ACC, Big Ten...you've chosen poorly

[dayooper]

Harbaugh & Michigan are having a field day in Jersey this year...

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/h...from-penn-state-then-picks-michigan-1.1498748

Yup, they are. Great talent in NJ this year.

 

[billybud]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said funding. Here in PA high school programs get major dollars. The smallest school districts have football stadiums that probably rival the best programs in CT... and youth football football starts at 4 years of age, 5 days a week. The youth organizations get their playbooks from the head coach of the local high school. We DID NOT have this in CT growing up. Soccer maybe the #1 sport by the number of participants, but it's not taken anywhere near as seriously by most of the participants as youth football is here. It probably explains the number of PA kids as well. And this is in Eastern PA... an area that I think is actually under-recruited.

I actually think one of the advantages UConn has is that it's smack dab in the middle of some decent football playing areas that are overlooked by the majority of college programs. Eastern PA, the New York suburbs, upstate NY, and New England. It just takes a lot of work to find those kids... they aren't scouted from 5th grade up. They don't have access to the regional camps that get the most attention... but I think Edsall proved they were there. Fast is fast, no matter what state you come from.

Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut combined had as many 3 through 5 stars as Hawaii. The football talent must be really hidden.

Rutgers does have a very fertile recruiting ground based on rated players per FBS school in the state..... as the only real football presence in the state, Rutgers could benefit greatly if they could corral the kids now leaving the state on scholarship.

 

[IMind]

Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut combined had as many 3 through 5 stars as Hawaii. The football talent must be really hidden.

Rutgers does have a very fertile recruiting ground based on rated players per FBS school in the state..... as the only real football presence in the state, Rutgers could benefit greatly if they could corral the kids now leaving the state on scholarship.

You're conflating recruiting rankings with talent... I don't want to get into that discussion. How many scout/rivals camps, etc. are there in New England compared to Florida? Kids just don't get evaluated at all. Connecticut is middle of the pack when it comes to producing NFL talent. It's not Florida, but it's not exactly Alaska either.

 

[Sportsman5]

You're conflating recruiting rankings with talent... I don't want to get into that discussion. How many scout/rivals camps, etc. are there in New England compared to Florida? Kids just don't get evaluated at all. Connecticut is middle of the pack when it comes to producing NFL talent. It's not Florida, but it's not exactly Alaska either.

yes. the measure that matters is performance in college. High school ratings are incredibly random when differentiating between a single star. 2 star vs 3 star or 3 star vs 4 star often has to do with factors outside of the control of a player. Factors that come into play like exposure at camps, reputation of high schools, reputation of high school head coaches etc.
For example, Zordan Holman came into UConn without a scholarship, but got playing time as a true freshman. If he played in a football state, then he would have definitely got scholarship offers.

 

[billybud]

yes. the measure that matters is performance in college. High school ratings are incredibly random when differentiating between a single star. 2 star vs 3 star or 3 star vs 4 star often has to do with factors outside of the control of a player. Factors that come into play like exposure at camps, reputation of high schools, reputation of high school head coaches etc.
For example, Zordan Holman came into UConn without a scholarship, but got playing time as a true freshman. If he played in a football state, then he would have definitely got scholarship offers.

Connecticut (in 2014) had 21 NFL players current....as you said, middle of pack (ranked #26)...same as Colorado and almost the same as Indiana, Oklahoma and Minnesota.

But..Connecticut, like Oklahoma, is also in proximity to other states with recruits (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York).

http://www.scout.com/nfl/story/1463436-nfl-roster-breakdown-by-state?s=127

 

[traitor71]

If FSU or Miami are regularly recruiting NJ, outside of the occasional can't miss prospect, something has gone horribly wrong with their connections at home.

In the case of Miami it was called Al Golden. He simply loved kids from that area for whatever reason.

 

[traitor71]

Your chart makes one wonder why New York, with a similar size population, and a higher percentage of Blacks, does not put out the football players that Florida does.

Urban basketball orientation? Spring weather?

Football is on some entirely other crazy level down here. It's sort of scary to see the importance that is placed on it even at a pee wee level.

 

[FDNY99]

In the case of Miami it was called Al Golden. He simply loved kids from that area for whatever reason.

I guess when you grow up in the well (Golden)...you go back to what you are familiar with.

 

[Ldandy]

I guess when you grow up in the well (Golden)...you go back to what you are familiar with.

Yeah pretty much this. All coaches do this to some extent.