No five-star recruits? It’s not the end of the world

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, February 09, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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A few reasons not to take national signing day quite so seriously ...

1. Only 11 men are allowed on the field at a time.

True, the days of stockpiling athletes by the top-echelon schools are largely over, thanks to tightened limits on scholarships by the NCAA, but the best players still tend to gravitate toward the best teams. This creates a natural logjam, especially at the skill positions, and it's often years -- or maybe never -- before a newcomer can make his mark. For every Percy Harvin, you'll find at least a couple of D.J. Shockleys.

2. There's more to football than size and speed.

It also takes a certain mindset, a desire to hit and be hit, that flies in the face of the natural human instinct for self preservation. In other words, a rapid 40 time and large biceps without aggressiveness are usually wasted.

3. The next level can be a shock.

Athletes who dominated their high school competition almost universally receive a rude awakening in college, especially if they sign with one of the marquee programs. Quarterbacks have to adjust to defensive backs who close on the ball much more rapidly. Offensive linemen find themselves confronted by defensive players who are as big as they are (perhaps bigger) -- and a step quicker. Even the mental aspects of college football can be a challenge for incoming freshmen who got by on natural instincts in high school.

4. Extreme makeover, football edition.

Virginia Tech and Nebraska are two examples of teams that rarely sign five-star players, but take the ones they do get and make them bigger, stronger and faster. By contrast, the "blue chippers" have often reached their full growth.

5. The character thing.

Most four- and five-star high school athletes mature in college, but there is a percentage who don't. After all, when an 18-year-old is treated like a foreign dignitary at college visitations and told repeatedly that he will be the savior of this or that program, it's hard for it not to go to his head. This can pose problems on the field and in the locker room. Beyond that, a few such anointed stars get the idea that because of their exalted status, the normal laws of society don't apply to them. That can pose problems off the field.

So enjoy your team's 2007 haul of prospects, if you're one of the lucky fans, but I guarantee you that in three years you'll find that some of your stars were not highly rated, and some of your top-rated recruits will be no longer there.

Did you know that RealFootball365.com is one of the few national football portals that churns out daily NFL and NCAA coverage during the offseason? Tell your friends about us.
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