Updated rivals rankings

[kickerbg31]

James Aldridge has recieved a fifth star from rivals and is now the #17 overall prospect. Darrin Walls is also a five star prospect at #28.

IF we can land Sam Young and Gerald McCoy, we would have 4 of the 28 five-star prospects on Rivals.

Zach Frazer fell out of the top 100. His team this year sucks and his numbers are way down.

 

[jiggafini19]

I noticed this today. For me, it is no issue. Frazer will look good in Blue and Gold. This stuff is mostly subjective anyway. The position players can fall because of numbers. Linemen pretty much come down to technique while most of the great ones are double and triple teamed.

Frazer has really had a rough go of it out there, huh?

 

[Irish Envy]

So they are rating prospect stars and position in regards to team performance? Wow, sounds like a bad talent evaluation system if you ask me.

 

[bigdon]

Although Frazier does not have the team he had last year I wonder if any of his numbers have anything to do with the injury to his foot suffered during the summer? I know he is playing but is he having difficulty with that injury?

 

[BGIF]

So they are rating prospect stars and position in regards to team performance? Wow, sounds like a bad talent evaluation system if you ask me.

As camps are over the only evaluation available is on field performance. I doubt the team's record has much impact but if you're trying to play pitch and catch you better have somebody that can catch.

The entire QB Efficiency Rating evaluation is based upon somebody catching the passes, one team or the other.

A prostyle QB has to have at least one capable receiver. A dual QB can have poor receivers but make a statement with his feet.

 

[kickerbg31]

As much as I trust CW's evaluation of talent over that of Rivals, Scout, or Lemming, I still think it is important that Weis bring in a highly rated class. So much of recruiting is about momentum. When Willingham was recruiting his first full class, many of our recruits were talking about how a lot of the top recuits were going to ND and how they wanted to be part of a special class.

Right now, Carrol has a really easy time recuiting because USC is "the place to be." Top rated recuits have USC among their favorites before the process even starts. To win over recruits, CW has to both win on the field and eliminate that notion. He can only do that with a winning season AND a highly rated class.

 

[jiggafini19]

As much as I trust CW's evaluation of talent over that of Rivals, Scout, or Lemming, I still think it is important that Weis bring in a highly rated class. So much of recruiting is about momentum. When Willingham was recruiting his first full class, many of our recruits were talking about how a lot of the top recuits were going to ND and how they wanted to be part of a special class.

Right now, Carrol has a really easy time recuiting because USC is "the place to be." Top rated recuits have USC among their favorites before the process even starts. To win over recruits, CW has to both win on the field and eliminate that notion. He can only do that with a winning season AND a highly rated class.

USC has taken the approach of "picking" players rather than recruiting. Now, at this point they can afford to do this because they're the best of the best. Eventually, this will backfire on them. You can't bring in number one classes forever. I like the gamble of going big, but all it will take is a small group and they'll be set back a year.

Weis leaves no stone unturned. I like this approach much better. ND will not hunt for junior college players the way SC can, so Weis scours the nation and hits the road to get players. SC is trying to turn itself into a national program. It won't happen.

 

[Irish Envy]

As camps are over the only evaluation available is on field performance. I doubt the team's record has much impact but if you're trying to play pitch and catch you better have somebody that can catch.

The entire QB Efficiency Rating evaluation is based upon somebody catching the passes, one team or the other.

A prostyle QB has to have at least one capable receiver. A dual QB can have poor receivers but make a statement with his feet.

That's fine, but you cannot downgrade a kid's potential because he has no wide receiving help... that's absolutely absurd.

A kid wasn't 5 stars last year when he had a capable corps and now a 3 star when he is throwing to freshmen that can't catch. Sounds like the "experts" are frauds to me.

 

[BigIrish]

agreed. it's more than a matter of kids who can't catch. talented receivers run better routes, find gaps and get open more - intangibles that have a major effect on a QB's numbers.

 

[jiggafini19]

This brings up the age old debate: do the receivers make the QB or is it the other way around. The Montana-Rice/Taylor argument will go on forever.

As a Bears fan, I must admit that Brett Favre has had some average receivers during his career and has still produced. Can you keep a straight face and say that Favre has been successful because of Donald Driver and not the other way around?

Frazer will be fine. Demetrius Jones probably has more talent, but teams are also keying in on Jones and Illinois bound WR Chris James. Jones has thrown the ball elsewhere and they have been running as of late. Frazer's situation sounds disappointing, especially since he's a senior. Not a good way to go out.

 

[BGIF]

That's fine, but you cannot downgrade a kid's potential because he has no wide receiving help... that's absolutely absurd.

A kid wasn't 5 stars last year when he had a capable corps and now a 3 star when he is throwing to freshmen that can't catch. Sounds like the "experts" are frauds to me.

If a QB's completions go from 60% to 30% it raises eyebrows and questions. A college would probably send a coach out to see him play or ask for some current game film to check mechanics (and receivers) but the recruiting gurus across the country that do the ratings aren't going to drive to his HS to check him out. It's not any different than a TB that ran for 10 yds/carry as a junior and is running for 4 yds/carry as a senior. It could be due to an injury, an underlclassmen OLine, tougher competition, etc but the only stats they have to update an evaluation is the current on-field performance.

What kid was 5 stars and now is 3 stars?

In August '05 Rivals ranked Frazer the #3 Pro Style QB. In their Oct 6 rankings they dropped him all the way down to #6. Three slots when his stats dropped dramatically. In both ranking he got 4 stars. Doesn't sound like much of downgrade, does it?

 

[jiggafini19]

James Aldridge has recieved a fifth star from rivals and is now the #17 overall prospect. Darrin Walls is also a five star prospect at #28.
IF we can land Sam Young and Gerald McCoy, we would have 4 of the 28 five-star prospects on Rivals.
Zach Frazer fell out of the top 100. His team this year sucks and his numbers are way down.

Rivals dropped Darrin Walls to four stars from five.

Pardon me while I go laugh my ass off.

What a joke.

 

[St.Kittsnd]

All of these services are a joke!!! Nothing but a group of low grade touts. They know they have an avid marketplace and they can sell any piece of info they want and its taken for gospel. It's all garbage!

I learn more from you guys than I do from those services!!!

 

[St.Kittsnd]

All of these services are a joke!!! Nothing but a group of low grade touts. They know they have an avid marketplace and they can sell any piece of info they want and its taken for gospel. It's all garbage!

I learn more from you guys than I do from those services!!!

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

Not really too Concerned about Frazer, I think Jones is the Man for ND and will lead the irish after Quinn graduates.

 

[Rip Rap]

I learn more from you guys than I do from those services!!!

Well, there is alot of recycling of those services' information here, not that you can really 'learn' much of anything from those 'articles.' These guys make $$$ from subscriptions, creating the impression that every one of the major conference programs has a good recruiting class every year.

Can anybody really explain their ranking system? What is a 'star' worth? And why should anybody care what they think when Weis was the one that picked them? I would say he has better credentials than some random schmuck on the internet.

 

[Irishkid23]

Future QB

Future QB

Not really too Concerned about Frazer, I think Jones is the Man for ND and will lead the irish after Quinn graduates.

I remember CW and Cutliffe LOVED Frazer above ALL other QB's including Mustain, et al.. He is allegedly the prototype PRO style caliber QB. I think he's the man because of his statements about his tough year and the way his coaches said he helped hold the whole "young" team together with his LEADERSHIP. LEADERSHIP is the key word here. When his teram was down, he never gave up. That's a good life lesson and CW will certainly observe this trait. I know Jones is very talented and a running threat, but I think Cutliffe (saw) and CW sees Frazer as THE MAN!!

 

[jiggafini19]

What I find interesting is how the rating of these players devalue once they verbal. Not too many uncommitted guys seem to lose ground.

I'm not too worried about it. Notre Dame's guys have lost stars or whatever you want to call them. And Tom Lemming is not Einstein. I like the guys ND has.

 

[scooper]

If I'm not mistaken, Walls played much of the year with a shoulder injury and it may have affected his play. It happens. If that's why they dropped him, I can certainly understand. He'll get healthy and prove himself in college.

The sentiment is correct, though. With thousands of high school football players playing different competition and with different supporting casts, it's pretty darned hard to differentiate between the 3rd or 12th best or whatever. 4 stars, 5 stars, 72 stars, .99363 stars. Meh. I like getting the highly ranked players, but overall I want to get who the coaches go after.

 

[jiggafini19]

Walls had surgery on that shoulder and won't play in the Army AA Game.

I see the numbers Mustain put up down in Arkansas and I'm stunned. I know they have Webb and some other D-I guys on that team, but who the hell are they playing? 47.4 - 8.4 average after 14-0 season. Wow. Their low total for the year: 35. Most points allowed in a game: 21.

Then you get a guy like Frazer, surrounded by juniors that are inexperienced and not very good to begin with. His numbers dip. Does his skill set?

Also, I don't know about other states, but Illinois gives out 8 state titles. It used to be 6. 32 teams in each class. To me, that's too many. The first two rounds, in some classes the first three, are total joke game. Mismatches. It makes me wonder how good a team really is and how the determine these "fictional" national rankings.

We've discussed this before. Take these star ratings with a grain of salt. The line between 3-4 and 4-5 is pretty thin anyway.

 

[BGIF]

Rivals dropped Darrin Walls to four stars from five.
Pardon me while I go laugh my ass off.
What a joke.

There were two other major moves that probably raised some eyebrows. Former five-star players Darrin Walls and Antonio Logan-El are now are ranked at the four-star level. Logan-El is now ranked as the nation's No. 49 player and Walls came in at 51.

"Darrin had an injury-plagued senior season, which had something to do with his subpar performance on the field," Farrell said.

Darrin Walls bumped down a little bit because of an injury. "But again we were also looking for that next step of development and we didn't see it with Darrin.

Rivals.com

 

[jiggafini19]

Yeah, having relooked at this article I wonder:

Continued progression? Next step of development?

My uncle, who coaches in Pittsburgh, nearly met Walls' school in the playoffs but both teams lost. They scouted some of Woodland Hills' games.

Walls was not a secret and no one threw to his side of the field much. They also used him on offense and special teams while injured, a move that surely benefitted the team and not Walls.

Again, take the stars for what they're worth. Demoting Myron Rolle just seems funny to me.

 

[domerfor life]

Yeah, having relooked at this article I wonder:
Continued progression? Next step of development?
My uncle, who coaches in Pittsburgh, nearly met Walls' school in the playoffs but both teams lost. They scouted some of Woodland Hills' games.
Walls was not a secret and no one threw to his side of the field much. They also used him on offense and special teams while injured, a move that surely benefitted the team and not Walls.
Again, take the stars for what they're worth. Demoting Myron Rolle just seems funny to me.

The more I learn about recruiting, the more I understand that stars don't really mean anything. I've seen too many 5-star players not do squat when they get into college and I've seen 2-star and 3-star players turn into great players. It basically comes down to who fits best into the system that you are running. You can pick the best player in the nation, but if you run a system that doesn't maximize his abilities what is his 5-stars worth then? Absolutely nothing.

 

[BGIF]

... You can pick the best player in the nation, but if you run a system that doesn't maximize his abilities what is his 5-stars worth then? Absolutely nothing.

6-5-1
9-3
8-3
7-6

 

[jiggafini19]

6-5-1
9-3
8-3
7-6

Bingo. Probably the best example right in our own backyard.

Think Chris Leak can't wait to get out of Gainesville? He should enter the Draft while he has any value left whatsoever.

 

[domerfor life]

Bingo. Probably the best example right in our own backyard.
Think Chris Leak can't wait to get out of Gainesville? He should enter the Draft while he has any value left whatsoever.

I said that earlier in the season. Urban has a classic drop-back quarterback and he's running the spread option attack. Chris was getting killed because the O-line was always missing blocking assignments. Chris looked real bad at times this year after having a great Sophomore year. I asked the question before: why did we really want this guy? I mean can you imagine Brady or any quarterback on the roster running an option?..........Ok, everybody don't blow chunks all at once. LOL!! Some things are just meant to be and I think Charlie was meant to be. It's not like all of ND's classes have been terrible. Some pretty good classes have been put together, but the previous coaching staffs wasted alot of talent (i.e.-Shark, Stovall, Quinn, Mays)

 

[domerfor life]

6-5-1
9-3
8-3
7-6

Even the winning seasons were underwhelming. We never dominated anybody. We struggled beating Navy and Air Force.

 

[jiggafini19]

Speaking of dropped in the rankings...

Guess who just got dropped to number 2 TE in America?

Konrad Reuland.