11 on Rivals 135 on ESPN. D Hart and Kris Frost Top 30 on rivals not even in the top 150 on ESPN. Here let me be the first to say ESPN is a CROC!!!!
Not that I disagree that ESPN has work to do on their recruiting coverage, but why are they inherently wrong while Rivals is inherently right/more accurate? Is it just because Rivals has Michigan targets ranked higher?
YES!!
They all have their own biases and limitations. Cost controls are limiting how much a lot of these guys are being evaluated. As a result, regions with traditionally more talent (south) and bigger name schools are going to have more kids seen and, therefore, more kids highly ranked. Plus, I would guess that some of these kids are being evaluated by their offer list more than their game film, and Michigan isn't carrying the weight it used to. Offers from SEC schools are going to push a kid's ranking higher than offers from Big Ten teams. Add in a bias towards kids who don't verbally commit early and you end up with a bunch of recruiting evaluators who couldn't be trusted any less if they drove a white panel van and handed out candy.
I didn't see Magnus say that ESPN wasn't wrong. I only saw him ask why Rivals wasn't questioned, too. If you just use the source that works the best for your purposes and disregard the rest, you are almost ready to 'write' for the paper that shall not be named.
I just don't understand how a recruit like hart has over 30 offers!!! from every single elite program in the country, and I mean everyone and is not even included in the top 150?? I will take Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Meyer, Mr. Saban's opinion over their's. Also if I remember correctly someone on this board did a comparison of Scout, ESPN, and Rivals recruiting and found that Rivals was Significantly more accurate on their star rating than the other 2. I will go look for it now thanks
Well, many people 'round these parts were legitimately surprised that Frost debuted at #27 in the Rivals100. So ESPN leaving Frost out of their top 150 wouldn't come as much of a surprise if it weren't for the fact that Rivals' list came out a day earlier.
wow. very different than rivals. not nearly as high on lawrence thomas. but very high on braxton miller and trey depreist. as a whole, VERY heavily weighted towards the south.
Of course, this is the SEC network we're talking about
I don't think it's a conspiracy; I would say ESPN is accurate in weighting the south more. I'm not saying that ESPN is more accurate than rivals, but I do think there is an inherent nature to put talent from around the country in your list as opposed to weighting a single state/region.
our-own-little-world wide leader.
Let's make a broader statement in comparing these two lists:
Yeah, you might see some similar names. However, a lot of the reasons you see guys higher on one list and lower on another are because of camp affiliations (Rivals), the fact that certain teams have much larger fanbase communities on one than another, and, when it comes to ESPN, they actively promote guys who take part in the Under Armor Game.
Ultimately, these lists mean little because if a guy is good and fits your team, chances are your coach was going after them way before these guys decided to rate them.
Of course, some (COKER) don't.
muscles have muscles. The photo Rivals had up of him yesterday (maybe still there) frightened me. Redefining the meaning of OMG Shirtless recruit?
of confirmed Under Armour players' rankings on ESPN vs. Rivals/Scout. I suspect you will find the answer there why people tend to ignore ESPN rankings (if they are being honest with themselves).
I wish we had more of a bead on some the upper end big-uglies. I'm still a little nervous we are going to get commitments from more skilled positions and not have room in the end for linemen. In Rod I trust, but I am allowed to question.
Also, is it me or is EAPN's top 5 schools for most recruits completely jacked up?
Brennan Beyer and Delonte Hollowell both 79 w/ 4 stars
3. ray drew (recently offered)
33. cyrus hobbi
53. deanthony arnett
54. sammy watkins
61. brett hundley
67. doran grant
75. giorgio newberry
90. davaris daniels
101. andre yruretagoyena
117. mickey johnson
121. jameel poteat
139. jerrard randell
142. dallas crawford
and have not committed to someone else, at this time.
| 3 Ray Drew 87 None DE 6'5" 253 Thomas County Central H.S. (GA |
| 13 George Farmer 85 None WR 6'2" 205 Junipero Serra H.S. (CA) |
| 16 Braxton Miller 84 None QB 6'1" 185 Wayne H.S. (OH) |
| 20 Jay Rome 83 None TE 6'5" 230 Valdosta H.S. (GA) |
| 33 Cyrus Hobbi 82 None OG 6'4" 285 Saguaro H.S. (AZ) |
| 35 Trey DePriest 82 None OLB 6'1" 225 Springfield South H.S. (OH) |
| 41 Ja'Juan Story 81 None WR 6'3" 190 Nature Coast Technical (FL |
| 53 DeAnthony Arnett 81 None WR 6'0" 170 Saginaw H.S. (MI) |
| 54 Sammy Watkins 81 None WR 6'1" 180 Cape Coral H.S. (FL) |
| 61 Brett Hundley 81 None QB 6'3" 210 Chandler H.S. (AZ) |
| 63 Avery Walls 81 None S 5'10" 185 Union Grove H.S. (GA) |
| 64 Nick Waisome 81 None CB 5'10" 168 South Lake H.S. (FL) |
| 67 Doran Grant 81 None CB 5'11" 177 Saints Vincent And Mary H.S. (OH) |
| 69 Wayne Lyons 81 None S 5'11" 190 Dillard H.S. (FL) |
| 71 Ryan Shazier 81 None OLB 6'2" 200 Plantation H.S. (FL) |
| 75 Giorgio Newberry 81 None OT 6'5" 249 Fort Pierce Central H.S. (FL) |
| 81 Anthony Chickillo 81 None DE 6'3" 225 Alonso H.S. (FL) |
| 83 Mike Bellamy 81 None RB 5'10" 176 Charlotte H.S. (FL) |
| 93 Brandon Fulse 81 None TE 6'4" 250 Fort Meade Senior H.S. (FL) |
| 101 Andre Yruretagoyena 81 None OT 6'5" 260 Chaparral H.S. (AZ) |
| 117 Mickey Johnson 80 None DT 6'1" 305 Saint Pauls School (LA) |
| 139 Jerrard Randall 80 None QB 6'1" 190 Chaminade-Madonna College Prep (FL) |
| 142 Dallas Crawford 80 None CB 5'10" 185 South Fort Myers H.S. (FL) |
| 149 Charles Jackson 80 None CB 5'10" 180 Klein Collins H.S. (TX) |
As someone who played High School Football in the Detroit area but lives in Florida now I can say that Football down here is night and day. I know High School football is big in OH and PA, but not sure if it lives up to here. Its crazy, all year long type work here.
That being said ESPNs list seems to be out of whack with all others. To me they do this most years to be different from the others to justify themselves. If you ever watch the ESPNU recruiting insider is all about major southern areas and speed. They are still trapped in the speed in the south, slow in the north crap from 10 years ago.
A couple people have raised the point that ESPN's Under Armour participants are typically rated higher at ESPN than elsewhere. I think this is for two reasons.
The first is the one most often cited b/c it is enjoyably cynical -- ESPN is trying to pump up the reputation of the guys in their game. I am sure this happens to an extent.
The second reason is that ESPN, in inviting the best possible players, is relying largely on their own impression of who are the "best" players (and not Rivals' or Scout's impression).
It is a chicken-egg type question. To take the case of Demar Dorsey, who ESPN ranked #12 and Rivals ranked #162: did ESPN invite him to the Under Armour game because they actually believed he was the #12 player in the country, or did they rank him #12 because he was a kid they could get at their game? In Dorsey's case I think it is the former. And I expect that is more often the reason (e.g. I think ESPN thought Roh actually was one of the best DEs in the nation). Thus, the UA game argument is, I think, given a bit too much credit, because it infers too much.
cross-admits. I know many last year were offered to attend both AAA and UA, picked AAA, and later dropped off in the rankings. Similarly, some accepted the UA offer and suddenly jumped way up--I. Bell is the only one jumping to mind at the moment. I wish I would have compiled some stats, but I didn't.
I have not tracked the timing of when a player moves up the rankings. And that may answer the question in most cases. Obviously, if a player jumps up ESPN's rankings after accepting an UA invite that looks suspect. But I also think ESPN often invites kids that are only 5*ish talent to ESPN, and who have already been rated at that level prior to choosing a game to play in.
I generally don't use them for recruiting, they just don't really seem to be as good as rivals is.