Tennessee`s Top 20 recruits

[Redtwin]

Here are the top 20 recruits in TN according to rivals100.com:

Top 20

 

Looks like a good year.

[rolltriberoll]

Looks like the better part of the top 20 is from Middle and West Tennessee - not a very big number from East Tennessee.

[WesVLT]

It's also interesting that 4 of the top 6 are from Division II.

[REBELRON]

Congratulations to Cade Thompson.

 

How is Anthony McCallister not on that list?

[JC4life]

The writers bought in to the theory that best prospects are in middle and west tennessee,how is Albert Harris,Anthony McCallister,and Lamon Williams not on the list.I think its time for the good people of the coacht message boards(who actually see these kids play) to come up with a REAL top 20 list.WHAT A SHAME!

Edited July 21, 2004 by JC4life

[muffin]

I would also like to know,why he is not on the list?

[TheBigRedDog]

What's the story on this Lawhorn kid from MUS? Is he the real deal? I've never heard of him.

[WaCoJaCo]

He Who?

[WesVLT]

What's the story on this Lawhorn kid from MUS?  Is he the real deal?  I've never heard of him.

825291352[/snapback]

 

He's started as a sophomore and junior, but he's never given BA any trouble...

[rollredroll]

I think its time for the good people of the coacht message boards(who actually see these kids play) to come up with a REAL top 20 list.WHAT A SHAME!

825291341[/snapback]

 

I agree. What a shame.

 

So, everybody on coacht.com who has seen every kid in Tennessee play and can determine whether the players on the Rivals list are better than the ones not on the list, or vice versa, please let us know. The over/under on people who can do this is three. I'll take the under.

 

As soon as I saw this thread, I said to myself, how long will it be before the conspiracy theories and bias allegations come out? Not too long, apparently.

 

Get over it, folks. It's just a preseason list, and being on or off the list isn't going to help or hinder a player's recruitment. Signing on the dotted line at the end of the season is all that matters.

 

And remember, we all do have the option of learning HTML and website development and incurring web hosting fees and staffing costs and so on to come up with our own recruiting website. Heck, if someone will bankroll me ($5K will get me started), I'll do it myself. I'll even include Harris, McCallister, and Williams.

[JC4life]

It doesn`t take a smart person to see that the list is bias,thats the plain honest truth.There are only what 4 kids on the list from East Tennesee,come on.Someone tell me how a kicker is ahead of Albert Harris?

[rollredroll]

It doesn`t take a smart person to see that the list is bias,thats the plain honest truth.There are only what 4 kids on the list from East Tennesee,come on.Someone tell me how a kicker is ahead of Albert Harris?

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Were some deserving kids left off of this list? Perhaps so. But one thing is for sure - Rivals, or any other recruiting service for that matter, has far more incentive to be accurate and prophetic than it does to be "biased". Rivals is not trying to "appeal" to a certain geographical population. Why does Middle and West have more players on the list? Have you ever thought that there are more players in that part of the state? I don't know if the list is geographically commensurate with the population splits in the state (it's probably close), but in any given year, most people should expect to see East Tennessee with fewer "prospects" (versus West and Middle) due to the numbers game.

 

So why is the kicker ahead of Albert Harris? Answer the following questions about the kicker:

 

> What is his range?

> What are his percentages from 40 yards out?

> Does he have a quick "release" (from snap to kick)?

> Is he right-footed or left-footed?

> Do colleges have a greater need for kicker prospects this year?

> Is he "recruitable" (i.e., does he have the grades/test scores, what is his attitude like, does he respond to coaching well, etc.)?

 

Is Albert Harris more of a "propsect" than the kicker? I don't know. And anyone who can't answer the questions above doesn't know either, nor is in the position to dispute the ratings. Heck, Rivals does not even know for sure (no one does), but I seriously doubt they take a lazy approach to their work.

 

And yet, it still doesn't matter. Preseason player ratings don't score TDs or make tackles or pancake block or kick XPs.