If you keep up with recruiting like yours truly, then you know that there are several sources out there to get your information from. Websites like Rivals, 247 Sports, and ESPN each use a star or number system to rate each high school player in the nation. However, each source is not created equal and you really have to compare/contrast the outlets to find out about the next Deshaun Watson. But what if the next Deshaun Watson is really just another Ryan Perrilloux- a dual-threat QB who had an outstanding high school career, couldn’t find much playing time at LSU and later finished his college time at Jacksonville St. The point is that both Watson and Perrilloux were highly rated players coming out of high school, but only one of them really panned out. Here I will show you were the recruiting guru’s got it right, wrong, and totally missed a gem.
The Good
Calvin Johnson– Class of 2004. 4 Stars. Way back in 2004, there was an up and coming freshman by the name of “Calvin Johnson”. Johnson was rated a 4-star prospect per Rivals at the time. Yet, if you checked out his profile on Scout( which is now apart of 247Sports), he was rated a 5-star prospect. Now, Johnson was probably a 4-star on Rivals due to the fact he committed to Georgia Tech. If he committed to a school like FSU, Miami, or USC, a big factory school, he would had no doubt been a 5-star all across the board. History proved that Calvin Johnson not only was a great player, but he went on to have a very successful collegiate and pro career and will no doubt be in the NFL Hall of Fame when his time comes.
The Bad
Mitch Mustain – Class of 2006 – 5 stars. This name might ring a bell or two for you. In 2006, there were two Quarterbacks at the top of the high school recruiting rankings: Matthew Stafford and Mitch Mustain. Mustain was a Arkansas native who lit the record books up in Sprindale. After he committed to Arkansas, the thought was that his resume alone would win him the starting job. Sadly, he couldn’t beat out Casey Dick, even though Mustain won 7 games for the Razorbacks. Mustain saw the writing on the wall and transferred to USC in 2007. However, history repeated itself for Mustain as he couldn’t beat out another quarterback, this time Mark Sanchez. Mustain finished with just 505 yards and three touchdowns at USC.
Diamond in the Rough
Tom Brady – Class of 1996 – No stars. This individual needs no introduction. When his career is over, Tom Brady will most likely be recognized as one of the greatest Quarterbacks of all time. But he would have to earn that title. When Brady walked onto Ann Arbor, he was seventh on the depth chart…seventh! At one point, Brady was so frustrated with not getting any playing time, he hired a sports psychologist to help him get through that season of his life. Yet, Brady didn’t give up. He was just biding his time. He knew he had what it took. In 1998, Brady’s time finally came. He set Michigan records for most pass attempts and completions in a season. Brady won 20/25 games as the Wolverine starter. And as of this year, 2018, he has five super bowl rings. Clearly, Brady was under the radar coming out of high school.
In short, recruiting rankings can tell us what they think about a players attributes, but they aren’t fortune tellers. They can’t read the stars or see into the future. They can only give us their opinion on what they think how Jon Doe will do in college. Don’t get me wrong, these scouts do their homework- they have a keen eye for the most part and can get it right about a kid a lot of the time. But don’t put all of your stock into what they say, wait until they see the 90,000 fans in the stands- wait until they get that first hit that takes them to the ground. Wait until they climb the depth chart and take a team to a championship.
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