QBs in the country and signed with Ohio State. Damarcus Smith was Chico going out and getting his guy, knowing that his job was on the line and if he was going to be a scapegoat he was going to go down at least running more of what he wanted to do. Seneca Wallace was offered 15 years ago.

And Mac was calling the shots with QB offers. Riddle's dad said so on the board. That's proof that doesn't even require knowing behind the scenes moves.

He also stated he didn't want statues too, but we got Greer.

I know for a fact that some coaches wanted a WR and QB from Fort bend and Chico was the one who said no. Mac and a few other assistants liked them. I was at the camp and saw how everything went down. Mac was pretty excited a 3 star QB with D1 offers even showed up.

Instead Means was the 2014 QB and that was Chico.

Mac was not evaluating QBs. Mac barely coached or evaluated anything. If bad QBs were brought to the coaching staff to evaluate, then that is on Chico.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2016

13 minutes ago, GOMG2013 said:

He also stated he didn't want statues too, but we got Greer.

I know for a fact that some coaches wanted a WR and QB from Fort bend and Chico was the one who said no. Mac and a few other assistants liked them. I was at the camp and saw how everything went down. Mac was pretty excited a 3 star QB with D1 offers even showed up.

Instead Means was the 2014 QB and that was Chico.

Mac was not evaluating QBs. Mac barely coached or evaluated anything. If bad QBs were brought to the coaching staff to evaluate, then that is on Chico.

And I know of cases where it was the opposite, not just with Riddle. Mccarney signed off on all the QB offers. You honestly think if Mccarney really wanted to offer that kid you always reference then he would just submit to Chico and walk away with his tail between his legs?

Im not absolving Chico of blame. I don't think the QB results would've been any better if Chico was the one calling the shots. But at the end of the day, he was the OC, not the head coach. There's a reason Smith became the starter immediately after Mccarney was fired.

Edited January 27, 2016 by BillySee58

UNTnewbie · January 27, 2016

18 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

...And Mac was calling the shots with QB offers. Riddle's dad said so on the board. That's proof that doesn't even require knowing behind the scenes moves.

The truth rarely intersected with what Chico told his guys. Mac was NEVER the reason Riddle was not offered no matter what Chico told Riddle.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2016

1 minute ago, UNTnewbie said:

The truth rarely intersected with what Chico told his guys. Mac was NEVER the reason Riddle was not offered no matter what Chico told Riddle.

I don't think Riddle was getting offered either way, but I'm also saying what was posted on the board. Not getting into saying people are lying in a situation where I don't have a reason to.

GOMG2013 · January 27, 2016

1 minute ago, BillySee58 said:

And I know of cases where it was the opposite, not just with Riddle. Mccarney signed off on all the QB offers. You honestly think if Mccarney really wanted to offer that kid you always reference then he would just submit to Chico and walk away with his tail between his legs?

Im not absolving Chico of blame. I don't think the QB results would've been any better if Chico was the one calling the shots. But at the end of the day, he was the OC, not the head coach.

Mac let his Co ordinators run things.

I'm not going to go into specifics of Mac's personal life, but it's been hinted on here several times. Mac wasn't "aware" like that ...and he was far from a tyrant.

He was old school for sure though.

As far as how the QBs we had were handled...people give chico a pass and say he was force fed mcnulty, but what happened in the UTEP game? Mac was no where around.

Another hint that Chico had more say so than others think, when Chico decided to start DeMarcus, it was due to them having that "come to Jesus" meeting. Reading between the lines, Chico wasn't working with demarcus and trying to get him on the field. People think it was just mac and that mac wanted mcnulty, but chico all but admitted he didn't want demarcus out there either. Based on his own interview, it took that meeting to give smith a chance.

20 minutes ago, UNTnewbie said:

The truth rarely intersected with what Chico told his guys. Mac was NEVER the reason Riddle was not offered no matter what Chico told Riddle.

At least Chico got in touch with Riddle...Chico never even bothered to contact or visit the 3 Star QB I'm referring to and he came to the UNT camp.

BillySee58 · January 27, 2016

37 minutes ago, GOMG2013 said:

Mac let his Co ordinators run things.

I'm not going to go into specifics of Mac's personal life, but it's been hinted on here several times. Mac wasn't "aware" like that ...and he was far from a tyrant.

He was old school for sure though.

As far as how the QBs we had were handled...people give chico a pass and say he was force fed mcnulty, but what happened in the UTEP game? Mac was no where around.

Another hint that Chico had more say so than others think, when Chico decided to start DeMarcus, it was due to them having that "come to Jesus" meeting. Reading between the lines, Chico wasn't working with demarcus and trying to get him on the field. People think it was just mac and that mac wanted mcnulty, but chico all but admitted he didn't want demarcus out there either. Based on his own interview, it took that meeting to give smith a chance.

We were 1-10 and it was senior day, plus Chico knew he wasn't coaching for his job. Why wouldn't he start Mcnulty on senior day?

I don't know about the come to Jesus meeting. I personally saw it as Chico saying "I want Smith to be the guy, but since he hasn't outperformed everyone in practice I need him to understand that if I'm making him the starter then he needs to start showing it all week."

GOMG2013 · January 27, 2016

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

I don't know about the come to Jesus meeting. I personally saw it as Chico saying "I want Smith to be the guy, but since he hasn't outperformed everyone in practice I need him to understand that if I'm making him the starter then he needs to start showing it all week."

I saw it as waiting for him to be humble. Chico has a doghouse...it's not all on mac.

I get that people like Chico cause he's a good guy. Very respectful and nice. When watching his speeches on Beyond the Green and reading some of his inspirational tweets, he seems like a nice guy. Like he has some deep thinking, peaceful, zen type thing going. I get the feeling he had the whole break you down and build you back up thing going.

The QBs that buy into Chico seemed to get chances. The nice, mannerable ones. The ones that were open to being students and learning from the master. He wants disipline and order. Those were his written tests. He wants a thinker.

I think his personality and personal beliefs may have had an effect on the way he coached and most likely recruited. Trying to go out and get mannerable, wholesome good guys is fine when you have several options, but when you are super sorry, you have to be able to find the best FOOTBALL player and get him ready to make plays. No time to be trying to be the QB whisperer and some deep guru when your offense is trash.

UNT90 · January 27, 2016

4 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

Here's a 6' even pro-style quarterback committed to Notre Dame.

https://rivals.yahoo.com/ucf/football/recruiting/player-Ian-Book-155371

Also has offers from Boise State, Washington State, and four other FBS offers.

Even big programs do give undersized guys a shot if they have traits that can make up for their lack of size. Most college coaches are not like Mccarney, where he seemingly wouldn't even consider a player if he didn't meet his height requirements.

Right, this probably has a lot more to do with a lack of arm strength/bad mechanics than being 6'1" (or really 5"11"), which isn't too short to be an FBS QB

ChristopherRyanWilkes · January 28, 2016

10 hours ago, Ben Gooding said:

If I am this staff I am buying Matthew Anunda stock right now. Like right now.

I'm good friends with his brother. Forgot he had a little brother until I saw you post this. His brother went to UNT and I remember him talking about trying to walk-on at one point. Big dude, I think he was a pretty good running back at Pantego too.