Is it really that important to recruit well in your own state?

[WedgeBuster]

No.

While I know it hurts to lose an in-state star, it is statisically proven that it's not that important to win the in-state recruiting battles.  Arkansas is a national brand that can build pipelines in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida if we are strategic about it. I believe Morris will bring back the Texas pipeline with his many connections there.  For those who are interested, here is an article to prove my point:

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_0c118b6c-db1c-11e7-a3a2-cb30bc5f1734.html?utm_content=bufferf12a9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[Rudy Baylor]

k

[WedgeBuster]

k

Here's the rival's top 15 for the state this year. We have 6 of the top 10 committed so far.  Just because we don't get the number 1 player does not mean this class was a failure in the state.

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_0c118b6c-db1c-11e7-a3a2-cb30bc5f1734.html?utm_content=bufferf12a9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[WedgeBuster]

Lies, damn lies, and statistics. 

But other than that, riddle me this: how can Arkansas be a national brand and not win the internal recruiting battles?

States with the number one recruit leaving the state:

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_0c118b6c-db1c-11e7-a3a2-cb30bc5f1734.html?utm_content=bufferf12a9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/colorado

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/florida


https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/georgia

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/missouri

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/north_carolina

Some kids want to get out of the state they're from. I can understand that, and I think we have the ability to lure kids away from their home state as well.

[Boardon Hamsay]

Are we trying to talk folks off the ledge due to GB choosing Baylor and other recruiting "misses"?  I don't think we need to talk people off the ledge. We should really be more of a caring last nudge over the ledge at first and then, as needed, move on to shoving folks over the ledge.  Let's face it, we need to thin the herd around here a bit.  There are grown people here that are disappointed in a teenager's decision making and they didn't conceive those teenagers.  I think it's amazing that a player like GB will pick Baylor and folks here act like he just wrecked their car.  That alone is reason to thin the herd around here.

[hogsanity]

It is important to get as many SEC level players out of your state as you can. IT IS NOT IMPORTANT just to sign a bunch of kids from your state because they are from your state, but a lot of fans think you should do just that.

[hogsanity]

Lies, damn lies, and statistics. 

But other than that, riddle me this: how can Arkansas be a national brand and not win the internal recruiting battles? 

One issue in Arkansas seems to be all of our top players play like 3 positions. So they are not all going to want to come here nor could we take them all. Just like CN and GB, both Qb's, both want to play QB, both are not going to play QB at AR, or at least one will not start, likely ever.

[WedgeBuster]

One issue in Arkansas seems to be all of our top players play like 3 positions. So they are not all going to want to come here nor could we take them all. Just like CN and GB, both Qb's, both want to play QB, both are not going to play QB at AR, or at least one will not start, likely ever.

Exactly. I think this is a blessing in disguise. There can only be 1 QB between CN and GB. The person who loses the QB battle is either going to create a faction within the lockerroom or will want to transfer which will cause a distraction and possible contempt in the lockerroom. Saves a lot of problems down the road by him committing to Baylor.

[Inhogswetrust]

States with the number one recruit leaving the state:

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_0c118b6c-db1c-11e7-a3a2-cb30bc5f1734.html?utm_content=bufferf12a9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/colorado

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/florida


https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/georgia

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/missouri

https://n.rivals.com/state_rankings/2018/north_carolina

Some kids want to get out of the state they're from. I can understand that, and I think we have the ability to lure kids away from their home state as well.

The article from The Advocate is perhaps the best I've ever read on recruiting and location.

[Torqued pork]

If the most used excuse for mediocrity is a weak instate recruiting base it's hard not to notice when a homegrown talent goes elsewhere.  The resident spin doctors always spin.

[#1 STUNNA]

since 200 Arkansas is 4/6 signing its 5* recruits 66%
since 200 Arkansas is 30/42 signing its 4* recruits 71%

[redeye]

Of course!  There are many ways to look at this data, but the bottom line is that it's easier to do well in your own state and you should capitalize on that.  The ranking in that article shows that Arkansas doesn't sign a high percentage of instate athletes, but that's because we don't have many P5-caliber athletes to sign.  I would argue that this is more reason why we need to do well instate, although they argue just the opposite.  They argue that it's even more important for LSU, but think about this.. if LSU struggles instate, they can still do well in nearby Texas and Mississippi.  LSU has been a powerhouse for a while now, so they should be more capable of recruiting nationwide than Arkansas.  In contrast, Arkansas can't dip into Texas, Mississippi or Louisiana as easily, so it's even more important that we get the instate players we want.

There are two important points in this article.  1) Your recruiting boundaries are not actually your state, but the surrounding areas around you.  So Tulsa should be more important to Arkansas than Pine Bluff, but we don't think that way.  We're lucky to have such strong state support, which helps us recruit cities like Pine Bluff well, but at the same time, we obviously should be concentrating more on Tulsa than we do.  Same with Kansas City.

2) States like Arkansas need to recruit nationally well to prosper.  I consider recruiting NE Texas as nationally, even though we have some advantages there, but we need to do better.  When you look at the programs that have thrived without many worthy instate recruits, I think of Nebraska, Tennessee and Oregon.  All of those schools recruit very well across the nation and I'd argue that 2 of them have larger home disadvantages than Arkansas.  Unfortunately, there's an ongoing trend of recruits staying closer to home, that's been ongoing for decades now, and I don't think it's a coincidental that Arkansas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Oregon have all fallen off the map during this trend.  Still, if you want to win national championships at these schools, you must recruit well nationally, along with recruiting well at home. 

[Boardon Hamsay]

since 200 Arkansas is 4/6 signing its 5* recruits 66%
since 200 Arkansas is 30/42 signing its 4* recruits 71%

Your records are very thorough. I hear Sparta was ripe with talent back in the day.

[hogmolar]

Fulwilder would be #7 recruit in the state of Arkansas. He is 79 in Georgia. Let that sink in.

[Jimbob111]

I've always questioned this myself. If the best players in your state are not as good as players you can get from a neighboring state, why do you want them more than out of state kids?

Football is a game of emotion and I can see an argument for going after kids who grew up wanting to be a Hog, kids who love the helmet. But I can also see an argument being made for going after the best players you can get who won't need a wave of emotion to win games.

I've never thought it was important to get every in-state players. Think of the ones that didn't become Hogs: Kiehl Frazier, Tenpenny, the o-lineman that went to Auburn, Dyer, etc. Except for the o-lineman (I cant for the life of me remember his name but his parents were Auburn alums I think). Most of them weren't the players they were expected to be or weren't the PEOPLE they were expected to be.

I did agree with Bielema that you recruit your own problems and just because a kid is an in-state kid doesn't mean he should be a Hog, no matter how good he is.