Mississippi

[Piggfoot]

Just looked at the top D1 recruits in Miss. Not a one has an interest in Arkansas. What Gives?
Do we not have anyone recruiting this state?
By the way we have 6 players with a>85 rating while they have >20

[Atlhogfan1]

Just looked at the top D1 recruits in Miss. Not a one has an interest in Arkansas. What Gives?
Do we not have anyone recruiting this state?
By the way we have 6 players with a>85 rating while they have >20

Haven't tried much in a while.  Ford's staff recruited there a little.  We don't spend many resources there.  Pitiful educational system, competition from OM, MSU plus LSU, Bama, FSU, AU all offering opportunities closer to home. 

[GoHogzzGo]

That is a great question. Our closest larger talent pool areas are Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. I know it is heavily recruited but so is Louisiana and Texas. Try try try again and you'll get a couple. Plus in a year like this we beat both in state schools.

[Monsterhog]

I may not have an answer but can elaborate on my experience within the state of Mississippi as it pertains to football recruiting.  I grew up in the state of ARK until I was 17 when my family uprooted and move to Miss. Like most ARK kids, once a Hog always a Hog.  I graduated from Miss State in 1983.  At the time ARK was still in the SWC.  All my friends at MSU and OM had absolutely no respect for the Razorbacks.  Never could figure out why other than many believed we were overrated due to the strength of a SWC schedule vs an SEC.  That is part is probably true.  As I grew up and moved to Memphis I covered the state of Miss as a sales rep.  Traveled every part of the state from the Gulf Coast to Memphis for 25 years.   SEC football was always a topic of discussion with my clients.  When discussing the upcoming football season I'd say 99% of my Miss customers would pencil in a Win for the ARK game.  Simply put, they expect to beat us every year.  This included both MSU and Ole Miss.   This expectation just gravitates from generation to generation.  I see it with the Baby Boomer, Generation X, and now the Millennials.  So, in closing I'd say this culture of no respect for ARK has a major impact on why we don't do well in recruiting.  The players don't have an interest so our coaches don't spend much time in areas where we don't' get a return on investment of time.   Outside of that,  ALA, AUB, LSU, FL, GA, and TN have a huge head start on us in this area.  That is for the kids that want to explore life outside of Miss.

[snoot hoggy hog]

Grayson Gunter walks into post whistling "Hard to be Humble".

[snoot hoggy hog]

Jonathan Nance says "It's nothing to see here."

[snoot hoggy hog]

Brandon Martin says "Juco much?"

[ricepig]

Brandon Martin says "Juco much?"

He's from LA.

[Bacon_Bitz]

It's funny that Ole Miss and Miss St fans expect to beat Arkansas every year.  We are 22-13-1 against Ole Miss since we started playing them continuously again in 1981 - This is the same record LSU has against Ole Miss during that same time period.  Alabama and Auburn are way more dominant against Ole Miss in these years.

We are 16-8-1 against Mississippi State since joining the SEC.  Auburn has also lost to Miss St 8 times, Alabama has lost to Miss St 6 times (not counting a forfeit) during those years, although LSU has only lost to them twice.

There is a very clear pecking order in the modern SEC-W:

Alabama - multiple national championships

Auburn and LSU - consistently in the national conversation, one and two national championships, respectively

Arkansas and Texas A&M - second-tier teams that can usually post a winning record

Ole Miss and Mississippi State - cellar dwellers that will average sub-.500 records absent extraordinary circumstances (e.g. rampant cheating or Dak)

[Atlhogfan1]

It's funny that Ole Miss and Miss St fans expect to beat Arkansas every year.  We are 22-13-1 against Ole Miss since we started playing them continuously again in 1981 - This is the same record LSU has against Ole Miss during that same time period.  Alabama and Auburn are way more dominant against Ole Miss in these years.

We are 16-8-1 against Mississippi State since joining the SEC.  Auburn has also lost to Miss St 8 times, Alabama has lost to Miss St 6 times (not counting a forfeit) during those years, although LSU has only lost to them twice.

I didn't understand those comments either. 

[Adam Stokes]

The last couple classes out of MS have been all OM and MSU. Only a team or two, normally Bama, could poach the higher rated guys. I was going to say it was because of the stranglehold by MS schools. Looking today at the 2017 rankings it is a different story. There are more guys heading out of state than sticking around. Louisville, Tennessee, LSU, and IOWA STATE all have landed some of their top ten guys. Now that the Mississippi schools are going back down there may be some cracks we can take advantage of.

[Bacon_Bitz]

The best thing about Mississippi the next ten years will be the JUCO players coming out of that league.

[Atlhogfan1]

As mentioned by a poster earlier, it all goes to ROI.  Is it worth committing the resources for what we would get?  Anything devoted to Miss is taken away from elsewhere.  Trying to cherry pick is understandable.  Devoting more time to develop relationships though in an attempt to consistently get players from Miss?  It would be a risk as those resources may be taken away from Tx, La, Fl or Ga.  You have to be confident it would be worth it and we could have success against OM, MS and all others closer who do devote time there. 

[Wildhog]

As mentioned by a poster earlier, it all goes to ROI.  Is it worth committing the resources for what we would get?  Anything devoted to Miss is taken away from elsewhere.  Trying to cherry pick is understandable.  Devoting more time to develop relationships though in an attempt to consistently get players from Miss?  It would be a risk as those resources may be taken away from Tx, La, Fl or Ga.  You have to be confident it would be worth it and we could have success against OM, MS and all others closer who do devote time there. 

Our ROI in Texas has been abysmal lately.

[Atlhogfan1]

Our ROI in Texas has been abysmal lately.

Absolutely it has. 

One thing about not having much to recruit from in state is you can devote that time out of state.  Got to pick the right states and make it worth it. 

[Pork Twain]

Not a lot more talent in Mississippi than in Arkansas, but two other SEC schools.  Why concentrate there when there are much more dense recruiting grounds in LA, FL and TX.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Haven't tried much in a while.  Ford's staff recruited there a little.  We don't spend many resources there.  Pitiful educational system, competition from OM, MSU plus LSU, Bama, FSU, AU all offering opportunities closer to home.

education system ranked right there with Arkansas'...

[ricepig]

education system ranked right there with Arkansas'...

Correct, but a boat load of JUCO's to get them eligible.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Correct, but a boat load of JUCO's to get them eligible.

we need our own Scooba Tech.

[Atlhogfan1]

education system ranked right there with Arkansas'...

Do I have to spell it out for you?  Mississippi has more "Pine Bluff".  Lot of athletes but the number who can be signed by D1 football programs is limited.  Arkansas schools aren't good.  But when it comes to recruiting, the numbers in Arkansas aren't what they are in Mississippi therefore the educational system doesn't have the same level of limiting effect.