College Sports Matchups: Razorback recruiting perspective

story by Gary Brown, president of College Sports Matchups (CSM is a content partner with The City Wire)
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Today is the big day for college football recruits who have been going through the grueling process of selecting a school.

Around the nation high school all-stars will place hats from various colleges on folding tables, act like they are going to pick up one or two of them, and finally place one on their head that will thrill the coaching staff and fans of one school while breaking the hearts of several others.

A few short months later they will step onto campus where a college coach who told them how great they were going to be during recruiting will spell out for them in great detail just how far behind they are in being a contributor for their new team.

Which brings us to Arkansas and their 31 current commitments? No, we are not going to discuss the ethics of over signing today.

How does Bobby Petrino’s class of future Razorbacks for 2011 look? Pretty much like other Arkansas classes for the past decade. The chart below breaks down Arkansas recruiting since 2002 to show where the Hogs ranked nationally, in the SEC and the number of players signed by star ratings. A quick glance reveals there has not been much change over time.
 

This year’s class is loaded with three star players. Is that good or bad? The correct answer? There is not one … yet.

Consider that Knile Davis was the nation’s 17th best running back in 2009 according to rivals. Seven SEC teams signed running backs with a higher ranking. Names you know like Trent Richardson from Alabama and Bryce Brown who is now enrolled at Kansas State.

Auburn, Florida and Georgia all signed tight ends in 2007 who were thought to be better than D.J. Williams. Can you recall any of their names?

There is no science involved in ranking high school players. Times in the 40-yard dash are wildly inaccurate, the competition faced can go from one extreme to another and the supporting cast surrounding recruits is also a factor. It is also impossible to really gauge the work ethic of any player coming in from high school.

So, when the faxes start rolling in today with the signatures of young men who will be lining up for Arkansas in seasons to come, have just one reaction. Celebrate. Remember they decided a Hog Hat was the one they chose to wear.