LITTLE ROCK — During a commercial break, the radio show host mentioned Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown and “no stars” to a guest, a can’t-miss reminder that listeners were calling to talk about Arkansas’ recruiting.
True, Rivals.com did not award Brown any stars coming out of a North Carolina prep school and he accepted a scholarship to Central Michigan. Also true that those who pooh-pooh the stars awarded 17- and 18-year-olds can cite other examples of bad misses by various recruiting services.
However, for now, counting stars is the generally accepted way of measuring recruiting classes, although the personal preference involves suitors spurned by an athlete.
Cited previously, a former broadcaster/friend had it right. Years ago, when interest in recruiting was beginning to take off, Jim Elder would field calls from listeners who wanted to know about so-and-so.
Elder’s response never varied: “Call back in three years and I’ll let you know.”
All that said, the Razorbacks’ recruiting class is the first thing cited by Arkansas fans when questioned about enthusiasm for the second season under Chad Morris. Arkansas’ haul on Wednesday was an improvement on previous years, but the class needs context to reach a realistic assessment.
For starters, a couple of recruiting services decided Arkansas had anywhere from eight to 13 four-stars among its 20 players which means a big discrepancy in computations. Also uncounted are players expect to sign in February.
At this point, USA TODAY Sports’ composite is as good a way as any to get a handle on recruiting winners. Reflecting the rankings of 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, SEC teams Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and LSU are 1-4. The Crimson Tide, Aggies and Tigers are in the SEC West with Arkansas, and so is Auburn with the 13th-ranked class.
Behind Florida and Tennessee from the SEC East comes Arkansas at No. 17.
Pointing out that the Razorbacks’ class is ranked lower than four of the other six teams in the West, and only two spots ahead of division member Mississippi State in no way demeans what Morris accomplished in his first full year of recruiting.
In fact, the haul is a solid start in playing catch up, but the talent gap is huge. The 247Sports service showed Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn signing a total of nine five-star athletes and 54 four stars.
To somebody enamored with the also-rans, it is impressive that a couple of athletes chose the Razorbacks over Alabama and that several others turned down high-profile football programs.
For fans optimistic about 2019 because of the influx of athletes, the question is how many new faces will contribute immediately.
There is a learning curve involved in the transition to the SEC and nowhere is it more arduous than in the offensive line where Arkansas signed six, including two from junior college in pursuit of much-needed help.
A few years ago, the Gainesville, Fla., newspaper determined that during the 40 years freshmen had been eligible to play football, 13 true freshmen had started in the offensive line for Florida and 12 others had logged significant playing time.
A Gators freshman in 2000, Shannon Snell put it this way: “In high school, you’re the strongest of the strong. Here, everybody’s strong. At some point, your body hits a wall.”
And, Phil Trautwein, a Florida freshman in 2004, said he was not ready to play as a true freshman: “The playbook is everything. If you don’t where to go or what to do, it doesn’t matter how strong you are.”
On the other hand, a wide receiver with an affinity for catching the ball and running crisp patterns can play quicker and the incoming includes Trey Knox who was offered by Auburn, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford and others.
He could be among the freshmen most likely to contribute in 2019, but don’t expect many of them to start Aug. 31 vs. Portland State.