Harbaugh Meeting with #1 Overall 2016 Pro Style QB Jacob Eason

Points taken. You talk about perspective, so let's put ourselves in the mind of a kid who's rated the top QB in the country in his class. You have sugar plum images of walking out on stage on draft day in 4 years and shaking Goodell's hand as he announces you as the #1 pick in the NFL draft. You're about to sign a contract that sets you for life as a 22 year old. Everyone is telling you that if you work hard, this is all possible. Now bring yourself back to today. Every D1 coach and their uncle is calling and sending letters that you start showing on Instagram because it's what kids do today. However, of all the coaches chasing you, there is just one proven one that isn't just really good at the X's and O's of winning games, but has literally lived and breathed the path that is driving you to be the best QB. One coach who has played at a top program, excelled and won games (some with guarantees) there, voted an All-American and even been a Heisman finalist for good measure. And, for even better measure, a first round pick in the same draft you envision being in. And the other coaches chasing you? Waiting, waiting....crickets chirping. Here's the point. No one is dismissing the records of Saban, Urbz, Fisher, and many other proven coaches. They all know how to win football games. They are great game managers and make X's and O's adjustments. What NONE of them has that makes Harbaugh the single most unique coach at this level for an aspiring #1 draft pick is that he has walked and lived the path that an Eason, Gentry, Costello and any other top QB wants to follow. Make no mistake - for these kids, it's all about the Benjamin's. The lure of being a top NFL pick a la Luck, Stafford, Bradford, Newton, or the Mannings is huge. It's a BUSINESS decision. The guiding question for them is "who and where is the best preparation possible for me to get there?" Boosters, hot cheerleaders, etc all play some role (in cases like Newton, a big role), but for most guys, the coach who has walked and breathed the path, and with a competitive fire second to none, gets my vote. These kids know there are no guarantees they will make it as a top draft pick, but damn straight I want to ensure I have the best preparation I can get to make it happen. Using a non-football analogy - if I'm an MBA (like I was at UM) and I aspire to be a Fortune 500 CEO, if I have the choice of being mentored by a Jack Welch or some random McKinsey consultant who has advised CEO's but never actually been a CEO, whom do I want coaching me? I want the guy that has walked and lived the path I desire and can prepare me for what I'm about to experience. It's no different for an 18 year old kid who wants to walk on stage and shake Goodell's hand in 3-4 years, albeit at a teenager mentality. It's more of a business today than ever before. Lastly, as far as your example of Roethlisberger - the dude is as dumb as a box of rocks, and if he weren't an NFL QB, the best he likely would do is bouncer at a nightclub. Rape allegations and riding your motorcycle at super high speeds don't make for a good coaching resume. A better analogy might be if Peyton Manning retires this year, decides to coach 3-4 years at some Podunk Mississippi small college, then becomes head coach at Tennessee. If I'm the same 18 year old QB considering where to go to college, then when both Peyton and Jimmy come calling, then I have a real decision to make. Until that happens, notwithstanding the Newton type of booster/bagmen theatrics, there is simply no way any sane HS QB can make his business decision anything other than playing for Jim Harbaugh.