Portal vs HS recruiting.

[Volfandt]

Greetings,
Saw some blurbs on various sites which seems to signify the changing of the proverbial guard in college football, i.e. HS 4* & 5* entering college may not be as valuable as they once were in building a powerful program. As Indiana just proved stomping the turd, the commodes with their latest 2 yr run, ole piss with kiffie and miami currently to name a few.. Seems success in the port-a-potty out weighs HS recruiting.
The blurbs:
Indiana has Zero 5 star recruits. Alabama 14 -5 stars.
Indiana has 8 -Zero stars starting , and beat em like a high school team.

Indiana brought in 50 talented proven players via the portal over two years.
Likewise the other three semifinalists, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Miami. It's a new paradigm.

Being a newby here I haven't read enough threads to know but I'd say y'all have discussed this new order extensively but I needed a 1st post and I chose this over saying we best keep CJH and going 8-5 or 9-3 next year won't be the end of the world , (with the upcoming SEC schedule it might be impressive)... LOL...
GO VOLS

 

[Doberman]

It seems pretty clear to me that recruiting HS players is an outdated model. It still has to happen but paying unproven freshmen, that contribute nothing, is a waste of time and money. Let some other teams and staff recruit them, sign them, and train them. Then poach them when they are worth paying for.

What a sh***y thing this has become.

 

[#1fulmerite]

The new model is not sustainable, long term. Right now, it’s let someone else invest in high school kids then poach them. However, for their to be value in the portal, there will always be someone making then losing that investment. Once the current lot of players come through, it will level out. Once that occurs, the better players will command more money. That’s when you will begin to see the value of high school players and recruiting come back.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

I might would take a risk on some high 4*/5* that I can rotate in on Day 1 of Offense/Defense but for QB's it would be high 3*'s that you pay less and possible coach up to be the starter. If you decide he's the guy year 3 then bump him up to starter money. Brandon would be the last 5* QB I'm taking for a while

 

[Unconditional Surrender]

Hopefully things change but in the meantime

 

[Doberman]

I might would take a risk on some high 4*/5* that I can rotate in on Day 1 of Offense/Defense but for QB's it would be high 3*'s that you pay less and possible coach up to be the starter. If you decide he's the guy year 3 then bump him up to starter money. Brandon would be the last 5* QB I'm taking for a while

And stop worrying if they might “get broken”. Toss’em to the wolves. If the break, go buy another one.

If it’s all about the money, then so be it.

 

[TheVolsFrog]

And stop worrying if they might “get broken”. Toss’em to the wolves. If the break, go buy another one.

If it’s all about the money, then so be it.

If you want millions then be prepared to take your licks and earn it

 

[titansvolsfaninga]

It seems pretty clear to me that recruiting HS players is an outdated model. It still has to happen but paying unproven freshmen, that contribute nothing, is a waste of time and money. Let some other teams and staff recruit them, sign them, and train them. Then poach them when they are worth paying for.

What a sh***y thing this has become.

It really can't be, but fan impatience has caused it. Fans can't wait a couple of years for development to take place. They want a championship yesterday and that's late. Teams that recruited well before NIL are ahead of the curve because they have the HS foundation already there and they're able to fill in holes with transfer players. Teams like Ole Miss and Miami both built their teams mostly recruiting, retention, and transfer portal. They hit on a lot of players, which is good evaluation. Fans have to be patient, we created this. Coaches can't build a roster and culture in 3 or 4 years. But that's what people expect.

 

[sami]

The new model is not sustainable, long term. Right now, it’s let someone else invest in high school kids then poach them. However, for their to be value in the portal, there will always be someone making then losing that investment. Once the current lot of players come through, it will level out. Once that occurs, the better players will command more money. That’s when you will begin to see the value of high school players and recruiting come back.

I believe we will see that trend begin this portal season given the success of Cignetti, Kiffin, and Cristobal, as big time sports have always seen 'copy-catting' of successful schemes and team building strategies. I've already read that the top QB recruits are going to be commanding upwards to $3-4 mil, whereas it was $1.5-2 mil last year.

 

[sami]

It really can't be, but fan impatience has caused it. Fans can't wait a couple of years for development to take place. They want a championship yesterday and that's late. Teams that recruited well before NIL are ahead of the curve because they have the HS foundation already there and they're able to fill in holes with transfer players. Teams like Ole Miss and Miami both built their teams mostly recruiting, retention, and transfer portal. They hit on a lot of players, which is good evaluation. Fans have to be patient, we created this. Coaches can't build a roster and culture in 3 or 4 years. But that's what people expect.

Player development and retention are the hallmarks of great programs. You can recruit well all day, but if kids who have aspirations of playing at the next level aren't seeing improvement, they will be gone.

One good thing here has been Josh's ability to coach up QB transfers and WR's into draftable players, which should bode well in both recruiting and the portal. Hopefully the addition of Knowles will bring those results to the defense.

 

[LWSVOL]

Greetings,
Saw some blurbs on various sites which seems to signify the changing of the proverbial guard in college football, i.e. HS 4* & 5* entering college may not be as valuable as they once were in building a powerful program. As Indiana just proved stomping the turd, the commodes with their latest 2 yr run, ole piss with kiffie and miami currently to name a few.. Seems success in the port-a-potty out weighs HS recruiting.
The blurbs:
Indiana has Zero 5 star recruits. Alabama 14 -5 stars.
Indiana has 8 -Zero stars starting , and beat em like a high school team.

Indiana brought in 50 talented proven players via the portal over two years.
Likewise the other three semifinalists, Ole Miss, Oregon, and Miami. It's a new paradigm.

Being a newby here I haven't read enough threads to know but I'd say y'all have discussed this new order extensively but I needed a 1st post and I chose this over saying we best keep CJH and going 8-5 or 9-3 next year won't be the end of the world , (with the upcoming SEC schedule it might be impressive)... LOL...
GO VOLS

it all comes back to coaching and leadership in the program. Doesn't matter if players come from high school or portal, development and discipline are still the important factors that determine success. Quality of players is more important then quantity.

There are far more teams missing the playoffs who go portal heavy then schools making the playoffs. Quality still matters. Coaching still matters. Developing a freshman class will still matter.

From 2024 classes on freshman

Indiana signed 17 and redshirted 12 of them for development
Ole Miss signed 18 and redshirted 15
Oregon signed 25 and redshirted 24
Miami signed 26 and only redshirted 10 of them. the rest played as true freshman. We will see how many of them might have redshirted this year.

High school recruiting will always be important. Constant portal buidling may or may not. Too early to tell how it measures for long term success.

 

[Doberman]

Paying undeveloped kids to stash away on the pine seems goofy to me. And then they may, or may not, pan out. Or they do pan out and hold you for ransom, or leave. Fun and huge suck on the available dollars.

Freshman and sophomore’s better be working on the cheap. Real cheap.

 

[AdoptedVOL]

The issue that needs to be resolved relates to dollars. What constraints on spending side of ledger need to be made, if any (coach staff, players, facilities).

I still believe there will be a split between haves and have nots. Maybe those athletic depts self-funded and those subsidized with public money and student fees.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a model where the haves are completely separated from the university (including leasing facilities, support, branding). Let them pay coaches and players whatever revenue will bare. Let public/student supported programs compete in another division.

Sounds extreme, doesn’t it? So does paying HCs $12M and QB $4M.

This otta shift the convo.

 

[Grudenator]

All I know is we should have a mountain of cash piled up from “talent retention fees” by now. We haven’t retained crap and have gotten a handful of players in the portal

 

[MDsweetT]

it all comes back to coaching and leadership in the program. Doesn't matter if players come from high school or portal, development and discipline are still the important factors that determine success. Quality of players is more important then quantity.

There are far more teams missing the playoffs who go portal heavy then schools making the playoffs. Quality still matters. Coaching still matters. Developing a freshman class will still matter.

From 2024 classes on freshman

Indiana signed 17 and redshirted 12 of them for development
Ole Miss signed 18 and redshirted 15
Oregon signed 25 and redshirted 24
Miami signed 26 and only redshirted 10 of them. the rest played as true freshman. We will see how many of them might have redshirted this year.

High school recruiting will always be important. Constant portal buidling may or may not. Too early to tell how it measures for long term success.

Yupp. No matter where the kids come from, they’ve gotta develop and fit the culture/system. And talent certainly helps. But having the right people is more important.

Indiana is going to win this thing and yes they have an elite QB who won the Heisman but they play so complimentary. They’re one of the best teams we’ll ever see. Ole Miss has gone portal heavy and Chambliss is but they’ve got great kids who despite Kiffin leading didn’t miss a beat.

Miami recruits very well and brought in a veteran QB. Oregon same deal. Loaded everywhere and have a 3 QB. Looking forward to the Semis. Hoping IU wins it and wouldn’t mind Ole Miss

 

[GrizzlyVol]

With the Portal available and NIL out of control it's a win right now league, the portal is the way to go now, get proven players and try to coach up the hs guys to contribute before they decide to transfer