To put it as honestly as possible, evaluating recruiting is an inexact science and basically just something for fans to talk about.

For weeks now we have been pelted with talk of four stars, three stars, in-home visits, phone calls, last-second visits to campus and a final push to change someone’s mind.

Not just in Arkansas, but all across the country. But all things considered, it looks like Bobby Petrino’s first recruiting class is very strong, better than expected when he arrived on campus.

Especially when you realize he was made public enemy No. 1 by ESPN, the most influential athletic voice in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

You would have thought Petrino had lied under oath to a senate committee, or had somehow managed to insult ESPN.

For about three days after he resigned from the Atlanta Falcons, ESPN’s commentators attacked Petrino — relentlessly. It seemed almost personal.

The Falcons’ season was basically over — three games were left — when Petrino escaped the NFL.

Compare the treatment Petrino received to that of the Texas Tech basketball coach, who resigned with 11 games to play and the dream of the NCAA Tournament still burning red hot in the guts of his players.

Pat Forde questioned the timing of the latest resignation in his ESPN. com column, and even mentioned that if it was wrong for Petrino to leave early, it was wrong for the Red Raiders coach, too.

Yet, basketball analyst Jay Bilas tossed softballs at the excoach in an exclusive interview on SportsCenter.

Being a good coach was good enough for one, but not the other ?

Yet, Petrino did the smart thing and took the high road.

The Wyoming cowboy in him came out as he turned his back on the criticism and dug his heels in to make sure the bleeding was minimal at his new job as the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Petrino and new recruiting coordinator Tim Horton hit the road, logging miles to Greenwood, Camden, Warren and numerous stops in between.

The brakes were off.

A couple of Arkansas guys decided to be Razorbacks who were going out of state. More impressive was that several guys from other states changed their minds and will be Hogs this fall.

They all have stars, but how many isn’t really important today, or even tomorrow.

The measure of a recruiting class takes years, usually at least two and normally three or even four.

Right now we are talking about high school seniors who have never washed their own dirty socks. Some haven’t even shaved.

Between now and the time they enroll in summer classes at the UA, most will let themselves get out of shape as they enjoy the festivities of their last year of high school.

Then, they have to adjust to the speed and power of SEC football, not to mention learning how to pick up their own clothes and not getting to eat mom’s cooking.

It is a big transition for kids all over the country. But the good ones, regardless of how many stars they have beside their name today, will dig in and make themselves better.

It is a challenge to get players, but the greatest challenge of any coach is to make them into the best players they can be while putting team before I.

Petrino and his staff, which is apparently very good at recruiting, got lots of players with 3 stars, some with 4 stars and some with just 2 stars, which doesn’t always mean that much. Consider that Jamaal Anderson was a 2-star recruit in Arkansas’ class of 2004. Three years later, Anderson left after his junior season at Arkansas and was a first-round NFL draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons and started as a rookie.

All things considered, Petrino and Co. did a very good job.

They overcame the personal attacks on Petrino, even signed three kids out of Georgia and, just as impressive, were able to get the job done before Willy Robinson was named defensive coordinator Wednesday.

This is a good group on paper, better than initially anticipated. But their real rating as a recruiting class doesn’t happen for at least a couple of years.