Reasons why that blue-chip recruit might be a bust

[Mama_Bull]

Bruce Feldman

Reasons why that blue-chip recruit might be a bust

Monday, February 2, 2009

This is a big week for college programs all across the country. National signing day is Wednesday. How big? To many folks what happens Wednesday is a lot more important than Super Bowl Sunday. What "happens" is essentially kids make official their college choices after what is often months and months of waffling and using terms like "70 percent committed."

I've asked for some feed back from coaches around the country and here are the 10 biggest reasons why that blue-chip recruit your favorite school is about to sign on Wednesday might actually turn into a bust.

1. "He's a piece of garbage": Every coach will have their own term to describe a bad apple. Most use language I can't repeat here. In many cases that former all-everything recruit has developed a warped sense of self-entitlement after years of being coddled as the "star" recruit. Perspective is lost. The player has been conditioned to think he's bigger than the team. That sometimes translates into police blotter action or at the very least a cancer in the locker room.

2. Bad luck: It's unfair to ever label a kid a "bust" if their career got derailed by injuries but unfortunately such attrition is a big part of sports, especially football.

3. He never made it to college: Lots of coaches will be holding their breath over the next five months while they wait to see if that kid they rolled the dice on comes through academically and can get past the NCAA Clearinghouse.

4. "He's soft": One of the biggest gripes I hear from college coaches is about how recruiting is covered. In many cases, a prospect is evaluated as a blue-chip player based primarily off running a fast time or looking great in shorts and a T-shirt at a combine. If the prospect hasn't been seen being physical on film, the school might be signing a kid who turns down hits and won't be tough enough to get off the bench.

5. "He's stiff": A fast 40 time is great. So is benching 185 pounds 30 times. So are big YouTube worthy, bone-jarring tackles. But if the prospect isn't flexible or doesn't possess the ability to turn and run, you might have a one-dimensional player who probably can't play the position or possess the athleticism to get in position to make those big hits against top college talent.

6. "He's not bright": The player has all the physical tools, but something's missing. He's constantly out of position. He's prone to busted assignments. Can you trust putting him in the game? Certainly not right away and maybe not ever. That is the problem if you've signed someone who proves to not be sharp enough to learn your system. It happens. Kids can look great on film in high school, but unless you've had them in summer camp, spent lots of time with them on a visit or have a lot of faith in their high school or junior college coaches, you may not be sure how savvy a player is.

7. "He doesn't compete": This is one I've heard from coaches mostly at elite college programs who say they occasionally get a guy who for the first time in his life just can't rely on his God-given ability to dominate. The problem emerges when they don't have "the backbone" to fight for a starting job with other guys who have just as much talent. Another coach pointed out that many players can't adjust to becoming a smaller fish in a bigger pond or operate within a team concept after having been the "big dog."

8. "He was a system guy": Think pro scouts are the only ones with this lament? College coaches often wonder -- especially when it comes to wide receivers and quarterbacks -- if one player makes another seem a lot better than he really is.

9. "It's those dang women": Living away from home for the first time can be a challenge. Many players can't handle it. Some have such delicate situations that they have left behind, haven't left them behind at all, or those close to the player make it hard for that kid to flourish in his new surroundings. Others fall in love and might become so tangled up that football, school or both take a back seat.

10. "We screwed him up": It happens. Sometimes a player goes through his career with three or four different position coaches and constantly has to adjust. Or maybe it's a new system or new terminology every other season. Maybe the coaching staff isn't sure where the player fits best and keeps flipping his position.

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[Bull Dozer]

Nice little read and it shows you why recruiting can be a bit of a crap shoot at times. 

[BullsOnThaRize8]

sounds like a bunch of excuses. I'll take as many blue chip players as we can get and we'll glady see who busts.