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Recruiting Perspective

GrandBayTider

GrandBayTider

All-SEC
Nov 21, 2004
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Prattville, AL
This time of year there is always the debate about whether the stars next to H.S. recruits names mean anything. Of course these stars indicate someone's opinion and can be interperted so many different ways. Lets take a look at Bama's Recruiting class from 2002 to see how that class turned out.

http://alabama.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?Sport=1&Year=2002&School=2

We had one 5 star recruit, Derrick Pope, and he was a productive player who produced several highlight hits. However did he have the impact you would expect from a 5 star recruit?

We signed four 4 star recruits. One was Ahmed Childress who contributed but I wouldn't call him a star. Jeremy Clark really started to look good last year and I think he will be an excellent player when he graduates. Kyle Tatum switched to the OL last year and will be one of our anchors for the next few years. The last one was David Scott. I'm not sure if he is still on the team but I think it is safe to say he has not had a big impact. So two good players who have shown some potential, and two who really didn't have the impact it appeared they would on signing day.

We signed eleven 3 star recruits that year. Seven of them are no longer with the team, most never even stepped on campus. However Ken Darby, Juwan Garth, Demeco Ryans, and Ramzee Robinson are the four who are still with the team and I would definitely say they have contributed and will be some of the stars on the team next year. Note also that Zach Fletcher was a three star and contributed during his time on the team. So you could say 5 good signings. ;)

So the purpose of this long rambling post is to not only point out what a terrible job of recruiting done by Fraud, but that while the stars might indicate how good their numbers look, you can't really tell whether a player is a "GOOD" signing until they have finished their time at the capstone. So maybe instead of worrying about why the RB who wants to come play for the tide only has 2 stars, lets be glad they want to come play, and continue to support Coach Shula as he lays the foundation for the great future he is building. :biga2:
 
Great post and well said. The stars are merely a way for the recruiting guru's to rate the talent but they don't mean a thing until that player steps on the field at Alabama and plays with heart and determination. Sometimes Rivals and Scout don't even agree how many stars to give a player.

I remember a couple of Parade All-American offensive linemen that couldn't even start at Bama. There is even a Parade All-American, four or five star defensive lineman (I can't remember the exact number) on this years team that was beat out by a walk-on.

Bama's 2004 Depth Chart
 
I don't believe you can grade a "recruit" until their Junior or Senior year. All that five star four star junk doesn't mean squat.

Grade the recruit on what he does on the field rather than the stars beside his name before he even steps on the field.
 
Bamabuzzard said:
I don't believe you can grade a "recruit" until their Junior or Senior year. All that five star four star junk doesn't mean squat.

Grade the recruit on what he does on the field rather than the stars beside his name before he even steps on the field.
Click to expand...

I have to totally agree with your statement Buzzard.None of us know exactly HOW much potential a player can have under a very effective position coach.By the junior or senior year a player under a good coach will maxmize his talent and show us what he can really do.
 
I know...

that the staff's ranking of the RBs on the board is completely different from the star ranking and from the popular perception...
 
I couldn't say...

who's a "private" and who's not. I just know that the staff judges the available talent differently than what you read on Rivals, etc...
 
Bamabuzzard said:
I don't believe you can grade a "recruit" until their Junior or Senior year. All that five star four star junk doesn't mean squat.

Grade the recruit on what he does on the field rather than the stars beside his name before he even steps on the field.
Click to expand...
i.e. Wallace Gilberry
 
I've tried to explain how stars are doled out before, and it falls on deaf ears. Here's a quick redirect, particularly on QB Jimmy Barnes. He just got his star rating elevated from a 3-star to a 4-star on one service, because they finally got around to seeing him in person less than a month ago. But that didn't stop Barnes from getting tagged a "3-star" for months, which is what most people remember. I don't find it fair.

When I was doing NARCAS rankings every year, I didn't assign rankings until late January. But where's the fun in that, if you're a recruiting junkie?

If you won't take it from me, take it from someone else. Here's an ESPN column from this week that sheds some interesting light on high-star guys vs. sleepers in the 2001 recruiting class:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=feldman_bruce&id=1942440
 
I thought the stars did not judge talent but merely a time table for when they are expected to make an impact. Like Ramzee Robinson a three star recruit really did not make an impact until last year. A five star recruit (such as Adrian Peterson) is expected to contribute immediately. Personally I love the star system because it gives a little more excitement for during the "off season, but I do not put my stock in those stars."
 
Brodie Will Be Fine!

I am a thirty one year old who had an ACL/MCL reconstructive surgery after my eleventh grade year in high school on my left knee and I had ACL surgery on my right knee as a senior. I've never even had to re-visit a doctor and I've enjoyed an extremely active lifestyle after my surgeries. The procedures were handled by the Alabama Orthopedic Clinic in Tuscaloosa and that was over ten years ago. More than likely with the trainers and the facilities at UA, Brodie's leg will be stronger than ever!
 
No Offers But an All-American Freshman x 3

:BigA:

I read today that Wallace Gilberry is an College Football News Freshman All-American First Teamer, Rivals.com Freshman All-American, and Second Team Sporting News Freshman All- American . How can this kid have no offers, but I am glad to see that Shula picked him up when he did. Roll Tide Roll!!!
 
UAsis

W Gilberry was not scouted prior to the AL/MS allstar game,and yes, no D1 programs had offered him including UA. However,after the ALL Star game in which he was unblockable he received many offers from every school that had spots available including the Barn. I grow weary of uninformed comments about how low regarded players turn out good when in fact this one mentioned was actually highly regarded once he was scouted. Yes,the recruiting services rated him a 1,which means only he was not scouted to be rated correctly...ie he could be a 2,3,4, or even a 5*.He was a lucky find for Bama and we had the good fortune he was a life long bama fan.
drjamesm
 
drjamesm said:
W Gilberry was not scouted prior to the AL/MS allstar game,and yes, no D1 programs had offered him including UA. However,after the ALL Star game in which he was unblockable he received many offers from every school that had spots available including the Barn. I grow weary of uninformed comments about how low regarded players turn out good when in fact this one mentioned was actually highly regarded once he was scouted. Yes,the recruiting services rated him a 1,which means only he was not scouted to be rated correctly...ie he could be a 2,3,4, or even a 5*.He was a lucky find for Bama and we had the good fortune he was a life long bama fan.
drjamesm
Click to expand...

I think what some people are saying about Wallace Gilberry is that he was almost missed entirely and not properly evaluated by the Recruiting Services. If Wallace had not gone to the All-Star game for what ever reasons he would have ended up at a smaller school. He wouldn't be any better or worse of a player just not evaluated by the recruiting services or seen by the Coaches. After the All-Star game and the offers came rolling in, even then he was not evaluated with a high enough "star" ranking to predict that he would be a freshman contributer or with the potential to make Freshman All-SEC. I think the point is the ranking system is just a means to rank players and not an end all on their abilitities or potential.

Wallace is a mighty fine example of what Coach Shula can do in recruiting as far as evaluating players. Gilberry is Coach Shula's first recruit at Bama.
 
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Crimson surfer

I agree with what you say.......and I am so glad that WG plays at UA,b/c he is just the type of player we need. He plays at 100% every snap never takes plays off and makes big plays,but most of all he loves UA and it shows. However,back to my "post" it seems I continue to read where people say this player was only a 1* and look how he turned out. Anyone who understands the rating knows that 1* only means he was not scouted enough to give a fair grade by that service. Also,the star system IMO is too subjective to measure a prospect anyway. I feel that the best measure of a prospects possible potential is which schools have offered. For example if Ucheat,Ga,LSU Barn,Ok,USC,and maybe UA offers a kid it means more thanVandy,S Miss,Miss St,Central Fl,Ky,Memphis.....you see my point.I know some kids fall through the cracks or develope later b/c of work ethic and etc.However,most of the top D1 schools eval film and camps very hard b/c they know their careers depend on this.
drjamesm
 
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