Recruiting Success And A Bcs Berth?

[KRAM1]

Interesting small article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding recruiting and success gaining a BCS berth.

I quote: "When USC signed every prized football recruit west of the Mississippi over the past five years, most fans expected national titles every season. Instead, the Trojans are playing in something called the Emerald Bowl on Saturday".

If bowl seasons teaches fans anything, it's that getting top recruits doesn't guarantee success. In this year's 34 bowls, half of the participating teams didn't have a single starter in their final regular season game that was considered a top-100 prospect in high school, according to recruiting web site Rivals.com."

The article goes on to say that out of 1,496 bowl-game starters just 8.4% of them were top-100 recruits. And, by the way...neither TCU nor Boise State starts a top-100 recruit.

Thought that was interesting.

[TheTastyGreek]

The article goes on to say that out of 1,496 bowl-game starters just 8.4% of them were top-100 recruits.

Thought that was interesting.

How many total players are recruited each year?

[Quoner]

Interesting small article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding recruiting and success gaining a BCS berth.

I quote: "When USC signed every prized football recruit west of the Mississippi over the past five years, most fans expected national titles every season. Instead, the Trojans are playing in something called the Emerald Bowl on Saturday".

If bowl seasons teaches fans anything, it's that getting top recruits doesn't guarantee success. In this year's 34 bowls, half of the participating teams didn't have a single starter in their final regular season game that was considered a top-100 prospect in high school, according to recruiting web site Rivals.com."

The article goes on to say that out of 1,496 bowl-game starters just 8.4% of them were top-100 recruits. And, by the way...neither TCU nor Boise State starts a top-100 recruit.

Thought that was interesting.

So coaching is more important than recruiting? That should do wonders to salve the crowd you're addressing here.

[AJR2010OX]

sounds like an interesting article. do you have a link?

So coaching is more important than recruiting? That should do wonders to salve the crowd you're addressing here.

[KRAM1]

I really think what this is saying is more along the lines that one should do the best job they can in recruiting, but that they should not be surprised if players who were not heavily recruited may well become the backbone of your success down the road. I am certain that everyone knows someone who the "star everything" in high school, was pretty well recruited (even by some of the so-called "big boys") and who did not "pan out" so well at the college level. Also, you will more than likely know a kid who was a pretty good, but no "all-star everything" in HS who went on to the college level as a walk-on who became a mainstay and starter for their college. I think what it says is to be careful with the ratings and recruit who you have seen and who you think can develop and help your program, and to not worry about those who think your team has had a poor or mediocre recruiting year based on someone else's evaluation of their talent until the kids actually see the playing field.

Same thing happens in the pros, wouldn't you say? How often do #1's and other "high" draft picks find their way to back-up roles (Bobby Carpenter for Dallas so far to name a current example) and/or practice squads or out of the game in a year or two after being drafted? Maybe what it is saying is that as one moves up the ladder into higher and higher levels of sport, the stars at a lower level are not always "locks" to be future stars at the next higher level. I see it in soccer refereeing all the time with the youth game. Seems to be so in football at the college level as well.

[UNT Mean Green]

How many total players are recruited each year?

For round numbers sake 3,000 are recruited. 120 schools times 25 signees (rough estimate).

[VideoEagle]

sounds like an interesting article. do you have a link?

Here you go. It should be visible for non-subscribers for a few days.

[GrandGreen]

Interesting small article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding recruiting and success gaining a BCS berth.

I quote: "When USC signed every prized football recruit west of the Mississippi over the past five years, most fans expected national titles every season. Instead, the Trojans are playing in something called the Emerald Bowl on Saturday".

If bowl seasons teaches fans anything, it's that getting top recruits doesn't guarantee success. In this year's 34 bowls, half of the participating teams didn't have a single starter in their final regular season game that was considered a top-100 prospect in high school, according to recruiting web site Rivals.com."

The article goes on to say that out of 1,496 bowl-game starters just 8.4% of them were top-100 recruits. And, by the way...neither TCU nor Boise State starts a top-100 recruit.

Thought that was interesting.

Being that there should be less than 400 top 100 players eligible in any one year, and over half the football teams get a bowl game; I don't see much surprising in that statistic. Being the top 100 players are concentrated in a few teams, there are lots of them sitting on the bench at USC, UT, etc. Also with the number of teams in bowl games, there are a lot of mediocre bowl teams with very few top 100 players on the squad. I am willing to bet that 8.4% is a lot higher than the second 100 players, third 100, etc starting in bowl games

I guess the point is that recruiting ratings are often wrong and that some teams do very well with few highly touted players. Obviously true, but it is also true that there is a very strong correlation between recruiting ratings and high ranked teams.

[buff64]

Interesting small article in today's Wall Street Journal regarding recruiting and success gaining a BCS berth.

I quote: "When USC signed every prized football recruit west of the Mississippi over the past five years, most fans expected national titles every season. Instead, the Trojans are playing in something called the Emerald Bowl on Saturday".

If bowl seasons teaches fans anything, it's that getting top recruits doesn't guarantee success. In this year's 34 bowls, half of the participating teams didn't have a single starter in their final regular season game that was considered a top-100 prospect in high school, according to recruiting web site Rivals.com."

The article goes on to say that out of 1,496 bowl-game starters just 8.4% of them were top-100 recruits. And, by the way...neither TCU nor Boise State starts a top-100 recruit.

Thought that was interesting.

Too bad UT does not get any of the prized recruits.