Georgia Recruiting

[stillgreghog]

Not saying my comments above were deserving of a reply, but they did raise a point that may be forgotten in this dialogue about the recruiting prowess of this staff. I pointed out the appearance of different star status in Pittman’s Arkansas recruits and some of his other stops. Lack of effort may explain some results, but surely not all.

In summary, guess I was raising the point that being an “elite” recruiter may look different at different schools. Not trying to play poor Arkansas, but after following Razorback recruiting for probably forty years, it not only appears we have to work harder than many of our peers, just to try and keep up. In addition, I wonder if it may be a little harder now, because the regional kids we might have previously had a better “in” with because of proximity, now seem to be more open to diverse schools with travel not the limiter it was years ago. I know the travel deal cuts both ways and it is evidenced by the number of Florida kids on our team now versus years ago.

Anyway, I think it is easy to jump to conclusions, especially when considering only partial information. Just because I think there would be no better play for an athletic career than Fayetteville, does not mean that is how the elite athletes see it. I think we often see that following a visit, the recruits comment on their surprise in what they found on their visit. This would indicate to me that their pre visit perception was not exceptional in many cases. Would these be similar perceptions of Alsbama, LSU, Texas A&M etc?

While I hate to admit it, it appears even very good recruiters just can’t get it done at UofA. I don’t understand the reasons. But we have seen several times that guys who were not considered great recruiters here, move to other schools and become great recruiters. Or, guys who are supposed to be great recruiters come here and suddenly can’t get it done. We have a problem that I don’t see us being able to fix.

Yes, I HAVE finally accepted the “poor little Arkansas” story line. Don’t like it. But it is what it is.

[zbhog]

[quote=“StillGregHog”]

Not saying my comments above were deserving of a reply, but they did raise a point that may be forgotten in this dialogue about the recruiting prowess of this staff. I pointed out the appearance of different star status in Pittman’s Arkansas recruits and some of his other stops. Lack of effort may explain some results, but surely not all.

In summary, guess I was raising the point that being an “elite” recruiter may look different at different schools. Not trying to play poor Arkansas, but after following Razorback recruiting for probably forty years, it not only appears we have to work harder than many of our peers, just to try and keep up. In addition, I wonder if it may be a little harder now, because the regional kids we might have previously had a better “in” with because of proximity, now seem to be more open to diverse schools with travel not the limiter it was years ago. I know the travel deal cuts both ways and it is evidenced by the number of Florida kids on our team now versus years ago.

Anyway, I think it is easy to jump to conclusions, especially when considering only partial information. Just because I think there would be no better play for an athletic career than Fayetteville, does not mean that is how the elite athletes see it. I think we often see that following a visit, the recruits comment on their surprise in what they found on their visit. This would indicate to me that their pre visit perception was not exceptional in many cases. Would these be similar perceptions of Alsbama, LSU, Texas A&M etc?

While I hate to admit it, it appears even very good recruiters just can’t get it done at UofA. I don’t understand the reasons. But we have seen several times that guys who were not considered great recruiters here, move to other schools and become great recruiters. Or, guys who are supposed to be great recruiters come here and suddenly can’t get it done. We have a problem that I don’t see us being able to fix.

Yes, I HAVE finally accepted the “poor little Arkansas” story line. Don’t like it. But it is what it is.
[/quote]It’s really simple to understand, and it has nothing to do with “poor little Arkansas”.

We aren’t close to a big pool of talent, kids want to go to schools they grow up watching and liking.

Their next decision is based on having a shot at winning a championship.

It’s not hard to understand.

[lifelongfan]

Once again - and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, if anyone remembers what that is - until the football environment in central Arkansas can be somehow rebuilt, we will be at a distinct disadvantage. It’s almost as if the state has been whittled down to the western third and Warren in the Delta. God love Warren. Look at the comparison between football and basketball talent from the central region. Tons of BBall talent going everywhere, much of it here. It’s tragic. We should be taking 5 D1 players out of LR/NLR every single year. Maybe we should take some chances down there. The talent has simply got to be there somewhere. Maybe it’s too much of a risk and a project with the winning gun to the coaches heads every year. If anyone has any insight into how we can revive our fortunes down there, I’d like to hear it. But it’s my opinion that until we can recruit the WHOLE state - maximize what we have here at home - we won’t be able to approach the glories of the past. Everyone knocks Nutt. Nutt got loads of talent out of Central Arkansas. Why can’t we do that now? Satellite camps? Something.

[thebootstopshere]

Not really. You can’t support that statement with facts. The hit rate of Arkansas’s recent recruiting has been better than Petrino’s and Nutt’s records, by a substantial margin. Not taking chances on academic marginals makes a big difference. Not filling out classes with throw-ins, same.

This team was hampered most by the failings of others’ recruiting. You can pick on how quickly these coaches recognized the problems at specific positions. But the overall hit rate has been quite good. It’s wrong to cast a pervasively negative pall over everything you see.

Since you’re requesting “facts”, I’d like to request the same from you. Tell me more about this “hit rate”. I’ve seen no hard data on it and, from my observation, seems to be about the same it’s been for years, regardless of coach. At the least, there is not a “substantial margin” between this staff and previous ones. I look forward to the numbers you will most certainly provide. Thanks in advance.

Hoping to goodness he doesn’t take the bait. You likely have seen the data, or have at least had the opportunity to read and didn’t (given the websites you infest). The facts expose the horrific recruiting habits of Nutt and Petrino. Shallow classes across the board. The lone exception, maybe, was Petrino’s first when he inherited all those in-staters (and, in fairness, lured them into the fold in a few cases).

One small example: CBB has had ONE signing day academic casualty (Jevon Pruitt, the OT from TX). Some disciplinary actions once they hit campus but only one HS recruit who fails to qualify academically.

Certainly, retention is one way to judge “hit rate”, which I believe is what you’re trying to say. However, if “hit rate” is in reference to how a staff “fills out” a class, as the poster stated, then no, this staff is in line with what we had with Nutt and Petrino. If “hit rate” has anything to do with results on the field, then I think we all recognize that Petrino was far superior and that Bielema is similar to Nutt. That’s not saying Bielema sucks b/c I don’t believe Nutt sucked either. However, what we have now is cannot be defined as superior by a “substantial margin” when speaking of on field production. Off the field? That’s a different story. Bielema is far superior there. But I don’t think that’s where the discussion is centered. See you on the other site you “infest” with me.

[ClayHenry]

The first year there were some hits in OL recruiting when Sam Pittman arrived at Arkansas. Not so much after that. Maybe he’s regained his touch.