Pierre Strong's Forty Time

[whosiskid]

I just read - on a teaser to a pay site - that Pierre Strong had the fastest forty at The Arkansas Elite Football Camp on Feb. 26.

Does anyone know what his time was? He has had hand held times before under 4.5, but hand held is always iffy. I'm assuming these times on the 26th were hand held, but it isn't really important because he has been plenty fast enough.

He doesn't have any offers yet, but it looks like Boise State is about to offer, and Kansas is interested as well as Memphis. I really do expect Arkansas to offer in the summer, probably after their elite camp.

On recruiting as a whole, I find this time of the year to be really frustrating. We send out dozens and dozens of offers, but very few of them end with serious interest on the part of the kid who is offered. I'll get excited/interested way, way down the line.

Apart from whether Pierre Strong gets an offer - which I really want to see, because I really think he might be better than TJ Hammonds - the Arkansas story that interests me the most is Taylor Powell. He is getting some very good offers, but Arkansas looks like they are very seriously pursuing a string of out-of-state QBs (though I do think at least one of the 2018 QBs will get an offer - and perhaps an early offer). I don't want to conclude that they have decided to go in another direction for certain, but it is looking like Powell might be, at best, a fall back. He is getting some very good offers, so he isn't going to be left out in the cold, but you hate to see an Arkansas kid go to Illinois or Purdue. Right now I'd have to say that while I expect Strong will get an offer this summer, I don't think Powell will get an offer unless we strike out with a string of other QBs. In situations like that, where a kid wants to go to Arkansas but isn't offered, I pull for the kid to go out and become All American at his college school, sort of how I loved Kenneth Dixon's time in Louisiana. I pull against kids like Malik Munk who leave the state despite an offer, disappointing now just his coach but his fellow Arkansans. I would love for Monk to be a complete and total bust in college.

[redeye]

I'm sorry I can't help you who.

I have to say, though, that this is usually the time I find the most exciting, because we're throwing out offers left and right to players at the top of our list, all while it's being assembled.  While you're right that many won't reciprocate interest, those who do are significant.  I also like that there's not a frenzy of worried fans freaking out over the tiniest of details.

Having said that, I'm still on my post-NSD break and it's been a long one this year.  I'm checking in to keep up, but that's it.  So thanks for the info on Strong!

[whosiskid]

It is a time of possibilities for certain.

One thing I have turned out to be dead wrong on, is the number of Arkansas kids who could end up getting offers from Arkansas. I thought this was going to be a really down year, but we've already seen several offers and I think we are going to see several others. The national recruiting services are not being kind to our kids. Akial Byers is only an .85 something, while most of our kids haven't been ranked at all. I would have given Strong a 91 rating on 247, but I'm betting they are going to give him an 84 rating. Just have a feeling, given how long they are taking. I think Strong's problem is that he went from having 340 yards rushing as a sophomore to 2300 yards rushing as a junior. If he ends up with 2400 yards this coming season, I think his rating will skyrocket. He is so clearly better than Damarea Crockett, and his stats are at least as good if not better than Hammonds's, whose stats were surreal.

We may end up offering 3 or 4 more Arkansas kids, and maybe even Taylor Powell. I'm sure we've talked to Powell, so he must know how they regard him. I'm guessing that they don't like his height. But, then, some of the other QBs they have offered are no taller than Powell.

[yraciv]

I hate seeing an Arkansas kid go to a SEC school or what I view as comparable regional school, Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, Baylor or Oklahoma State.  I have absolutely no problem seeing a kid go out of state to Purdue or Illinois.  Those are decent offers, but they don't play the same level of football as us and/or aren't likely to ever be on our non-conference schedule.  I want the best football players, and not the best in state football players.  Think this in state class is lacking and it's showing in the early offers!

[texas tush hog]

I hate seeing an Arkansas kid go to a SEC school or what I view as comparable regional school, Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, Baylor or Oklahoma State.  I have absolutely no problem seeing a kid go out of state to Purdue or Illinois.  Those are decent offers, but they don't play the same level of football as us and/or aren't likely to ever be on our non-conference schedule.  I want the best football players, and not the best in state football players.  Think this in state class is lacking and it's showing in the early offers!

I believe Pierre Strong probably receives his offer this summer as well as Akial Byers. I think Taylor Powell's lack of height and the fact that they seem to have zeroed in on Dalton Hyatt with an early offer and his mutual interest works against Taylor. He will probably get plenty of interest to go out of state. That happened to my grandson in baseball. His mother and dad were Arkansas alums as were his grandparents but Dave Van Horn had a bunch of 96-98 mph arms at the time he would have enrolled and did not really have room for a 92-93 mph arm. Broke the boy's heart but he went on to have a great college career at SFA as their Friday night starter and some notable wins against 8th ranked Alabama in a nationally televised 2-1 win as well as a 1-0 shutout of 17th ranked Wichita State which elicited some great praise from Todd Butler. Drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and helped pitch their Class A affiliate Hillsboro to the Northwest League Championship. Even made the cover of the Championship playoffs program. You just never know how things will work out , just have to trust the coaches judgement.

[Vantage 8 dude]

I hate seeing an Arkansas kid go to a SEC school or what I view as comparable regional school, Oklahoma, Texas, TCU, Baylor or Oklahoma State.  I have absolutely no problem seeing a kid go out of state to Purdue or Illinois.  Those are decent offers, but they don't play the same level of football as us and/or aren't likely to ever be on our non-conference schedule.  I want the best football players, and not the best in state football players.  Think this in state class is lacking and it's showing in the early offers!

I suspect, certainly hope, that as the summer and fall unfold we're likely so see several more instate players receive offers from the Hogs. While I agree you hate to see any Arkansas kid that definitely SEC level talent go anywhere but the Hill, fortunately under CBB we've seen almost nothing like that so far.

[jgphillips3]

So did anyone actually find out his 40 time?

[texas tush hog]

So did anyone actually find out his 40 time?

Reported to be around 4.5 more or less and that is about the same as Eno Benjamin.

[ricepig]

Reported to be around 4.5 more or less and that is about the same as Eno Benjamin.

Which means it's around 4.6ish laser timed.

[whosiskid]

Reported to be around 4.5 more or less and that is about the same as Eno Benjamin.

Was that what he ran a couple of weeks ago? He had run just under and just over 4.5 for a couple of years. But kids tend to get a little faster up until age 23 or 24, so I'm hoping to hear that perhaps he was down more to 4.45. By the end of college he could be more like 4.4, but that isn't a lock. He runs track but isn't very good at all. I mean, he has good speed, but his mechanics aren't very good. Bad start is the main problem. But fast football kids can be encouraged to run track not just to help the team but to stay in shape and increase their speed. And hopefully that will happen with Strong. He improved massively from his sophomore to junior year, so I'm hoping he is still in that process of growing as a football player. It will be very hard for him to top last season, but maybe he will.

I do think that this is going to be an unexpectedly strong class. Even if we don't offer Powell, I think we'll offer at least four more Arkansas kids. We could easily end up with 6 or 7 instate kids. I honestly thought we'd only offer 2 or 3 kids, but already it is clear that the 2016 instate class surpasses the 2015, in quantity, if not quality. The huge difference between the two is, of course, Sosa Agim.  I honestly think the next three years at Arkansas could be remembered as The Age of Agim.

[jgphillips3]

Was that what he ran a couple of weeks ago? He had run just under and just over 4.5 for a couple of years. But kids tend to get a little faster up until age 23 or 24, so I'm hoping to hear that perhaps he was down more to 4.45. By the end of college he could be more like 4.4, but that isn't a lock. He runs track but isn't very good at all. I mean, he has good speed, but his mechanics aren't very good. Bad start is the main problem. But fast football kids can be encouraged to run track not just to help the team but to stay in shape and increase their speed. And hopefully that will happen with Strong. He improved massively from his sophomore to junior year, so I'm hoping he is still in that process of growing as a football player. It will be very hard for him to top last season, but maybe he will.

I do think that this is going to be an unexpectedly strong class. Even if we don't offer Powell, I think we'll offer at least four more Arkansas kids. We could easily end up with 6 or 7 instate kids. I honestly thought we'd only offer 2 or 3 kids, but already it is clear that the 2016 instate class surpasses the 2015, in quantity, if not quality. The huge difference between the two is, of course, Sosa Agim.  I honestly think the next three years at Arkansas could be remembered as The Age of Agim.

Like you, I'm more hopeful about this class than I initially was.  I initially thought we had 3-4 guys who "should" get offers.  I could see it being up to six now depending on out of State guys and overall class size come NSD.  Strong, Byers, Brown and Adams are the four I think "should" get offers based on talent if everything else is in line to go along with Barnes who we already have committed.  If it was just those 5 I would think we did great in Arkansas this year. 

[Obi-Hawg Kenobi]

I just read - on a teaser to a pay site - that Pierre Strong had the fastest forty at The Arkansas Elite Football Camp on Feb. 26.

Does anyone know what his time was? He has had hand held times before under 4.5, but hand held is always iffy. I'm assuming these times on the 26th were hand held, but it isn't really important because he has been plenty fast enough.

He doesn't have any offers yet, but it looks like Boise State is about to offer, and Kansas is interested as well as Memphis. I really do expect Arkansas to offer in the summer, probably after their elite camp.

On recruiting as a whole, I find this time of the year to be really frustrating. We send out dozens and dozens of offers, but very few of them end with serious interest on the part of the kid who is offered. I'll get excited/interested way, way down the line.

Apart from whether Pierre Strong gets an offer - which I really want to see, because I really think he might be better than TJ Hammonds - the Arkansas story that interests me the most is Taylor Powell. He is getting some very good offers, but Arkansas looks like they are very seriously pursuing a string of out-of-state QBs (though I do think at least one of the 2018 QBs will get an offer - and perhaps an early offer). I don't want to conclude that they have decided to go in another direction for certain, but it is looking like Powell might be, at best, a fall back. He is getting some very good offers, so he isn't going to be left out in the cold, but you hate to see an Arkansas kid go to Illinois or Purdue. Right now I'd have to say that while I expect Strong will get an offer this summer, I don't think Powell will get an offer unless we strike out with a string of other QBs. In situations like that, where a kid wants to go to Arkansas but isn't offered, I pull for the kid to go out and become All American at his college school, sort of how I loved Kenneth Dixon's time in Louisiana. I pull against kids like Malik Munk who leave the state despite an offer, disappointing now just his coach but his fellow Arkansans. I would love for Monk to be a complete and total bust in college.

4.48

[immahog]

well he beat cobi hamilton in a feet race

[whosiskid]

4.48

Really? That is really excellent. I' love to see him run a laser timed and stay under 4.55.

And Pierre Strong beat Cobi Hamilton in a foot race? Seriously? Where did that happen? Just seems odd.

[texas tush hog]

Really? That is really excellent. I' love to see him run a laser timed and stay under 4.55.

And Pierre Strong beat Cobi Hamilton in a foot race? Seriously? Where did that happen? Just seems odd.

Cobi Hamilton was about a 4.5 in high school. Just got faster the farther he went.

[choppedporkextrasauce]

3.9 seconds give or take. 

[jgphillips3]

3.9 seconds give or take. 

220...221...whatever it takes.

[ricepig]

220...221...whatever it takes.

I don't think it matters on 3-phase.........

[ricepig]

Here's your 40 time, laser, too.

https://twitter.com/Jason_Kilburn/status/708786583722336256

[yraciv]

Here's your 40 time, laser, too.

https://twitter.com/Jason_Kilburn/status/708786583722336256

He ran a 96.99? Damn thats so slow I thin I could beat it.

[Peter Porker]

The Nike times are typically more accurate that your basic reported times, however, they still aren't full proof. The start is still handheld and sometimes it's teen volunteers doing it. Lastly, remember Justin Bailey of Mayflower ran a 4.39 40 down in Dallas at the Nike SPARQ combine. He does not have laser 4.39 speed.

[factchecker]

Per RD:

Little Rock McClellan running back Pierre Strong, 5-11, 192 ran a 4.66 time in the 40 and had a 34.9 vertical, 4.40 pro-agility and a 37 foot power ball toss.

Lots more info and stats from the "The Opening" Nike Rating event from Dallas:

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2016/mar/12/dallas-nike-opening-rating-updates/

[whosiskid]

Per RD:


Lots more info and stats from the "The Opening" Nike Rating event from Dallas:

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2016/mar/12/dallas-nike-opening-rating-updates/

Thanks for that.

The most shocking bit was near the beginning: "De'Shawn Gulledge, 5-9, 168 recorded the highest vertical in the nation so far with a leap of 44-6 inches."

I played basketball several times one summer when I was in HS against a kid who was 5'3 but could dunk. I hated that kid because he was so fracking quick and could jump so ridiculously high. How can a 5'3 kid dunk? Gulledge must jump like that kid did. Michael Jordan had a 48 inch vertical, but was 9 inches taller. Arm length also features in the stat. Jordan had ridiculously long arms. Anyway, kudos to the kid. As Porker pointed out, 40 times struggle with accuracy issues. I do think that 40 times are so absurdly exaggerated that kids are forced to lie about their speed, just to get schools to look at them. The 4.66 for Strong seems a bit too slow, while Alex Day's 4.8 definitely looks too slow. If you've seen him play, he looks extremely fast on the field. A 4.8 is about the same speed that a lot of defensive linemen report.

[Peter Porker]

whosiskid, that has been my point this while time. You just can't trust 40 times. You can go by film, but it too can be deceptive. That's why I judge speed based on track times.

Also, I've been giving you he'll for a while and I'd like to say I'm sorry. I enjoy your well thought out takes even if I disagree with them.

[whosiskid]

whosiskid, that has been my point this while time. You just can't trust 40 times. You can go by film, but it too can be deceptive. That's why I judge speed based on track times.

Also, I've been giving you he'll for a while and I'd like to say I'm sorry. I enjoy your well thought out takes even if I disagree with them.

I guess we can agree on 40 times being unreliable, but I do want to disagree on track times. I ran track - and given got a couple of track scholarship offers, but I had no intention of running and running and running in college - and was pretty fast, but I had to run middle distances because my start was so horrible. And a lot of kids have terrible starts, especially football players, who just flip over to track after basketball, since so many of those guys are four sport players. Our best runners in high school weren't the football players but full-time track guys. I did run on relays because they didn't involve a start from blocks. What amazed me about Bolt was how fast he was despite usually having a terrible start. And there is another thing. If you are 5'6, it is easier for you to get out of the blocks and become upright than if you are 6'6. Plus there are issues with shoes and the kinds of tracks you have at your school (still an issue at many of the poorer high school).

Probably the best measure of speed would be a trial that hasn't been invented yet. Something like a pro agility drill topped off by a sprint. With some stop and go spots inserted into the middle of the drill. I watched Walter Payton a lot in Chicago and while he wasn't fast, he could reach his top speed in a step or two (plus he had a stiff arm that I'm sure Darren would have killed for, probably the best stiff arm ever).

Of course, if a kid has tremendous track techniques, a track time would catch a genuinely fast kid and single him out. But my point is that a lot of fast kids do not do well in sprints in track. At my school we had our best sprinter in the first leg because we had a fast football player who was terrible out of the blocks and he hurt us least anchoring the relay. He was our second fastest kid. So track times might let you know who some of the fast kids are, but it won't catch all of them.

[ricepig]

Pretty sure in football, every play starts from a dead stop, except a player in motion.

[Peter Porker]

I guess we can agree on 40 times being unreliable, but I do want to disagree on track times. I ran track - and given got a couple of track scholarship offers, but I had no intention of running and running and running in college - and was pretty fast, but I had to run middle distances because my start was so horrible. And a lot of kids have terrible starts, especially football players, who just flip over to track after basketball, since so many of those guys are four sport players. Our best runners in high school weren't the football players but full-time track guys. I did run on relays because they didn't involve a start from blocks. What amazed me about Bolt was how fast he was despite usually having a terrible start. And there is another thing. If you are 5'6, it is easier for you to get out of the blocks and become upright than if you are 6'6. Plus there are issues with shoes and the kinds of tracks you have at your school (still an issue at many of the poorer high school).

Probably the best measure of speed would be a trial that hasn't been invented yet. Something like a pro agility drill topped off by a sprint. With some stop and go spots inserted into the middle of the drill. I watched Walter Payton a lot in Chicago and while he wasn't fast, he could reach his top speed in a step or two (plus he had a stiff arm that I'm sure Darren would have killed for, probably the best stiff arm ever).

Of course, if a kid has tremendous track techniques, a track time would catch a genuinely fast kid and single him out. But my point is that a lot of fast kids do not do well in sprints in track. At my school we had our best sprinter in the first leg because we had a fast football player who was terrible out of the blocks and he hurt us least anchoring the relay. He was our second fastest kid. So track times might let you know who some of the fast kids are, but it won't catch all of them.

No one plays 4 sports anymore and that's sad. Too many coaches are greedy and want kids year round, depriving them of the all around high school experience.

Until they come up with a better way to judge speed I will continue to use track times. It's the only measure in which everyone is held to the same standard. The timing is fully automated, the distance is always the same, and wind is factored in.

[whosiskid]

No one plays 4 sports anymore and that's sad. Too many coaches are greedy and want kids year round, depriving them of the all around high school experience.

Until they come up with a better way to judge speed I will continue to use track times. It's the only measure in which everyone is held to the same standard. The timing is fully automated, the distance is always the same, and wind is factored in.

And I have no problem with that. But I just want to qualify it by saying that some incredibly fast kids don't do well in track. BTW, Pierre Strong is a four-sport player. I know he runs track (and isn't very good at it - I haven't checked, but since he looks plenty fast on the football field, I suspect a bad start out of the blocks) and is one of the stars on the McClellan basketball team as a point guard (his best sport as a freshman was basketball), and I remember reading he plays baseball. In the long run, if he wanted to have a shot at the next level he is going to have to learn to run a faster 40, mainly by working on his start.

Just an anecdote, but I spent one year at seminary before transferring to Yale Divinity School (I didn't think the quality of education at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville was very high, so I transferred to what turned out to be an infinitely better school). I played intramural flag football and as the fastest person on the team (I ran a 4.6 hand held in high school and was precisely the same speed as a player who later went to the NFL combine and ran a 4.6 there) I was asked to guard the other team's WR. So I had to defend against an NAIA 100 yard dash national champion (this was immediately before the colleges flipped over to the 100 meters, 400 meters, etc.) who ran a 9.3 hundred yard dash. I probably ran about a 10.2 hundred yard dash. It was a joke. This kid just kept blowing past me. Luckily, the Texas Intramural Team had a genuinely stinky QB, so the guy scored only one TD against me. But if they'd had a good QB, it would have been TDs at will.

[Peter Porker]

Do you live around Little Rock, whoiskid? Huge meet at Bryant on Tuesday. 35 schools, the last time I counted, will be there. There will be teams there from 1A all the way to 7A. Traditionally fast schools will be there. I suspect TJ Hammonds will be running for Robinson. You should come out.

[tophawg19]

track times are meaningless . they are run on different surfaces and with different levels of coaching . Form is everything in track , nothing in football. football is ran on grass with pads and from different stances . knowing how to get off the blocks smoothly decides track speed and numbers . A great starter can beat a faster runner who isn't good off the blocks .

[Peter Porker]

track times are meaningless . they are run on different surfaces and with different levels of coaching . Form is everything in track , nothing in football. football is ran on grass with pads and from different stances . knowing how to get off the blocks smoothly decides track speed and numbers . A great starter can beat a faster runner who isn't good off the blocks .

It's still the best way to judge speed. Also, a great starter will not beat a faster runner in the 100m. That may be true over 40 meters or so, but not for anything 100m or longer.

BTW, 40 yard dashes aren't ran in pads. Are they also meaningless?

[Obi-Hawg Kenobi]

And I have no problem with that. But I just want to qualify it by saying that some incredibly fast kids don't do well in track. BTW, Pierre Strong is a four-sport player. I know he runs track (and isn't very good at it - I haven't checked, but since he looks plenty fast on the football field, I suspect a bad start out of the blocks) and is one of the stars on the McClellan basketball team as a point guard (his best sport as a freshman was basketball), and I remember reading he plays baseball. In the long run, if he wanted to have a shot at the next level he is going to have to learn to run a faster 40, mainly by working on his start.

Just an anecdote, but I spent one year at seminary before transferring to Yale Divinity School (I didn't think the quality of education at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville was very high, so I transferred to what turned out to be an infinitely better school). I played intramural flag football and as the fastest person on the team (I ran a 4.6 hand held in high school and was precisely the same speed as a player who later went to the NFL combine and ran a 4.6 there) I was asked to guard the other team's WR. So I had to defend against an NAIA 100 yard dash national champion (this was immediately before the colleges flipped over to the 100 meters, 400 meters, etc.) who ran a 9.3 hundred yard dash. I probably ran about a 10.2 hundred yard dash. It was a joke. This kid just kept blowing past me. Luckily, the Texas Intramural Team had a genuinely stinky QB, so the guy scored only one TD against me. But if they'd had a good QB, it would have been TDs at will.

Pierre is definitely much faster than 4.66

And he decided to skip Basketball to concentrate solely on football training this season.  Not sure if he's skipping track and baseball.  I'll have to check and ask him.

[southarkhog06]

It's still the best way to judge speed. Also, a great starter will not beat a faster runner in the 100m. That may be true over 40 meters or so, but not for anything 100m or longer.

BTW, 40 yard dashes aren't ran in pads. Are they also meaningless?

meaningless? not quite.

Extremely overrated? yes definitely.

[texas tush hog]

Pierre is definitely much faster than 4.66

And he decided to skip Basketball to concentrate solely on football training this season.  Not sure if he's skipping track and baseball.  I'll have to check and ask him.

Pierre will get several opportunities this summer to redeem himself in front of the Arkansas coaches at their camps. Would not be surprised if he comes away with an offer, when thy get a chance to measure him up and look him in the eye. Cobi Hamilton was one that did not have the most impressive forty time but at fifty and sixty and more in pads it was sayonara, goodbye. Let's see how he turns out. Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice never had that impressive forty times either but I never recall either being caught from behind in the open field.

[whosiskid]

Pierre will get several opportunities this summer to redeem himself in front of the Arkansas coaches at their camps. Would not be surprised if he comes away with an offer, when thy get a chance to measure him up and look him in the eye. Cobi Hamilton was one that did not have the most impressive forty time but at fifty and sixty and more in pads it was sayonara, goodbye. Let's see how he turns out. Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice never had that impressive forty times either but I never recall either being caught from behind in the open field.

I honestly have no doubt that Pierre will be a Razorback. But I will say that I would love to know the the reasoning behind some of our instate offers. Keith Jackson's son gets his first offer but neither Strong nor Byers has an offer? I'm not doubting the coaches or anything (since a lot of people seem to get their nose out of joint of you even hint that they have done something wrong - this is a discussion board, so I don't know why some people don't want to discuss - and to make it clearer, I've not been a critic of Bielema and Co. - it is just that I would like to understand why they do what they do), but I'm perplexed that we would offer Jackson but not Strong nor Byers.

I should probably post this somewhere else, but I'm absolutely baffled by 247's ranking of our instate kids. Strong hasn't been rated by anyone. 2300 yards and 30 TDs and he isn't ranked at all? Byers, who is getting offers all over the place, is only an 87. Monta Thomas is only an 83. Josh Johnson, who has gotten a lot of offers and looks to get a lot more and who I strongly doubt will end up at Indiana, is only an 84. Terrance Rock is the only running back ranked in the state, though he probably isn't one of the top backs (though being on a great team makes him one of the more prominent ones), but he gets a surprising 85. Normally 85 wouldn't be that high, but given the mediocre ratings others are getting, it is surprising. 247 is the only recruiting site I normally consult, but man, they are not kind to Arkansas this year. They haven't even got a rating for most of the top kids in the state.

[Peter Porker]

Well, I'm a BIG CRITIC of the dope.  His technique makes no sense and is the reason we will stay in 10th place in the SEC in recruiting.

Are you calling Coach Bielema "the dope"? When have we not been 10th in SEC recruiting? I suppose offering 2 and 3 star kids, such as Strong,  from Arkansas would get us ranked #1? I'm not following your logic.


Edit: and of course, a quick search of your post history shows you don't like and have never liked Bielema.

[texas tush hog]

I honestly have no doubt that Pierre will be a Razorback. But I will say that I would love to know the the reasoning behind some of our instate offers. Keith Jackson's son gets his first offer but neither Strong nor Byers has an offer? I'm not doubting the coaches or anything (since a lot of people seem to get their nose out of joint of you even hint that they have done something wrong - this is a discussion board, so I don't know why some people don't want to discuss - and to make it clearer, I've not been a critic of Bielema and Co. - it is just that I would like to understand why they do what they do), but I'm perplexed that we would offer Jackson but not Strong nor Byers.

I should probably post this somewhere else, but I'm absolutely baffled by 247's ranking of our instate kids. Strong hasn't been rated by anyone. 2300 yards and 30 TDs and he isn't ranked at all? Byers, who is getting offers all over the place, is only an 87. Monta Thomas is only an 83. Josh Johnson, who has gotten a lot of offers and looks to get a lot more and who I strongly doubt will end up at Indiana, is only an 84. Terrance Rock is the only running back ranked in the state, though he probably isn't one of the top backs (though being on a great team makes him one of the more prominent ones), but he gets a surprising 85. Normally 85 wouldn't be that high, but given the mediocre ratings others are getting, it is surprising. 247 is the only recruiting site I normally consult, but man, they are not kind to Arkansas this year. They haven't even got a rating for most of the top kids in the state.

Be patient, let this play out. The only ones who should be getting their noses out of joint, are these kids and their parents. Is the Jackson offer political? Maybe. But it is hard to argue blood lines. I believe Strong, Byers, Thomas, and others will receive their offers in due time, as I have seen some of the out of state kids we are pursuing, and we may not get that much interest after their home state schools make strong pushes, just the nature of the beast. I think our coaches for the most part are keeping the in state class in tow. I have been involved in this stuff since many of you were kids and before some were born. These coaches are not that stupid. I blame Jennings for letting the Chris Daniels situation slip away and you see how that turned out. His family is not overjoyed. Hopefully we will have better luck with Kedrick James. I don't do the twitter thing, as I believe it is counter productive but that comes from an old fossil, so you younguns go for it, if that is what you wish, but don't get too excited if these coaches don't act to suit your fancy, they for the most part, know what's best.

[ARtillahog]

P-Porker and Whosiskid, my buddy came up with a possible solution to take away start/blocks time.  Have a laser anywhere from 3-10 yards (obviously it would have to be chosen and made standard for the purpose of validity) and a second laser 40 yards later.  The athlete runs more than 40 yards but I think you still capture the unadulterated metric.  That way you take the entire human element out of the equation.  Also, I would propose that lineman be timed in the first 20 yards as that seems to be more important than the entire 40.  What do you both think?