The alliance better look somewhere other than Fox for a media partner. Why are they at Alabama v Florida when it’s a CBS game:
Edit: I am wrong. This isn’t their kickoff show. Just flicked over and saw them at OU v Nebraska.
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Excerpt from The Athletic:
In the past year, The Athletic has conducted anonymous surveys with recruiting staffers and parents of prospects to gain more insight into the process. This time, the focus is on the assistant coaches — those who are in constant communication with top prospects and their families, work closely with head coaches and recruiting staffers and compete against other assistants.
With recruiting intensifying over these next few weeks, The Athletic spoke to nearly three dozen FBS assistant coaches spanning every FBS conference and the independents about a wide range of topics from realignment and the latest recruiting trends to who they believe are the best players in the ’22 cycle.
The panel consisted of assistants from the ACC (8), Pac-12 (6), Big Ten (5), SEC (5), AAC (2), C-USA (2), MAC (2), Mountain West (2), Big 12 (1), Sun Belt (1) and independents (1).
How do you think realignment will impact the recruiting landscape?
Pac-12 coach: Unfortunately, it just turned the ■■■■■■■ SEC into the Premier League, I think. You can make this Alliance, you can do whatever you want, but if you’re an SEC school — and it doesn’t matter because I was at (a mid-tier SEC program), and I never said (that program’s name), all I said was “SEC, SEC, SEC.” Missouri could be Kansas or Kansas State or Texas Tech right now had they not gotten into the SEC. But they’re in the SEC now, so they’ve got the edge on that. I do think that’s going to make a difference. … It’s going to continue to further the gap.
AAC coach: The big one in Texas would be that A&M has been able to sell the SEC thing for the last several years and it was a legit selling point. It’s really gonna help UT in that regard in the state. If you went East and in the Southeast, you were in a fistfight with the whole SEC to find guys. Texas felt like you could go West to have a greater hit rate because you’re recruiting versus Pac-12, ND, OSU. This will help them in state. LSU and Alabama can’t come in and sell “play in the SEC” anymore. It’s a whole different deal.
Pac-12 coach: It’s almost like the SEC has the sell: “We are the premier league, we’re the place to be right now.” For the Pac-12, we have to try to create some momentum like we’re playing on the big stage just like they are every week. You have to create some equality there that the football is still the same. That way, every kid as soon as he gets an SEC offer, it’s not like, “It’s a done deal, I have to go there.”
MAC coach: (You have to) keep selling the idea about playing time, opportunities to play and hopefully we’ll still get a chance to go against some of those Power 5 schools. Those will be selling points (at this level).
SEC coach: I think it’s gonna hurt certain schools, but I do think it’s gonna help Cincy. They’ll be in the Big 12, but for the most part, they’re going to a finesse league and this will solidify them. They should run that league.
It sounds like a bunch of coaches are using the SEC as a crutch as to why they can’t keep guys in their region. Culture of the program and results of placing guys in the NFL matters more than playing at Tennessee or South Carolina to these recruits.
Top 25 classes last year by conference:
SEC- 9 teams
Big 1G- 7 teams
ACC- 4 teams
Pac 12- 2 teams
Big XII- 2 teams (both heading to SEC)
Independent- 1 team
It’s pretty evenly split. Sure the SEC has an Advantage but the Big 1G and even the ACC are holding their own.
You missed one important mention in that article
What schools do you think should be recruiting better?
Pac-12 coach: I think there are a lot of good football players in Utah who don’t go to Utah. … They’re always talented. So it’s not like they’re doing anything wrong. I just feel like there are some Utah kids who would love to go to Utah that they don’t get on early and they end up falling through the cracks and ending up somewhere else.
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Thanks, I missed that. Does anyone have any information supporting the concern that our program is too focused on going out of state for players?
Since I’ve mentioned this before I got interested in the stats. Using 247 sports how many of the last 6 classes in the Top 10 of Utah players committed to the Utes.
2022- 1 kid is 80% lean to Utes. SC got 1, Oregon got 2, BYU 2, Baylor 1, UCLA 1, Virginia 1 and one other kid without a lean.
2021- Oregon 3, BYU 3, SC 1, Washington 1, Utah 1 and Nebraska 1.
2020- Utah 5, Oregon 1, BYU 1, UCLA 1, Ok State 1, Washington State 1.
2019- BYU 3, Utah 2, Utah State 1, Boise 1, Washington 1, LSU 1, Oregon 1.
2018- Utah 3, Washington 2, Vanderbilt 1, Alabama 1, Texas 1, Washington State 1, Oregon 1.
2017- BYU 3, SC 2, Stanford 2, Mississippi State 1, Utah 1, Washington 1.
4&5* Total: 25
4&5* committed to Utah: 3 out of the 12 committed are 4* or higher.
Utah hasn’t ever had a 5* commit (from anywhere) which is wild to me.
Honestly, this is where I thought NIL would help Utah. I’ve always heard about the business growth in SLC market and some of that flowing to endorsements should help convince some. That said, why would you go out of state to someone in the same conference if your home team is on the hunt for the conference title every year. Are your facilities that far behind places like Oregon and the other P5s. I know SC has sub-par facilities as well.
It has nothing to do with tangible things.
It has to do with many kids in Utah wanting that break from home.
They don’t want to be just up the street, they want to be on their own.
If you really want an eye-opener check out the paths some of our best players have taken to get to Utah. Guys like Star Lotulelei, Devaughn Vele, or Tavion Thomas. There are others that I just can’t think of at the moment.
Sorry, this is BS excuse. Sure, maybe a guy…. Maybe two has that reason. Most of these kids are trying to get to the league and play against great talent. Most are not trying to broaden their horizons going to the metro areas of Eugene or Pullman.
You make think it is, but the top kids in Utah look to leave Utah.
You may not understand Utah culture if you don’t think that’s a real thing.
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I believe Devin Lloyd was a 3* kid whose only P5 offer was Utah. Lloyd will be drafted fairly high. Then there are the Alex Smiths and Eric Weddles who only get rated as 2*.
“Utah culture, everyone is trying to get out.”
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You have no idea how true that is. Lots of kids can’t wait to leave. Once out many of them learn to appreciate what they’ve left. Then they come back. At least that was my experience.
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So, in summation the Utah culture is one where the best of your community are just trying to get out of Utah so they can come back. There is nothing the University of Utah can do to retain them. University of Utah is built for the mediocre level Utah people and out of staters to attend?
That’s been my experience as well. My daughter told me that 6 of her college friends left Utah after graduation. She has wanted to leave as well (although we lived elsewhere when she was in HS) after college. Two years later all 6 want to return, even those with no family in the area, and has made her rethink her plans. Her words, not mine.
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I don’t know if it’s so they can come back. That just seems to be the pattern. All of my high school friends left Utah. Could not wait to get out. I was that way too. Then 15 years later you run into one or another at the store or restaurant or at a game. It’s always the same story, couldn’t wait to leave, couldn’t wait to come back. My job took me to Minneapolis (1yr), Dallas (1yr), and New York (6 yrs). So glad that I was able to come back. I didn’t dislike those places. I liked them fine. So glad I could work it out to come home. My brother did the same. He lived in Hong Kong for 25 years and couldn’t wait to come back.
It isn’t that Utah is mediocre, quite the opposite really. It’s just the culture. You can’t understand unless you’ve lived here.
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We left for 25 years and lived in some cool places too. Returned 5 years ago. We like it here best. No contest.
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Every state has this. It’s not culture. It’s just teens wanting to get out of their speed trap town and see the world. I am certain my daughter is heading west for College. I just don’t buy it as an excuse for Utes missing out on top flight football talent. Most people love to play for the home school and win a title for their state.
Probably lots of truth to this. Our kids grew up in a southern town. Lots of those kids have found their way back after college. My kids seem to prefer Salt Lake to their childhood town however. My oldest is doing a medical fellowship in the south till next year and can’t wait to get back. She’s done with the south.