ESPN Team Rankings

[CA_Vol]

I realize recruiting evaluations are a subjective process, but how in the world does ESPN rate our class 18th while Rivals has us 7th and 247 9th?

I know the easy answer is they are just lame, but how can there be that significant a discrepancy?

 

[jakez4ut]

I realize recruiting evaluations or a subjective process, but how in the world does ESPN rate our class 18th while Rivals has us 7th and 247 9th?

I know the easy answer is they are just lame, but how can there be that significant a discrepancy?

Something about the ESPN 300. Never bothered to figure it out tho.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

I realize recruiting evaluations or a subjective process, but how in the world does ESPN rate our class 18th while Rivals has us 7th and 247 9th?

I know the easy answer is they are just lame, but how can there be that significant a discrepancy?

You have to look it player by player. There is a big discrepancy on HB as one example.

 

[chargervol]

I realize recruiting evaluations or a subjective process, but how in the world does ESPN rate our class 18th while Rivals has us 7th and 247 9th?

I know the easy answer is they are just lame, but how can there be that significant a discrepancy?

Don't think ESPN reevaluates either. Not lower ranked kids anyway. Whatever they stuck them with early on, that's it.
Bailey's ranking is ridiculous.

 

[GojiraVol17]

Something about the ESPN 300. Never bothered to figure it out tho.

Their “recruiting experts” don’t watch any film and they literally only judge players based off of the flash & dash they bring and word of mouth from their yankee colleagues. They don’t pay attention whatsoever. Rivals and 247 both do a fantastic job of evaluating. Just so happens our coaches do an even more fantastic job at evaluating & determining what they want in a player.

 

[Blake25p]

I realize recruiting evaluations or a subjective process, but how in the world does ESPN rate our class 18th while Rivals has us 7th and 247 9th?

I know the easy answer is they are just lame, but how can there be that significant a discrepancy?

Lazy evaluators IMO

 

[Weezer]

ESPN hates us.

 

[GojiraVol17]

Don't think ESPN reevaluates either. Not lower ranked kids anyway. Whatever they stuck them with early on, that's it.
Bailey's ranking is ridiculous.

Yeah they don’t reevaluate at the end of the year either, that’s true. They don’t took into account the improvement from junior to senior year.

 

[alaVOL]

We'll support our boys and treat our class like that are number 1, why, because to Vol fans they are.

 

[CA_Vol]

Well, based on our needs and the caliber of players brought in, Pruitt & Co. killed it.

 

[chargervol]

Yeah they don’t reevaluate at the end of the year either, that’s true. They don’t took into account the improvement from junior to senior year.

As long as ESPN sticks to that, 247 needs to exclude them from the composite, imo.

Everyone else's is after adjustments and review. That means there's disrupts the system they're trying to accomplish with the composite to start with.

 

[GojiraVol17]

As long as ESPN sticks to that, 247 needs to exclude them from the composite, imo.

I 110% agree with you on that. I think espn should just stay out of it til signing day is over with anyway. As large as their corporate structure is, they’re lazy and slow when it comes to actually showing things for what they are. Sometimes I’ll look on Bleacher Report and find out things much more quickly. Breaking news stories and junk at least a full five to ten minutes sooner.

 

[BigOrangeMojo]

ESPN ranks northern and western talent much higher. 80% of the Top 5 and 70% of the Top 10 players are from non SEC states. That doesnt jibe with reality...

 

[chargervol]

I seriously did not realize that.
No wonder they suck.

Edit: meant to quote the post above, if there was any doubt.
I'm truly shocked by that.

 

[sjt18]

IIRC, they don't have a very large staff and go a lot off of camps. Kids who don't go to the right camps don't get good rankings from them.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

ESPN should be taken out of the equation if they are not 100% into it.
IMO.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

We're #7/9 and that doesn't even include transfers like Cade Mays, Velus Jones and walk-on Miles Jones.

In the world of incompetence we have a dead heat between espn and SEC Officiating.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

The funniest thing was ESPN had UT 18th and USCe 20th overall. When they ranked SEC, they had USCe 7th and UT 8th. Figure that one out.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

ESPN ranks northern and western talent much higher. 80% of the Top 5 and 70% of the Top 10 players are from non SEC states. That doesnt jibe with reality...

Expect more layoffs in Bristol, CT.

 

[CA_Vol]

We're #7/9 and that doesn't even include transfers like Cade Mays, Velus Jones and walk-on Miles Jones.

In the world of incompetence we have a dead heat between espn and SEC Officiating.

Well said.

 

[HuntlandVolinColo]

ESPN hasn't liked Tennessee since we called them out for openly campaigning to annoint heisman to charles woodson over much more deserving Peyton Manning.

 

[ABINGDON VOL FAN]

We're #7/9 and that doesn't even include transfers like Cade Mays, Velus Jones and walk-on Miles Jones.
and the Iowa Democratic Party.
In the world of incompetence we have a dead heat between espn and SEC Officiating.

...and the Iowa Democratic Party.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

Speculation on my part here, but ESPN's recruiting service is just a lazy way to make a profit. They don't have as many people doing evaluations and it doesn't feel like, as an organization, there's much of a passion for what they do. It exists solely because ESPN is a big brand name and they can make an easy profit selling "insider recruiting access" (which isn't "insider" at all).

Rivals and 247 have their flaws, as well, but they were started by people passionate about this stuff. As organizations, they really care about the quality of their content and the job they are doing. Their survival also depends on at least being reputable in this sphere. I'm not saying the people working at ESPN recruiting don't care, but merely that to the parent organization, it's not a high priority and only exists as a cheap way to capitalize on ESPN's brand name.

Overall, I just don't think Disney / ESPN really cares about the quality of its recruiting service very much. It's a small drop in the bucket for the parent organization and they are mostly concerned with making revenues, without spending much money.

 

[The Original Fade]

We have a good class, but it’s still middle of the pack in the SEC. That won’t cut it long term - need to be at least top 5 in the conference every 3 out of 4 years if you want to be in the playoff hunt year in year out.

 

[Sleegro]

ESPN ranks northern and western talent much higher. 80% of the Top 5 and 70% of the Top 10 players are from non SEC states. That doesnt jibe with reality...

Interesting stats but weird way of saying 4 of the top 5 and 7 of the top 10 players. Would be interesting to maybe see percentage of their top 300 vs rivals and 247 by location for a broader sample size.