Rivals.com recruit eval, changes Team Ranking LSU new #1

Rating recruits is very far from an exact science even for people who do it for a living. If Rivals had our current class @ #4 and not #1 it would still be the same class. I wonder to what extent, if any, schools pay attention to the recruiting services like Rivals.

 

Actually dozens of schools use the recruiting services to find them players. They give them a list of what they like and they send them back reports. Obviously not many big time schools with great resources do that but many do.

Some guy on coach K's basketball show the other day said dozens upon dozens of basketball programs do that because the services arent restricted by the recruiting rules that coaches have to follow -- and essentially see players play and talk to them a handlful of times before a college coach can.

 

True enough. I wish more people shared your wisdom.

I can't see head coaches logging on to rivals to see if a recruit got his 5th star. I suppose it could happen, but it would be the funniest damn thing to see.

 

Evaluating better and faster than the services. They new the guys they offered were great prospects months ago.

 

I think hatcer and dude are making shrewd observations when they point out evaluation is not necessarily corresponding to production down the line. Where are the natural athletes that were head and shoulders above the rest of us on the playgrounds? We all know plenty of examples of kids who lost motivation, fell under bad influence, and basically just quit improving in junior high and high school. The same thing happens in college. College scouts and coaches can grade film, consider stats, etc. and completely miss the boat because because there's no real good way to evaluate someones heart and maturity. Lots of athletes that are gifted achieve with such little effort that they often get in the habbit of not trying. It catches up with them eventually. Especially when the less gifted catch up with them. The good habbits of honest self evaluation, the ability to set goals, the self discipline of doing what it takes to achieve these short medium and long range goals propel the hard working athletes that just don't get sidetracked. I guess we've all been to high school reunions (particularly us older guys) and have seen that some of the wonder kids or brainiacs really leveled off and under achieved, while some of the most successful people were the middle of the pack guys that had to try harder just to improve at a slower rate. rankings are indicators of success not guarantors of it.

Maybe coaches should spend more time evaluating the friends and families of the prospects than the prospects themselves. Imagine how handy it would be for them to have an accurate measure of conscience and character- a standard that can be used as a barometer of attitude to compare if a recruit is exceeding or falling short. That Shepard kid maybe?

 

Ask the folks in South Bend about that.

 

so who drops from a 5 star to let Ford in? I know its not required but there's no way they put 4 5 star players in La.

 

#2 - Bryce Brown rushed for 1,873 yards and 29 touchdowns
#19 - Cierre Wood rushed for 1,526 yards and 20 touchdowns
#27 - Christine Michael rushed for 1412 yards and 25 touchdowns
#77 - Michael Ford rushed for 2,953 yards and 29 touchdowns

Different competition to be sure but Ford didn't play in a peewee league.
The knock against him was an injury that sidelined him as a junior, and Mike from Rivals really did not give him respect. Touted Lacy as the best back in La this year. Looking at Ford's numbers, I would say he proved a lot. Maybe he doesn't deserve his 5*, but why do those other backs have one? Rivals will reevaluate him from later season film and his all star game he plays in Friday in Hawaii. I am sure he will move up a bit.