[BenderBR]

Originally Posted by Kellster

You had some great talent, though. Joeckel might be the number one overall pick this year. Then you had guys like Moore, Michael, Swope, Neely, etc. Sherman couldn't motivate kids to play, but he definitely improved the talent level at A&M.

Would you say it was an example of talent development? The most important thing in CFB?

[Kellster]

Both. You had highly rated guys like Joeckel and Michael and underrated guys like Moore and Swope.

[Kellster]

And the reason that I say recruiting is the most important thing in college football - even above development - is that you can't win an SEC championship or a national championship with subpar talent, regardless of how well coached it is. You absolutely have to have freaks to win at the highest level these days.

[casultytosociety]

was anyone discussing sub par talent? ****, even your team hasn't gotten the best croots each and every year. i think player development is more important. urban had many players like will hill. highly touted croots who just dgafd and didn't reach their potential.

[BenderBR]

Originally Posted by Kellster

Both. You had highly rated guys like Joeckel and Michael and underrated guys like Moore and Swope.

Thats fine and all but our recruiting was Top 15 at best. Yours is Top 3. Sizable gap. Made up by development.

Originally Posted by Kellster

And the reason that I say recruiting is the most important thing in college football - even above development - is that you can't win an SEC championship or a national championship with subpar talent, regardless of how well coached it is. You absolutely have to have freaks to win at the highest level these days.

Maybe not, but its still the most important thing. See Florida. Urban ran away because he couldnt develop these kids anymore.

[Kellster]

The most important thing to a program is its roster. The way you win championships is by signing ridiculous recruiting classes every year.

National championships are won on Signing Day.

[BenderBR]

Originally Posted by Kellster

The most important thing to a program is its roster. The way you win championships is by signing ridiculous recruiting classes every year.

National championships are won on Signing Day.

They are won in summer camp. In the weightrooms and practice fields. Delude yourself any way you want. Talent must be developed. Almost no one is ready to play immediately from HS.

[Kellster]

Originally Posted by BenderBR

Thats fine and all but our recruiting was Top 15 at best. Yours is Top 3. Sizable gap. Made up by development.

I would say a lot of it is having experienced talent. Your best talent - aside from Johnny Football, obviously - consisted of upper classmen playing out their last season at Texas A&M. Alabama, on the other hand, finds its best talent among the underclassmen (i.e., Yeldon, Cooper, Clinton-Dix, etc.)

Originally Posted by bender

Maybe not, but its still the most important thing. See Florida. Urban ran away because he couldnt develop these kids anymore.

He left for a bunch of reasons. For one, Tebow masked a lot of disciplinary problems within the program. Secondly, Meyer was tired of the pressure of the SEC/having to compete with Saban.

[Featherlite 07]

Originally Posted by Kellster

The most important thing to a program is its roster. The way you win championships is by signing ridiculous recruiting classes every year.

National championships are won on Signing Day.

Tell this to Notre Dame. So either recruiting rankings are very flawed, or talent development is far more important than you'd like to believe. If we were to listen to you, we'd believe no one gets any better after high school, a notion that is purely asinine.

[Kellster]

You're forcing things into a false dialectic of recruiting vs. development when they actually go hand-in-hand. What I'm saying and what I'm absolutely right about is that the most important thing in college football in terms of longterm success is hiring coaches that recruit the best players they can that fit their schemes, attitudes, and overall culture of the program.

[Kellster]

It's no coincidence that Alabama has won three of the last four titles alongside signing four #1 recruiting classes in five years. Saban's Alabama has done an excellent job of recruiting blue chip prospects and then developing them as college football players. However, in order to develop them into future first rounders, you have to get them on campus first which is why hoarding talent is the most important thing in the sport.

When you go into Louisiana and sign the top kid away from LSU or go into Florida and take Trent Richardson from UF or flip TJ Yeldon from your instate rivals, those are the kinds of moves that put you in position to open up a title window spanning years.

Remember that Bama's whole run started in 2008 when Saban signed his first #1 recruiting class.

After Alabama defeated ND a couple weeks ago, none other than Urban Meyer was asked why Bama kept winning titles, and he said simply that Bama has the best players. And that's true. When you're putting double digit first rounders into the NFL over the span of a single player's college career, you're gonna have some opportunities to lift crystal.

[BenderBR]

Everyone:Kellster, you are wrong.
Kellster:Nuh uh.

[Kellster]

Don't just resort to the hive mind when I've actually given you a worthy argument.

[BenderBR]

Originally Posted by Kellster

Don't just resort to the hive mind when I've actually given you a worthy argument.

The thing is, you haven't. Development is everything. Yes, having a good platform matters but development is everything.

[casultytosociety]

Originally Posted by BenderBR

They are won in summer camp. In the weightrooms and practice fields. Delude yourself any way you want. Talent must be developed. Almost no one is ready to play immediately from HS.

i expected florida's recruiting classes to drop once players got the gist of how serious muschamp takes his ****. he's straight up telling kids they aren't stepping on that field unless they put their heart and soul into the team first. but i'm cool with being wrong

[Kellster]

Originally Posted by BenderBR

The thing is, you haven't. Development is everything. Yes, having a good platform matters but development is everything.

You have to actually sign them in order to develop them. And development starts with proper evaluation.

[tater_salad]

Just got off the phone with Vonn Bell's coach, Mark Mariakis, and he said the visit with the Tennessee coaches, which included all the defensive staff as well as Jones, was good for Tennessee. Coach Mariakis wasn't in attendance because they were out of school and the visit took place at Vonn's house, but he did say he talked to a family member about the visit.

He added given the amount of time Tennessee has had with Vonn, compared to a year for Ohio State and Alabama's staff, they've done well and Vonn seems to like the new staff. I think having Martinez has helped as well with Bell.

- Fortenberry

[Featherlite 07]

Originally Posted by Kellster

You have to actually sign them in order to develop them.

Duh. But that's less than half the battle.

[BenderBR]

Originally Posted by Kellster

You have to actually sign them in order to develop them. And development starts with proper evaluation.

Compare head to head all the recruiting info and rankings of the players in the A&M-Bama game and tell me recruiting is more important. Johnny "3*" Manziel tooled a ****ton of 5 stars the whole game.

[Paintnoob13]

Walton Goggins in sons of anarchy as a tranny hooker is the funniest thing ive ever seen.

[Kellster]

Originally Posted by BenderBR

Compare head to head all the recruiting info and rankings of the players in the A&M-Bama game and tell me recruiting is more important. Johnny "3*" Manziel tooled a ****ton of 5 stars the whole game.

Recruiting stars don't actually mean anything. It's all about evaluation. Signing the right players.

Originally Posted by tater_salad

- Fortenberry

Ohio State has come on late for Bell and Tennessee is the instate threat, but Bama's coaches probably have the best relationship with Bell.