NoahAg said:

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The portal game matters as much as HS recruiting. How bad would we suck this year without:

-KC
-Craver
-Howell
-Boerkircher
-Reed-Adams
-Will Lee

Not to mention...
-TJ Searcy
-Dayon Hayes
-EJ Smith

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You can't really use our current roster as a good example of how modern rosters are constructed since we are only in our second year of this coaching regime. We lost IIRC 25+ players to the portal after Jimbo left and had enormous holes to fill in the roster. We ended up pulling the #1 or #2 portal class that offseason and after that Elko stated he hoped to never have to sign a portal class like that again.

In reality I think a great split looks like 80/20 HS/portal. Next year I think we will sign some big DTs, a LB, a RB, maybe Cam Coleman at WR and 1-3 OL but at all other positions we have tons of young talent who are ready.

I wonder which coach will be the 1st to realize he only needs about 55 guys, drop the cost of the other 55. Spend smarter. Someone will go all in on portal every year. Tech could be it. Pay the most for every player. Why carry 55 guys, some you had to pay big to sit.

Look at all the HS stars A&M has recruited that turned out bust for the program. QB Kenny Hill, WR Sebastian LaRue, DL Walter Nolen, DL LT Overton, QB Conner Weigman, QB Kyler Murray, CB Denver Harris, OL Jorrie Adams.

All this time and money spent securing these guys wasted. All the money spent speculating on HS guys could be used in securing and retaining players that actually impact your starting roster.

Don't ignore HS entirely, but don't spend so much of your effort and money chasing prospects and divas that will end up busting or transferring.

It takes both and every program is unique in its approach. IMO, you build a foundation with the best HS players that fit the culture Elko has built and then you plug and fit positions of need with the best portal players that fit the culture Elko has built.

So far it seems he's done this well.

Why try to fill a program with prospects that fit your program and hope they develop into impact players, when you can just buy players that fit your program that have already proven to be impact players?

All this focus on historic programs that have a HS recruiting foundation is stuck in the old way of thinking. The game has changed and you don't have to build your team from scratch anymore, you can selectively recruit players and buy them with money.

The new system is dirty and driven by money, so if a championship is what you want you have to pay up.

College Football: Build through recruiting vs the portal
NFL: Build through the draft vs free agency

The best teams can do both. At the end of the day it will come down to what teams manage $$ best. Just like NFL teams that hit on good rookies you will have college teams that hit on recruits use their services before the price goes up and move on.

my opinion on best philosophy for recruiting and the portal


high school recruiting is like a pizza. it has cheese, and sauce the basics. the toppings wil be transfers.

you want the main ingredients to be from recruiting but the toppings can really jazz it up and make the pizza significantly better.

lil_frog8 said:

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College Football: Build through recruiting vs the portal
NFL: Build through the draft vs free agency

The best teams can do both. At the end of the day it will come down to what teams manage $$ best. Just like NFL teams that hit on good rookies you will have college teams that hit on recruits use their services before the price goes up and move on.

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The difference is in the NFL they have contracts and market caps. NCAA is the Wild West right now where biggest pocketbook can stack the team.

Jawn Dough said:

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Hambone31 said:

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Look where that got FSU

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And UNC.

And Colorado.

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and LSU