Recruiting: How young is too Young?
Ok, wanted the boards thoughts on this. With the college football landscape changing how it has in the past 5-10 years and how finding talent has become a premium. I ask the board "how young is too young to start recruiting?"
Recently Washington University offered (and received) a commitment from a 14 year old 8th grade quarterback. Also, LSU has offered a 14 year old who attened a summer football camp.
I know the Sandusky scandal was a one in a million situation, but I really have a problem exposing these young people to situations they are clearly not ready to be exposed to. I would really like to see the NCAA move in and put a very strict age restriction on recruitment.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8199497/soon-8th-grader-…
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8200394/quarterback-tate…
How old should a player be prior to being recruited? The examples given here are of those that cleary outshine others at the junior high level. This is a dangerous time to offer anyone because their ceiling is indeterminable and they might be maxing by time they play h.sl. ball.
The old standard is still the best standard, jmo. First of all does he dominate - at the h.s. level- all the opponents he faces. If the answer is no, don't recruit. He's a decent, but not great player. Given this consideration, you also have to determine the talent level he faces.
Mike Hart clearly dominated, but the opposition wasn't that great. However, his skill set was so ridiculously good that not offering would have been a huge mistake. So I guess the answer is the age of recruitment should be when a determination is made they can - not necessarily dominate- but play at the highest level of cfb. If that standard is met in 8th grade, and I don't know how it can be, then I guess an offer would make sense. But the question still remains, how is he going to do at the h.s. level? He sure in the hell hasn't matured to a young man at this age so he may not have already committed the youthful indescretions that most youngsters will make at some point in their life, with various and again indeterminable levels of penalties associated with such actions.
No reason to contact a kid before junior year of high school. Stephen A Smith actually suggested this today. Don't usually agree with him, but I can't argue with this point.
Old enough for me?
I just got offered to play football at the University of Michigan! #GoBlue! #MOB!
Half your age, plus seven.
But for recruiting, I'd say 9th grade is a bit young to be recruited, for football at least. 14 year olds have way too much time from now until the time that they might see the field to make any reasonable assumptions. Basketball is another story though, being that we have 19 year olds getting drafted.
But for football, I'd wait until sophomore year, unless there's some spectacular talent out there. Or if you're Lane Kiffin.
Not saying this is appropriate, but it's not uncommon.