To the 'stars don't matter' crowd

[Mark Wheeler]

To the 'stars don't matter' crowd, a five-star is almost 10 times more likely to be drafted than a three-star.

 

[crfcom]

I don't care much if a 5* is almost 10 times more likely to be drafted than a 3*. I care if the coaching staff at UF football has an eye for talent at a given playing position that they can mold into an SEC caliber player who will perform at a college championship level, not how they're rated by ratings services who don't check academics or home support structure. I haven't even watched NFL football in years. I'm sure a significant number of the 5* athletes on these charts wouldn't qualify to enroll at UF before or even after they leave college with or without a degree, and many wouldn't pass a background check either. Urban Meyer used to recruit those and most of our SEC competitors still do. Also, which Louisiana team are you referencing and which Mississippi team? No matter, the data doesn't match my application.

 

[JayM]

The point is not every 5* recruit turns out to be a great player (see Ronald Powell) and some 3* recruits become great players. But on average the college team with more star power is going to win most of the time. Even if you really good at finding diamonds in the rough and developing them, you need some real star power to compete at the highest level.

QB position should be given more weight though. Being better at QB can make up for a talent gap. A five star punter doesn't equal a five star QB!

 

[crfcom]

The point is not every 5* recruit turns out to be a great player (see Ronald Powell) and some 3* recruits become great players. But on average the college team with more star power is going to win most of the time. Even if you really good at finding diamonds in the rough and developing them, you need some real star power to compete at the highest level.

QB position should be given more weight though. Being better at QB can make up for a talent gap. A five star punter doesn't equal a five star QB!

What you say is correct, but there is this caveat, you won't build a recruiting class full of 5*'s until they all want to come play for you, and that happens after you first build a winner, and you will have no choice but to build it with the best you can recruit, and you have to make those recruits good enough to challenge for championships. That's where UF is and it's why Napier is here. JMO. I think it remarkable that he has UF in the chase for the elite recruits everyone is already chasing.