The late bloomer disadvantage

[Tsakoi]

Since the recruiting calendar has been pushed up by a number of months it has really put a group of guys at a distinct disadvantage for P5 offers in recruiting.

The late bloomers.

In the olden days of yore, there was only one national signing day and it was at the end of January or early February. Now we have two days, one in early December and the traditional Jan/Feb later date. This being the case schools have pushed all of their recruiting business to earlier months of the recruiting cycle year and tried to have a large majority of their class signed on that early date. Partly so they can then be then focused on transfer portal business and the other part to get a jump on the next cycle. This has pushed the lengthy process up considerably in terms of the timeline for a high school kid's playing career to be recognized as a scholarship worthy athlete. It used to be seniors and juniors that got all of the attention with an occasional sophomore. Now most kids are committing before they ever play a down as a senior. By the time their senior season comes they are actually done with the majority of the recruiting process and are just preparing to sign and in some cases enroll early. It's almost like their senior season has no bearing on their status at all outside of a major injury.

So, the current process means you have to be a contributor on your high school team as a sophomore and be ballin as a junior to earn those coveted big school offers. Not to mention have the measurables and physical attributes coaches are looking for by then as well.

That's great for the early growth spurt kids as well as anyone who plays a position where your high school doesn't have an upper classman ahead of you on the depth chart.

But what about the late bloomers?

What about the kid who isn't as physically mature as a sophomore/junior? What about the kid who has had to wait on the bench behind a talented upper classman to get his shot at some playing time? Here you are rolling into your senior year with your finally developed body and a spot on the depth chart ready to get some good plays on film but every school has a full recruiting class by the time your senior season even starts.

I think many of the guys who are late bloomers and show they can play will end up at smaller schools because of this. Of course the transfer portal can offer them a path up if they are able to play, but lots of these dudes will just be too late to the party.


Thoughts?

P. S. I think this is why summer camps and 7v7 tournaments have become so popular, because it offers some guys (not all) like this an additional chance to get noticed and alleviates the issue a bit. Not 100% but a little.

 

[kenyanfeline]

Since the recruiting calendar has been pushed up by a number of months it has really put a group of guys at a distinct disadvantage for P5 offers in recruiting.

The late bloomers.

In the olden days of yore, there was only one national signing day and it was at the end of January or early February. Now we have two days, one in early December and the traditional Jan/Feb later date. This being the case schools have pushed all of their recruiting business to earlier months of the recruiting cycle year and tried to have a large majority of their class signed on that early date. Partly so they can then be then focused on transfer portal business and the other part to get a jump on the next cycle. This has pushed the lengthy process up considerably in terms of the timeline for a high school kid's playing career to be recognized as a scholarship worthy athlete. It used to be seniors and juniors that got all of the attention with an occasional sophomore. Now most kids are committing before they ever play a down as a senior. By the time their senior season comes they are actually done with the majority of the recruiting process and are just preparing to sign and in some cases enroll early. It's almost like their senior season has no bearing on their status at all outside of a major injury.

So, the current process means you have to be a contributor on your high school team as a sophomore and be ballin as a junior to earn those coveted big school offers. Not to mention have the measurables and physical attributes coaches are looking for by then as well.

That's great for the early growth spurt kids as well as anyone who plays a position where your high school doesn't have an upper classman ahead of you on the depth chart.

But what about the late bloomers?

What about the kid who isn't as physically mature as a sophomore/junior? What about the kid who has had to wait on the bench behind a talented upper classman to get his shot at some playing time? Here you are rolling into your senior year with your finally developed body and a spot on the depth chart ready to get some good plays on film but every school has a full recruiting class by the time your senior season even starts.

I think many of the guys who are late bloomers and show they can play will end up at smaller schools because of this. Of course the transfer portal can offer them a path up if they are able to play, but lots of these dudes will just be too late to the party.


Thoughts?

P. S. I think this is why summer camps and 7v7 tournaments have become so popular, because it offers some guys (not all) like this an additional chance to get noticed and alleviates the issue a bit. Not 100% but a little.

OP’s balls didn’t drop until he was 19 and he’s still bitter about it.

 

[That SOB Van Owen]

They can portal after a year. Not a huge deal. It’s like the late round rookie that’s on a cheap ass deal who turns out to be a star, then has to get $ out of that second contract.

 

[huskermack]

Since the recruiting calendar has been pushed up by a number of months it has really put a group of guys at a distinct disadvantage for P5 offers in recruiting.

The late bloomers.

In the olden days of yore, there was only one national signing day and it was at the end of January or early February. Now we have two days, one in early December and the traditional Jan/Feb later date. This being the case schools have pushed all of their recruiting business to earlier months of the recruiting cycle year and tried to have a large majority of their class signed on that early date. Partly so they can then be then focused on transfer portal business and the other part to get a jump on the next cycle. This has pushed the lengthy process up considerably in terms of the timeline for a high school kid's playing career to be recognized as a scholarship worthy athlete. It used to be seniors and juniors that got all of the attention with an occasional sophomore. Now most kids are committing before they ever play a down as a senior. By the time their senior season comes they are actually done with the majority of the recruiting process and are just preparing to sign and in some cases enroll early. It's almost like their senior season has no bearing on their status at all outside of a major injury.

So, the current process means you have to be a contributor on your high school team as a sophomore and be ballin as a junior to earn those coveted big school offers. Not to mention have the measurables and physical attributes coaches are looking for by then as well.

That's great for the early growth spurt kids as well as anyone who plays a position where your high school doesn't have an upper classman ahead of you on the depth chart.

But what about the late bloomers?

What about the kid who isn't as physically mature as a sophomore/junior? What about the kid who has had to wait on the bench behind a talented upper classman to get his shot at some playing time? Here you are rolling into your senior year with your finally developed body and a spot on the depth chart ready to get some good plays on film but every school has a full recruiting class by the time your senior season even starts.

I think many of the guys who are late bloomers and show they can play will end up at smaller schools because of this. Of course the transfer portal can offer them a path up if they are able to play, but lots of these dudes will just be too late to the party.


Thoughts?

P. S. I think this is why summer camps and 7v7 tournaments have become so popular, because it offers some guys (not all) like this an additional chance to get noticed and alleviates the issue a bit. Not 100% but a little.

 

[Pipe Line]

OP’s balls didn’t drop until he was 19 and he’s still bitter about it.

I’ll be honest I didn’t really grow like that until I was 20-21. I remember my first time hitting over 200 lbs body weight at 21 like it was yesterday

 

[Husker_in_OK]

No doubt that the late bloomers have a huge disadvantage in today's CFB recruiting climate. That said, I think this is where we can capitalize finding some undervalued hidden gems and have some advantages over other schools with Rhule being the recruiter that he is.

Eric Fields out of Ardmore, OK is one of these guys that I've heard Rhule mention a couple times that he's essentially a complete steal of this class that didn't blossom until his senior year. Rhule has stated so much that he wants to save a few open spots in the fall to find some of these guys. Fields is actually someome who I'm going to have my eye on, just based on how excited Rhule was to get him.

 

[Baron Winnebago]

I’ll be honest I didn’t really grow like that until I was 20-21. I remember my first time hitting over 200 lbs body weight at 21 like it was yesterday

Lol fatty

 

[Pipe Line]

Lol fatty

Beer helped

 

[Baron Winnebago]

Beer helped

Yeah I wore like size 28 jeans in high school and I'm going to guess I'm not going to get back there

 

[Stan Raymond]

Since the recruiting calendar has been pushed up by a number of months it has really put a group of guys at a distinct disadvantage for P5 offers in recruiting.

The late bloomers.

In the olden days of yore, there was only one national signing day and it was at the end of January or early February. Now we have two days, one in early December and the traditional Jan/Feb later date. This being the case schools have pushed all of their recruiting business to earlier months of the recruiting cycle year and tried to have a large majority of their class signed on that early date. Partly so they can then be then focused on transfer portal business and the other part to get a jump on the next cycle. This has pushed the lengthy process up considerably in terms of the timeline for a high school kid's playing career to be recognized as a scholarship worthy athlete. It used to be seniors and juniors that got all of the attention with an occasional sophomore. Now most kids are committing before they ever play a down as a senior. By the time their senior season comes they are actually done with the majority of the recruiting process and are just preparing to sign and in some cases enroll early. It's almost like their senior season has no bearing on their status at all outside of a major injury.

So, the current process means you have to be a contributor on your high school team as a sophomore and be ballin as a junior to earn those coveted big school offers. Not to mention have the measurables and physical attributes coaches are looking for by then as well.

That's great for the early growth spurt kids as well as anyone who plays a position where your high school doesn't have an upper classman ahead of you on the depth chart.

But what about the late bloomers?

What about the kid who isn't as physically mature as a sophomore/junior? What about the kid who has had to wait on the bench behind a talented upper classman to get his shot at some playing time? Here you are rolling into your senior year with your finally developed body and a spot on the depth chart ready to get some good plays on film but every school has a full recruiting class by the time your senior season even starts.

I think many of the guys who are late bloomers and show they can play will end up at smaller schools because of this. Of course the transfer portal can offer them a path up if they are able to play, but lots of these dudes will just be too late to the party.


Thoughts?

P. S. I think this is why summer camps and 7v7 tournaments have become so popular, because it offers some guys (not all) like this an additional chance to get noticed and alleviates the issue a bit. Not 100% but a little.

Late bloomers have always been at a disadvantage in recruiting, today's model just exacerbates it. If a kid is truly a FBS football player and shows it his Senior year he will get a P5 scholarship, just might not be his top choice.