Nance

[KlubhouseKonnected]

I could be mistaken but it seems to me that in the last couple days Rivals changed Nance's rank from a 2* to a 3*.

[nwahogfan1]

I could be mistaken but it seems to me that in the last couple days Rivals changed Nance's rank from a 2* to a 3*.

Probable a JUCO thing.   Be sweet if he has a great year in JUCO and goes to a 4 star.  We need tall talented WRs to come in ready to play in this class.

[ricepig]

Probable a JUCO thing.   Be sweet if he has a great year in JUCO.  We need tall talented WRs to come in ready to play in this class.

Fixit

[lumphog]

STARS......WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN STARS... WE GOT COACHES THAT DEVELOP PLAYERS!!!  I'll take that every day

[The_Boot_stops_here]

STARS......WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN STARS... WE GOT COACHES THAT DEVELOP PLAYERS!!!  I'll take that every day

Would prefer both, no?  Best of both worlds. But I'd rather have Bielema than Butch

[TNhawgfan]

Would prefer both, no?  Best of both worlds. But I'd rather have Bielema than Butch

Lord yes. Butch wouldn't be able to recruit to Arkansas the way he does Tennessee. And then we'd be stuck with his inferior coaching

[smokeyB_blues]

It may just be me but Nance watching his video gets me excited because he reminds me of Dominique Reed he's got great speed

[AugustaHog]

Ultimately, the only thing the stars and ratings are any good for is the ensuing hype that goes with them.  How many years has Auburn been overrated because "they've had a couple top 10 recruiting classes so you know the talent's there".  Perception is not always reality and I'll judge the kids on how they actually perform as opposed to how good some guy sitting in his underwear in his mom's basement (looking at you scout) thinks our class is.

[SemperFi]

I enjoy seeing Arkansas' name when these top rated kids are picking schools. There's nothing like a press conference with the Hogs in the middle of it all, however in the end it's all about development of that player and the coaching that goes along with it. I'll take that any day over a class like UT that is a total fail despite their high class ranking.

[The_Boot_stops_here]

Ultimately, the only thing the stars and ratings are any good for is the ensuing hype that goes with them.  How many years has Auburn been overrated because "they've had a couple top 10 recruiting classes so you know the talent's there".  Perception is not always reality and I'll judge the kids on how they actually perform as opposed to how good some guy sitting in his underwear in his mom's basement (looking at you scout) thinks our class is.

Yes, performance is what's most important. No question about it. But, as you know, recruiting rankings do matter. Now, they have to be paired with a staff that can develop that talent, but they can't be dismissed. So basically, I partially agree with you but acknowledge that rankings can't be ignored.

[The_Boot_stops_here]

It may just be me but Nance watching his video gets me excited because he reminds me of Dominique Reed he's got great speed

That's a bold comparison. Let's hope that's accurate

[AugustaHog]

Yes, performance is what's most important. No question about it. But, as you know, recruiting rankings do matter. Now, they have to be paired with a staff that can develop that talent, but they can't be dismissed. So basically, I partially agree with you but acknowledge that rankings can't be ignored.

No doubt the rankings help as far as a prestige factor.  It's always nice to see your name up in the lights and our program can always use some good PR. 

[holman24]

Stars mean a heck of a lot just go back and name me the last national champ that didnt have a top five recruiting in the previous 4 years of the title?

[longpig]

Stars mean a heck of a lot just go back and name me the last national champ that didnt have a top five recruiting in the previous 4 years of the title?

Don't bother. The legitimacy of recruit ratings has been explained to these knuckleheads every way imaginable.  Some men you just can't reach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3WcuvL737A

[ARtillahog]

Stars mean a heck of a lot just go back and name me the last national champ that didnt have a top five recruiting in the previous 4 years of the title?

Well, by that train of thought, the hogs won't win anything of any importance anytime soon.

[AugustaHog]

Ultimately 4*+ guys typically have different athletic attributes.  Sure, there is a ceiling on what you can do without those caliber of players, especially in this conference.  Great coaching can improve players and maximize what you get out of kids.  Obviously, guys like Freeze and Butch Jones have gotten some really elite classes and have managed to relatively squander that talent.  Schools like Mich St and even CBB at Wisconsin have proven you can be an upper tier school without top 5 classes or even top 15 in those cases.  I think we have to get to that success level which means lots of development, before we will consistently land lots of blue chips.  We get a few but more will come to a place with a track record. 

[longpig]

Well, by that train of thought, the hogs won't win anything of any importance anytime soon.

Yes we will, just not an NC.

[jwilliamson67]

No team haa won a national title w/out atleast 1 top 10 class on the field.

I believe OU is the only team that didn't have 2 top 10 classes on the field to win a national title. If i remember correctly they had a top 5 class and a class that was maybe 11 or so.

Top recruiting classes don't guarantee a title but it is a necessary condition to get there.

[ARtillahog]

Yes we will, just not an NC.

Anything less than at least a SEC champ is not significant.

[longpig]

Anything less than at least a SEC champ is not significant.

I'll gladly take 9 wins and zero felony convictions for 2016.

[ricepig]

Anything less than at least a SEC champ is not significant.

So, all those claiming how great Old Mrs. is because of their recruiting are wrong?

[The_Boot_stops_here]

I'll gladly take 9 wins and zero felony convictions for 2016.

I hope for the same for 2016. I don't think, nor should I expect, for that to be the tip of the iceberg though

[TNhawgfan]

Get real surfing8. Coach himself said Arkansas isn't a sexy team. We're not going to consistently out recruit the Alabamas and Tennessees year in and year out unless we're cheating. And i don't want to go full ole miss. Doesn't mean we can't beat them on the field

[Redhogs]

Yay, we didn't get embarrassed on the field or off of it!!!

Wow. 

The inferiority complex on display here at times is sobering to behold.

Other than attitude and approach, there's no good reason (geographic, demographic, financial, etc) that programs like OU or Tenn should be EXPECTED to out-recruit Arkansas. 
But clearly a significant percentage of Arkansas fans don't expect (or think we deserve) better results than we get. 

Grow a pair, people.  Expect more, and who knows you just might get it. 
People at Ole Miss are just starting to figure this out, growing pains aside.  They're making a best effort at becoming relevant, and if they actually get over the hump the average fan won't remember the drama involved in the process.  Or as in the case of looking back on the Cam Newton Auburn years, people just won't care how it was done... as long as it WAS done.  Resulting in more accolades, noteriety and MONEY for the program. 

What was the discussion about again?  Oh yeah... congrats Nance, have a great year dude.

+1000

[jjdlc]

Yay, we didn't get embarrassed on the field or off of it!!!

Wow. 

The inferiority complex on display here at times is sobering to behold.

Other than attitude and approach, there's no good reason (geographic, demographic, financial, etc) that programs like OU or Tenn should be EXPECTED to out-recruit Arkansas. 
But clearly a significant percentage of Arkansas fans don't expect (or think we deserve) better results than we get. 

Grow a pair, people.  Expect more, and who knows you just might get it. 
People at Ole Miss are just starting to figure this out, growing pains aside.  They're making a best effort at becoming relevant, and if they actually get over the hump the average fan won't remember the drama involved in the process.  Or as in the case of looking back on the Cam Newton Auburn years, people just won't care how it was done... as long as it WAS done.  Resulting in more accolades, noteriety and MONEY for the program. 

What was the discussion about again?  Oh yeah... congrats Nance, have a great year dude.

Wow, praising Ole Miss recruiting.  Just wow.

Also, if you can't figure out the geographic recruiting advantage of Tennessee, get a map and draw a circle around each, say within 5 hours (~325 miles) of each, it will become clear pretty quickly.

[Pig in the Pokey]

surfing8 is a troll, dont let him get to you. we beat ole miss back-to-back, beat tenn at their house and had the same 5-3 record as they did with a much harder sec-w schedule. our recruiting is just fine, it is great even.

[longpig]

surfing8 is a troll, dont let him get to you. we beat ole miss back-to-back, beat tenn at their house and had the same 5-3 record as they did with a much harder sec-w schedule. our recruiting is just fine, it is great even.

He's not very good at it. 

[The_Boot_stops_here]

surfing8 is a troll, dont let him get to you. we beat ole miss back-to-back, beat tenn at their house and had the same 5-3 record as they did with a much harder sec-w schedule. our recruiting is just fine, it is great even.

   Our recruiting is ok. I think Bielema is good at identifying talent that will stick around and be developed. But we don't, in any way shape or form, recruit at a "great" level.
   Also, Ole Miss beat Bama the last 2 years as well as Ms St. We didn't. Comparing head to head records does not always tell the whole story

[HogMantheIntruder]

Get real surfing8. Coach himself said Arkansas isn't a sexy team. We're not going to consistently out recruit the Alabamas and Tennessees year in and year out unless we're cheating. And i don't want to go full ole miss. Doesn't mean we can't beat them on the field

Just because we haven't recruited at the same level as the "elite" programs does not mean that we can't/won't.

[The_Boot_stops_here]

Just because we haven't recruited at the same level as the "elite" programs does not mean that we can't/won't.

Actually, geography says exactly that.

[jjdlc]

No it doesn't.  Just stop. 

It's not like the families of recruits are driving your great-grandmother's Packard and can't drive past Norman to Fayetteville for fear of breaking down in the sticks. 

Recruits travel all over the country.  Our coach knows that too thankfully.  You should check it out yourself... cause I might just be trollin'. 
LOL

Name me one school that gets top ten recruiting classes where more than 50% of their recruits come from more than 5 hours away. 

[The_Boot_stops_here]

No it doesn't.  Just stop. 

It's not like the families of recruits are driving your great-grandmother's Packard and can't drive past Norman to Fayetteville for fear of breaking down in the sticks. 

Recruits travel all over the country.  Our coach knows that too thankfully.  You should check it out yourself... cause I might just be trollin'. 
LOL

I don't think you're trolling, but you are wrong. The vast majority (I forget the exact percentage) of D-1 football players stay within a 300 mile radius of home. Draw a 300 mile radius around Fayetteville and you'll understand one of the main reasons why we struggle to recruit with the elites

[31to6]

Name me one school that gets top ten recruiting classes where more than 50% of their recruits come from more than 5 hours away. 

Michigan, 2016. 22 recruits out of 29 were from *well* outside Michigan's region.

Actually many of the top schools get a large number of recruits from further than 5 hours away. In 2016 Alabama, USC, Ohio State & FreeShoesU all had 40-45% of their class drawn from well outside their geography. They have deep local talent pools from which they pull the best athletes to go with players either at 1) positions of need or 2) nationally elite players.

But your point is well-taken since each of those is 1) a household name and 2) building on a core of elite talent in-state. If you look at the top-25, the tendency to draw from close to home goes up as you drop down into 11-25--and what puts them in that top-25ish category is the depth of the local talent pool.

[jjdlc]

There are a few, Michigan, tOSU, and Notre Dame being the ones to do it most commonly, they get a good chunk of recruits from the NE seaboard, where there aren't really many strong competitors for the talent.  Even with them though, the % usually falls around 40-45% outside that 5 hour radius.  You are correct in that recruits are more likely to travel now, but the majority still stays inside that 5 hour window.

Now -

You name me one school that has won the National Title without at least 1 Top 10 class on campus.

If that one gets too hard, let's make it fun and have you name one SEC program that has won a conference title without at least 1 Top 10 class on campus.

I don't understand why you like to bring this stat up, it's a flawed stat.  Recruiting rankings are only available for the last 15 years or so.  In the BCS era it is accurate, before 2000 it's hard to say, but, looking down the list of national championships over the years, there are a few names on there that I seriously doubt had any top ten recruiting classes.

Frankly, I'm in the group that believes we can recruit a top ten class every once in a while.  However, I fully realize it isnt going to happen over night, it's going to take time and consistency.  I wont support a staff that uses the Ole Miss approach to recruiting.

[TNhawgfan]

I like how the schools you used to prove your point were Ohio State and Tennessee. Without looking at any statistics, I would dare to guess that if you looked at schools that have had the most top 10 recruiting classes in history, those two schools would be in the top 10. Yet, you want us to recruit with them by changing the way our boosters do things??
Coach B has a system and I believe it will work. And I don't think we'll ever have a top 5 class without cheating

[31to6]

I don't think we'll ever have a top 5 class without cheating.

The mostly likely way for us to get a top-10 class is to have a very top-heavy in-state class while pulling in a couple blue-chips from out of state. All the ranking systems are heavily weighted in favor of classes with elite recruits (5* and very high 4*).

The difference between top-20 and top-10 is 2-3 players.

[lumphog]

WOW....... a new level of STUPID!!!!   #HideAndWatch

[greenie]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that we improve our chances by getting better players.  How to get better players would be a much better discussion.  I personally think that this staff is performing quite well in this regard, but would love to hear how people think we could improve.

[ricepig]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that we improve our chances by getting better players. 

So.......are you saying we need to recruit more fullbacks?

[greenie]

So.......are you saying we need to recruit more fullbacks?

5 fullbacks every class...minimum.   

[ricepig]

5 fullbacks every class...minimum.   

Well, it doesn't require an engineering degree.....