Currently our defense consists of a grand total of 5 four star or higher players (6 if you presume they are going to move Jamario Bell back to defense), which might be as many as we've ever had on that side of the ball.
We compete each week in the SEC against teams that signed more 5 star players this year than we have in the past 17 (three: McFadden, Mustain, Winston).
Alabama - SEVEN 5 star players.
LSU - THREE 5 star players
Auburn - NINE 4 star players
Miss. State - SIX 4 star players
Ole Miss - FOUR 4 star players (and this year is certainly an outlier for them since Freeze arrived)
A&M - THIRTEEN 4 star or higher players (1 five star)
Arkansas - FIVE 4 star or higher players
Our class was ranked #24 in the nation by Rivals, but that was only good enough for 9th in the SEC. Even the 2009 class, which was the highest ranked Arkansas class by rivals at #16 (8 four star players and 1 five star - two of whom never played a single down at Arkansas: Austin Moss and Colby Berna) was only good enough to finish #7 in the SEC - and that was before expansion; if A&M was in the league, I'm guessing we'd be no better than 8th that year.
The correlation between on-field success and recruiting seems indisputable. How can we expect to maintain above average success in the SEC with below average talent? Since expansion, Arkansas has finished no higher than #9 in the SEC class recruiting rankings (this year) and prior to this season, no better than 11th.
I think we can consistently out-recruit Mizzou, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, but we only play two of those teams each year. We've averaged 5.8 wins per season since expansion - and some of that can be blamed on JLS' disastrous year and the empty cupboard Bielema had to deal with in year #1 - so if you throw out those, IMO, outliers, we have averaged 7.3 wins per year, which, I think, is pretty much what we should expect on a yearly basis. Sure, we can have a great year and jump up to 10 wins one season, but we will mostly likely also have to suffer thru 5 or 6 win seasons just as regularly - all equaling out to a 7 to 8 win team.
That's what we are and, in truth, that is actually exceeding expectations based on the players that we are able to get. I believe CBB is the best recruiter we've had at Arkansas, and he still can't crack the top half of the SEC. Development helps, but it's not like these other coaches aren't also developing their players and I would think the "development ceiling" on a 4 or 5 star player is higher than others. We all know the challenges Arkansas faces - small state population-wise, produces very few D-1 prospects and even fewer SEC prospects and whenever we do have elite level prospects, we have to challenge the blue-blood programs for their signature.
If we want to consistently compete for conference championships or consistently be at the top of a conference, we need to move conferences.
So, I posit this question, is it more important to you to compete consistently for conference championships and to be at the top of your conference or are you okay with chasing the "impossible dream" of winning the SEC and that one magical season, but in most years being an "also ran" or worse?
Not trolling (and not saying I want to move conferences and I obviously know that isn't something that would ever happen $$$$) - just a hypothetical on a boring Friday.
We compete each week in the SEC against teams that signed more 5 star players this year than we have in the past 17 (three: McFadden, Mustain, Winston).
Alabama - SEVEN 5 star players.
LSU - THREE 5 star players
Auburn - NINE 4 star players
Miss. State - SIX 4 star players
Ole Miss - FOUR 4 star players (and this year is certainly an outlier for them since Freeze arrived)
A&M - THIRTEEN 4 star or higher players (1 five star)
Arkansas - FIVE 4 star or higher players
Our class was ranked #24 in the nation by Rivals, but that was only good enough for 9th in the SEC. Even the 2009 class, which was the highest ranked Arkansas class by rivals at #16 (8 four star players and 1 five star - two of whom never played a single down at Arkansas: Austin Moss and Colby Berna) was only good enough to finish #7 in the SEC - and that was before expansion; if A&M was in the league, I'm guessing we'd be no better than 8th that year.
The correlation between on-field success and recruiting seems indisputable. How can we expect to maintain above average success in the SEC with below average talent? Since expansion, Arkansas has finished no higher than #9 in the SEC class recruiting rankings (this year) and prior to this season, no better than 11th.
I think we can consistently out-recruit Mizzou, Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, but we only play two of those teams each year. We've averaged 5.8 wins per season since expansion - and some of that can be blamed on JLS' disastrous year and the empty cupboard Bielema had to deal with in year #1 - so if you throw out those, IMO, outliers, we have averaged 7.3 wins per year, which, I think, is pretty much what we should expect on a yearly basis. Sure, we can have a great year and jump up to 10 wins one season, but we will mostly likely also have to suffer thru 5 or 6 win seasons just as regularly - all equaling out to a 7 to 8 win team.
That's what we are and, in truth, that is actually exceeding expectations based on the players that we are able to get. I believe CBB is the best recruiter we've had at Arkansas, and he still can't crack the top half of the SEC. Development helps, but it's not like these other coaches aren't also developing their players and I would think the "development ceiling" on a 4 or 5 star player is higher than others. We all know the challenges Arkansas faces - small state population-wise, produces very few D-1 prospects and even fewer SEC prospects and whenever we do have elite level prospects, we have to challenge the blue-blood programs for their signature.
If we want to consistently compete for conference championships or consistently be at the top of a conference, we need to move conferences.
So, I posit this question, is it more important to you to compete consistently for conference championships and to be at the top of your conference or are you okay with chasing the "impossible dream" of winning the SEC and that one magical season, but in most years being an "also ran" or worse?
Not trolling (and not saying I want to move conferences and I obviously know that isn't something that would ever happen $$$$) - just a hypothetical on a boring Friday.
