College Football Recruiting: Looking for the ankles of a star

[Eric the Red]

College Football Recruiting: Looking for the ankles of a star

 

By Craig Smith

 

Seattle Times staff reporter

 

 

 

Football prospects who sign letters of intent today probably don't realize it, but recruiters check out their ankles.

 

Recruiters also glance at prospective linemen's wrists, shoes and hands.

 

Welcome to the world of college-football recruiting, an inexact science where 40-yard times, vertical jumps and bench presses aren't the only tools used to find the next great prospect. Where resourceful recruiters use a multitude of insider tricks to evaluate high-school talent and project their potential in three or four years.

 

Like sizing up ankles and wrists.

 

Greg Peterson, Washington State recruiting coordinator, said he looks for "guys with skinny ankles at the skill positions that demand speed — receiver, speed running back, defensive back.

 

"Look at the Seahawks at those positions," Peterson said. "They are skinny-ankled and high-calved."

 

Skinny ankles aren't as important for linemen, but Cougars offensive-line coach George Yarno said, "I prefer thin-ankled guys." Two reasons: These athletes tend to be more flexible and also faster.

 

The most obvious priority with offensive linemen is size.

 

Recruiters want line prospects who either are big now or look like they can grow and add weight. The starting offensive lines in the past two Apple Cups have averaged 303 ½ pounds.

 

"A lot of times, you have to project because they aren't physically developed," Yarno said.

 

That's where tricks of the trade such as looking at wrists come into play.

 

Acquiring talent is the lifeblood of college football, and coaching jobs depend on doing it well.

 

"We look for all kinds of things," Yarno said.

 

So how do coaches decide which players to pursue?

 

The top-tier of talent is easy to identify.

 

"They jump off the film at you," said Dick Baird, former Washington recruiting coordinator.

 

Recent examples: Ferndale quarterback Jake Locker (Washington signee), Timberline running back Jonathan Stewart (Oregon), Bellevue lineman Stephen Schilling (Michigan) and O'Dea safety Taylor Mays (USC).

 

USC and other elite programs get to make their choices from the talent stratosphere. Most NCAA Division I programs get only a couple "gotta-haves" and must rely on shrewd analysis, salesmanship and strong coaching to build competitive teams.

 

"Recruiting is an educated guess at best," WSU coach Bill Doba has said.

 

Recruiting involves projecting how 17- and 18-year-olds will perform on the bigger stage, usually in key roles when they are 20 or 21.

 

What does it take to become a Division I recruit?

 

Programs seek many things: Speed, size (at many positions), strength, toughness, great hips (for explosiveness when hitting and for changing direction), thin ankles (at some positions), academic ability to get into college and stay eligible, athletic intelligence, behavior that won't embarrass the university, competitiveness and a history of avoiding injuries.

 

"You can love the game all you want, but if you're not pieced together like a strong piece of leather, you fall apart," said Al Roberts, the former Washington assistant and Garfield High School co-coach who just joined the staff of the NFL's St. Louis Rams.

 

Former NFL scout Tony Razzano wrote in "Razzano: Secrets of an NFL Scout" that "the most important characteristic, not only in football but in all walks of life, is competitiveness."

 

Baird said the Huskies staff used to ask these questions when making final decisions on which players to offer:

 

— Does he have head-hunter toughness?

 

— Is he willing to come early and stay late?

 

— Is he dying to be a great player?

 

— Does he have leadership qualities?

 

Most of these are intangibles — essential but infinitely harder to measure than a 40-yard sprint time.

 

That's why recruiters want to talk to as many people who know the prospect as possible. A boy who is rude to his parents and teachers could be more trouble than he is worth.

 

Another intangible: How much does he like football? This is important because these high-school stars are almost guaranteed to receive more punishment as freshmen than they deliver.

 

Recruiters consider it essential to meet parents so they can understand a boy's background. Seeing the parents in person also can be useful in estimating how much bigger the player might grow.

 

Some positional requirements are obvious. Quarterbacks must have strong and accurate arms and leadership skills. Receivers need to be able to concentrate and make difficult catches. Offensive tackles need long arms to keep defensive ends away from quarterbacks.

 

Recruiting is where potential trumps performance. High-school stats don't mean much unless there is a "degree of difficulty" attached, such as rushing for 100 yards in a playoff game against a good defense.

 

Recruiters try to avoid what is called "the danger of falling in love with highlight film." The same can be said for paying too much attention to player rankings on recruiting Web sites.

 

Performances at combines, where players perform physical tests such as the 40-yard dash, change-of-direction drills and the bench press, seem to heavily influence Web site rankings.

 

"Excuse me, but I think hitting is a big part of the game," Baird said.

 

Roberts said one curious thing about recruiting is that evaluators get a much better look on film of players who perform in the middle of the field. Wide receivers and defensive backs don't get as much camera time as linebackers, running backs and linemen.

 

Speed is a universal requirement, but Greg Biggins of Scout.com says coaches are looking for "game speed." The ability to outrun opponents on the field in pads is more important than a sizzling clocking in the 40.

 

A borderline prospect can improve his stock by attending a summer football camp on a campus where he might like to play. This way, coaches get a good look at him.

 

It was at a WSU summer camp that Mkristo Bruce attracted the attention of then defensive-ends coach Robb Akey. Result: A scholarship.

 

Baird said the hardest position to project college success for is cornerback.

 

He noted that many college cornerbacks were high-school safeties.

 

"If a high-school team has a good cornerback, the opponents just throw away from him," Baird said. "If I'm a high-school coach, I'm putting my best defensive back at safety so other teams have to deal with him."

 

"Kids don't grow up being a corner," he added.

 

Baird said the positions where it is usually safest to project college success are guard, right tackle and defensive tackle.

 

"You can't coach big," he said.

 

After a class is signed, Web sites and media often are quick to give it a grade but Baird scoffs at this, knowing the real answer will emerge in three or four years.

 

"It's like comparing kindergarten classes," he said.

 

 

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com

[gamecocks]

Very good article. I remember my high school coach was telling me about when he coached at some school in Chicago. They would always look at the players feet as an indication of how much taller and bigger guys would get.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

Great article. Then they take it a step further at the next level. I read a couple years ago that the NFL and NBA look at every little minutia in the physicals such as bone density.