SEC - Overrecruiting - how can it be done
How in the heck does Arkansas sign 31 or 35 kids ?
I always hear about all these SEC schools always oversigning and then always having 25-35 kids in their recruiting classes
someone want to explain how they get over the 85 limit besides medical scholarships
something has got to give
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
Grey shirts, not renewing the yearly scholarships of upperclassmen, and denying incoming players their scholarships after accepting their LOIs all come to mind.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:40 PM ^
The reason oversigning is such a slimy practice is mostly due to the last item listed, especially when players are already moved into their freaking dorm rooms.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
The practice of pushing non-productive players out the door to make room for more recruits is newer than the enormous signing class phenomenon displayed here. If Arkansas has twenty spots to fill, they may very well need to sign thirty guys to come up with those twenty who will be eligible come next fall. On the other hand, if they have 15 spots to fill, they may sign 30 (to bring in 20) AND shove five guys out the door to make room for the new recruits, thereby getting a double whammy of talent infusion.
The practices are different (with the latter being far sleazier, IMO) but are both big reasons why the SEC dominates the recruiting rankings (30 man classes are rated higher than 20 man classes on signing day) and has had some pretty good teams on the field of late.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^
the severity of not renewing scholarships. It's just that denying scholarships to incoming freshmen is what people talk about. Both are terrible practices...these coaches are trying to manage a pro team with college kids, many of whom would benefit greatly from a free education.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:33 PM ^
They are signing so many guys, in part, because they know/assume that many will not qualify academically. If they want to bring in 25 guys, they have to sign 30+ knowing there is a big pool of guys who could go either way from a qualification standpoint. If they didn't do it they would end up short on recruits come enrollment time or would have to go after less talented kids with better grades (a plan that doesn't win you a lot of games in that or any conference).
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:41 PM ^
Drop/don't renew scholarships. Happens all the time. That stuff is dirty as hell.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^
They'll probably get away with it until the SEC has a down year (please come soon). Side note: Apparently "National" signing day with ESPN means only focusing on the SEC. Dear Lord, I know they are getting the best recruits, but can we spend at least 10 minutes in a different area of the country?!? ESPN's love of the SEC is sickening.
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:26 PM ^
Much like the whining that ensues when ESPN shows mostly Yankees/Red Sox during baseball season, they are simply more conducive to cover teams and areas of the country where they are more likely to get viewers. It's nothing more and nothing less.
February 2nd, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
So these kids should know that going in. It would be interesting to see the total failure to qualify rate of a given class of the top 150. Last year we had it with Dorsey but it hasn't been a persistent problem.
February 2nd, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
Oversigning has to be one reason that the SEC is considered the top conference. Florida and Georgia being the exception.