ESPN 300 by SEC school

[scooby21322]

ARKANSAS-5
LSU-5
Miss. St.-4
Ole Miss-4
Alabama-17
Auburn-7
Texas-ATM-12

Missouri-2
Kentucky-2
Vandy-2
Tennessee-7
South Carolina-7
Georgia-12
Florida-6

So we have more than 5 other SEC schools and are equal to LSU.  Not that this is the desired standing within the conference, but I see this as significant progress by this staff. 

[LJHOG]

Want to challenge for the SEC crown??  Need 10+ a year from this list.

[BigD94]

Or develop the ones who aren't on that list

[KeithStone]

Want to challenge for the SEC crown??  Need 10+ a year from this list.

Really?  10+ a year?  Player #301 is so significantly inferior to player #300 that we might as well pass on them?

[jrulz83]

Really?  10+ a year?  Player #301 is so significantly inferior to player #300 that we might as well pass on them?

Damn your logic!!!!!

[LJHOG]

Really?  10+ a year?  Player #301 is so significantly inferior to player #300 that we might as well pass on them?

You want shot most years?  Then yes, really.  Or you need a Cam Newton at QB.  And still you need to have a bunch of these guys.  We play in the SEC west, which is a farm league for the NFL.  You ain't have 5, 6, 7 guys drafted every year, you in trouble.  And preferably a couple in the first round.

[HoustonwehaveaProblem]

Butch Jones can recruit, but I'm not sold on his coaching abilities.

[scooby21322]

The same old reference here...but JJ Watt comes to mind.  They don't have to be ESPN300 guys to help you win.  It just increases the probability. 

My point is, this is progress.  In years past, we would be happy with 5 of these guys on NSD.  It's October and we already have 5 (along with two more 4 stars according to ESPN). 

[redeye]

You want shot most years?  Then yes, really.  Or you need a Cam Newton at QB.  And still you need to have a bunch of these guys.  We play in the SEC west, which is a farm league for the NFL.  You ain't have 5, 6, 7 guys drafted every year, you in trouble.  And preferably a couple in the first round.

That's a reasonable assumption, but I don't agree with it.

It is nice to see us have so many ESPN 300 players, though.

[trashcan maN]

There are coaches out there who bust their ass and make a living by finding undervalued players who have the intangibles to develop into great players after a year or two in the system. These coaches normally have marginal class rankings and a high number of players drafted.

Sound familiar?

[Philip Seaton]

Want to challenge for the SEC crown??  Need 10+ a year from this list.

Divide 300 by 25 (number of scholarships allowed by each college), you get 12. So if 12 schools filled up their rooster with ESPN 300 players no one else would get any. I get the number 10 plus. I do. Not disputing your logic at all, but player development is more important than given credit for. Getting the right players for your system is more important. It would be interesting to see some of the other non-SEC schools and the numbers they have. A&M is not surprising because, well, the state of Texas and A&M being the only SEC school in the conference. Georgia? Well again Georgia being a fertile recruiting grounds and Bama? Well Bama is Bama. On par with LSU, Florida, and Auburn at this point speaks volumes to what positive things are going on up on the Hill. It doesn't hurt that Arkansas has a better in-state class this year. That helps too. Give it time and I'll think you'll see that 10 plus as you speak. The tipping point, just waiting for that tipping point. Coming soon. Real soon IMHO.

[scooby21322]

Divide 300 by 25 (number of scholarships allowed by each college), you get 12. So if 12 schools filled up their rooster with ESPN 300 players no one else would get any. I get the number 10 plus. I do. Not disputing your logic at all, but player development is more important than given credit for. Getting the right players for your system is more important. It would be interesting to see some of the other non-SEC schools and the numbers they have. A&M is not surprising because, well, the state of Texas and A&M being the only SEC school in the conference. Georgia? Well again Georgia being a fertile recruiting grounds and Bama? Well Bama is Bama. On par with LSU, Florida, and Auburn at this point speaks volumes to what positive things are going on up on the Hill. It doesn't hurt that Arkansas has a better in-state class this year. That helps too. Give it time and I'll think you'll see that 10 plus as you speak. The tipping point, just waiting for that tipping point. Coming soon. Real soon IMHO.

Full non-SEC list:

Clemson-12
Penn St.-10
Miami-8
Texas-8
Florida State-7
USC(w)-7
Michigan-7
Oklahoma-6
Oregon-5
Notre Dame-5
UCLA-5
Ohio St.-4
Oklahoma St.-4
North Carolina-4
Stanford-3
Baylor-3
Michigan St.-3
West Virginia-3
Texas Tech-3
Washington St.-2
Duke-2
Arizona-1
Washington-1
Arizona St.-1
Pitt-1
Nebraska-1
Virginia-1
Louisville-1
Wake Forest-1
Illinois-1
Florida Atlantic-1
BYU-1
Colorado-1
Boston College-1
Georgia Tech-1

[rolyat_2008]

Butch Jones can recruit, but I'm not sold on his coaching abilities.

looks like Gene Chizik 2.0 to me without a QB and OC

[opineonswine]

looks like Gene Chizik 2.0 to me without a QB and OC

Tennessee looks awful.  Year two of coaching change...Arkansas up several spots...Tenn...not so much.

[redeye]

To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the ESPN 300 and don't really care what they think.

[scooby21322]

Despite that, it's a tape measure.  It is also what gains exposure for a program because it gets the program talked about.  Future recruits see that.

[onebadrubi]

Want to challenge for the SEC crown??  Need 10+ a year from this list.

Critics and saban are currently using this exact excuse for his decline.  The talent he is getting isn't staying that 4th and 5th year.  It's a fine line between getting a nice O and D line with 4th and 5th year guys with a few sprinkled in skill guys.  Saban's D is filled with 2nd year guys and even a few freshman, he's not use to that...  All because his 5stars are leaving.  Now am I saying I don't want the top talent?  No, I'm just saying there is more to this game than getting your name up there with Alabama and Auburn every recruiting class. 

[lumphog]

Critics and saban are currently using this exact excuse for his decline.  The talent he is getting isn't staying that 4th and 5th year.  It's a fine line between getting a nice O and D line with 4th and 5th year guys with a few sprinkled in skill guys.  Saban's D is filled with 2nd year guys and even a few freshman, he's not use to that...  All because his 5stars are leaving.  Now am I saying I don't want the top talent?  No, I'm just saying there is more to this game than getting your name up there with Alabama and Auburn every recruiting class. 

There's a lot of truth in that

[redeye]

Despite that, it's a tape measure.  It is also what gains exposure for a program because it gets the program talked about.  Future recruits see that.

That's very true.  I just don't consider it a very good "tape measure".  I'd rather they ranked us higher, then lower, for that reason, but it's the only reason I care.

[MojaveJoe]

Critics and saban are currently using this exact excuse for his decline.  The talent he is getting isn't staying that 4th and 5th year.  It's a fine line between getting a nice O and D line with 4th and 5th year guys with a few sprinkled in skill guys.  Saban's D is filled with 2nd year guys and even a few freshman, he's not use to that...  All because his 5stars are leaving.  Now am I saying I don't want the top talent?  No, I'm just saying there is more to this game than getting your name up there with Alabama and Auburn every recruiting class. 

I'm not sure about a "decline" but I think there is a lot to this and the problems they have winning it all every year (which they should with all those amazing classes every year). Interesting thought.

[LJHOG]

There are coaches out there who bust their ass and make a living by finding undervalued players who have the intangibles to develop into great players after a year or two in the system. These coaches normally have marginal class rankings and a high number of players drafted.

Sound familiar?

and have zero SEC championships or NC between them.

[PorkSoda]

Want to challenge for the SEC crown??  Need 10+ a year from this list.

we just need to outsource our recruiting ESPN.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

Critics and saban are currently using this exact excuse for his decline.  The talent he is getting isn't staying that 4th and 5th year.  It's a fine line between getting a nice O and D line with 4th and 5th year guys with a few sprinkled in skill guys.  Saban's D is filled with 2nd year guys and even a few freshman, he's not use to that...  All because his 5stars are leaving.  Now am I saying I don't want the top talent?  No, I'm just saying there is more to this game than getting your name up there with Alabama and Auburn every recruiting class.

MS State has 17 seniors on their 2-deep. Having a team full of seniors has always mattered in College Football.