After looking at the Rivals/Scout "star" rated players in the 2012 class we thought it would be interesting to take a look at current rated players. Some have lived up to the hype, others are still waiting to show that potential. Note - in cases of a split between the rankings, we note the highest star.
4 Star:
Washaun Ealey, RB
3 Star:
Coty Blanchard, QB
Coot James, RB/FB
T. Hardin, OL
Sean Watson, DL
Thomas Williams, OL. Not sure if Williams is officially on the roster yet, but he was a 2011 signee.
Jeremy Nicholson, WR.
Markis Merrill, WR. As with Williams, not sure if he is officially on the roster yet.
Jack Jackson, LB (sitting out 2012 season).
2 Star:
Trey Smith, WR
Gabriel Chambers, WR
Alan Bonner, WR
Marques Ivory, QB
Coty Blanchard, QB
Jamaal Johnson, S/LB
Mike Whittier, LB
Chase Williams,LB
Rashad Smith, LB
Jakari Kinnie, DL
Ricky Clemons, OL
Preston Hatcher, OL
Blake Burks, OL
Saturday, February 4, 2012
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The Rivals, Scout, and ESPN rating systems are flawed at best and downright pernicious at worst. Consider that a lot of stars are awarded in a paid, half-day "combine" - many times on wet or soggy field - by men who wouldn't know a three technique if it jumped up and bit them in the ass. They are looking for flashy, television highlight contributors who wear a lot of sports bling and talk a lot of smack. (I have been to ten hs combines in the Southeast in the last two years and I cannot emphasize how little Rivals and Scout representatives know about the game.)
ReplyDeleteUniversity coaches no longer have a professional relationship with high school coaches. They prefer to recruit hyped kids (see above) from the outside agencies who rate them. (A good book on the mess of collegiate recruiting is Meat Market by Bruce Feldman http://tinyurl.com/y7udhor He follows Ed Orgeron - then at Ole Miss. - for a year of recruiting.)
Anyway, the resulting player - hyped since the 9th grade by paid, grown men who have no relationship to him except possibly to broker him should he turn out to be a high 4, or 5 star - is a kid who doesn't care about his hs team, nor listens to coaches, nor cares very much about the classroom, and ultimately is a small sociopath waiting to get some sort of freedom in college where he might explode, be arrested, be kicked off the team, and land (if somewhere outside of prison) at smaller programs or back home on the welfare rolls.
Hopefully, the pendulum will swing back to college coaches having a closer relationship with high school coaches. The alternative of a AAU system in high school football will destroy the game from bottom to top - and that's where it's presently heading.
Jack Jackson's name is Clarence Jackson and he is no longer enrolled at JSU. And you guys call yourselves a real blog? HA! Joke! If you are going to give your opinion atleast let it be a well informed opinion. It's not your first swing and miss though; remember "King Kong Coulahan?" You gave him that ridiculous nickname and all he did was quit the team, twice!
ReplyDeleteYou may not like it, but you will hear from Coulahan again one day. He is talented.
ReplyDelete