By LARRY VAUGHT
Do recruiting rankings matter to coaches?
Most say no, even if they know better. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops gave a refreshingly honest answer to that question Wednesday as he discussed his first signing class.
“I think that’s fair to say, I think it matters a little bit. I think if anything it says to the 2014 class that these guys are serious, they know what they’re doing and they’re going to make a great commitment to recruiting and gives you some credibility, I would say, with y’all and with the people and with the buzz out there,” Stoops said. “It’s an honest answer. Yeah, let’s not kid ourselves, you want to be higher than not be higher, right?
So is it discouraging to perhaps have UK’s best recruiting class ever and still rank 12th or 13th in the SEC?
“That is when you start looking at it that way a little bit, yeah. It’s a real challenge but it’s a great credit to this league,” Stoops said. “It’s a big reason why I’m here. I always felt like UK — a lot of people asked me about why here, and why did you jump on this opportunity, and why did you seek this opportunity? I just felt there was great potential here. I felt there was a sleeping giant here that we can do great things and we will do great things.
“It’s a big part of it, the league. If you want to be the best, you want to play against the best.”
7 Responses to Stoops admits that recruiting rankings really do matter and impact program
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Larry, one thing that I have noticed is that four of the SEC teams ahead of us in the rankings have over-signed. Florida has 27 recruits, as does Ole Miss. Texas A&M has 31 and Georgia has 32. This means one of two things. They either don’t expect some kids to qualify or they are going to ask some to gray-shirt. It would be real interesting to re-rank everyone in August based on the kids who show up for fall camp. Who knows, we might jump a couple of spots.
It’s a numbers game. You’re going to lose the bottom 5% or so to GPA, disclipline and/or ego problems with kids. Maybe worse than 5%. So teams “overbook” to make their numbers. That’s a luxuary the elite teams have.
The other problem is that these higher rated kids have, for the most of their lives, been filled so full of sunshine (that’s another word for BS) about their abilities that they expect to make the pro ranks after their freshman year. It does not usually work that way so some of these kids will have a huge mental adjustment to make learning humility. Some never learn and they dissappear.
TrueblueJohn,
With Georgia and The Aggies those over signings are counting back to last years class. Plus a lot of them are early enrolled or were supposed to be. I think at one point I read GA? was going to have 10 early enrollees for spring that will go thru spring ball.
That is why we UK sometimes just never seem to catch up. Hopefully UK’s new staff will rectify these shortcomings. Look across the SEC and see how many early enrollees other teams have, it blows me away at times.
Those kids are 1/2 a year ahead of everyone else in the S&C program, knowing the offense and defense just by going thru spring practice, then to top it all off most if not all are 4 & 5 star recruits. I don’t think fans realize just how important a hiring of Coach Stoops and his staff is on so many different levels. UK hasn’t competed in the SEC properly in years.
Well, the proof will come next September but I think you are right.
Recruiting the best, and in numbers matter. Just look at Alabama and that will give you the answer to that question. Recruiting at UK will be hard work until we can build this program. Recruiting at UK was never good enough in the past to compete in this league, Our record speaks for itself. Stoops, and staff have sure changed that in a little more than 6 weeks on the job. I say check us out next year and the year after, especially with some wins and national recognition. I also think there is alot of funny stuff going on at certain schools I can’t prove that, but I think that. Example, like the alleged happenings at Miami and their recruiting shanigans that are before the NCAA now. It seems strange to me its the same schools every year in football who are getting the cream of the crop. That must change for UK to rise. I know they are the big winners year in and year out, and winning breeds success. JMO. Am I all wrong about this?
LarryP,
Most people don’t realize how long Joker was with the UK program as an assitant & as a HC. Right over 13 years. I think it bred complacency. Do the same thing the same ole way because its what we done in recruiting for the past decade. Very easy to get stuck in a rut. Like many said before, why didn’t our recruiting improve after four straight Bowl wins. Same recruiting style, methods. Looking at third tier recruits we didn’t have to fight with big boys over. Win the recruiting fights with C-USA, MAC, and every now and then an ACC school, or the Big Least.
Stoops has proven UK can bring these high value targeted kids in. Can’t wait to see what we will sign with an entire year behind them.
You got that right Ira! This was a tremendous recruiting effort by these coaches! I still can’t believe it. The C-J was forced to print something good about UK football. Great article in their paper today.