{"id":2792,"date":"2014-11-25T09:55:55","date_gmt":"2014-11-25T14:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=2792"},"modified":"2014-11-25T09:55:55","modified_gmt":"2014-11-25T14:55:55","slug":"have-you-ever-seen-a-66-high-school-football-player-without-a-college-scholarship-offer-me-neither","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/have-you-ever-seen-a-66-high-school-football-player-without-a-college-scholarship-offer-me-neither\/","title":{"rendered":"Have You Ever Seen a 6’6″ High School Football Player Without a College Scholarship Offer? Me Neither"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"How Height Rules the New Recruiting Landscape<\/h3>\n

By: Chad Wilson – Editor – Gridiron Studs Blog<\/strong>
\nTwitter: @GridironStuds<\/strong><\/p>\n

What’s the most important factor in obtaining a college football scholarship? \u00a0Is it tremendous footwork? \u00a0Is it a high football IQ? \u00a0Is it outstanding hitting ability? \u00a0How about great speed? \u00a0All of those things are nice and\u00a0most definitely a part of any great player’s resume but if you want to be sure to play college football the most important factor is, \u00a0be tall. \u00a0There’s just something about a coach having to look up to see a prospect that makes an offer fall right out of their mouth.<\/p>\n

Go to any high school football practice for any school, anywhere. \u00a0Chances are if there is a 6’5″ participant, \u00a0he has a college scholarship offer. \u00a0This offseason, \u00a0as you make your way to all the camps and combines, \u00a0check the crowd of reporters. \u00a0You can be certain they will congregate around a plus six footer. \u00a0There’s just something about having to hold your tape recorder above your head that screams hot prospect. \u00a0I’m not just talking fantasy here, \u00a0there is evidence to support this. \u00a0I am also not saying that tall prospects aren’t good players but there’s no denying that when it comes to height and college football prospects, \u00a0the numbers are trending up.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the Rivals Top 100. \u00a0 Here are the heights of the last five #1 rated prospects in the country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Height of Rivals #1 Prospect 2011-2015<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n6’6″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n6’6″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n6’3″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n6’4″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n6’3″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Looking beyond just that top spot, \u00a0from 2011-2015 ranked recruiting classes by Rivals, \u00a0only six prospects listed under 6′ have ever found themselves in the top 10. \u00a0That’s six prospects out of 50 that have been listed under 6′ tall. \u00a0For your math nuts out there, \u00a0that’s a mere 12%.<\/p>\n

You should also note, \u00a0since it began producing a Top 100 list in 2002, \u00a0Rivals.com has never had their #1 recruit in the country stand under six feet tall. \u00a0Bet you didn’t know that.<\/p>\n

Well you say, \u00a0that’s probably because they’re always picking some quarterback or defensive end. \u00a0This is true, \u00a0the last three #1 players in the country have been defensive ends. \u00a0So let’s take a look at height as it relates to some individual positions. \u00a0First we will start with defensive ends. \u00a0If you’re standing at or under six feet, \u00a0playing defensive end is a tough way to go according to the recruiting numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
–<\/td>\nHeight of Top 10 Rivals WDE 2011-2015<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
–<\/td>\nHeight of #1 Player<\/strong><\/td>\nHeight of Shortest Prospect<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n6’5″<\/td>\n6’2″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n6’4″<\/td>\n6’3″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n6’2″<\/td>\n6’2″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n6’4″<\/td>\n6’3″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n6’5″<\/td>\n6’2″<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

No surprises here. \u00a0Height is where it’s at. \u00a0When it comes to rushing the quarterbacks weak side, \u00a0college coaches believe a tall, long rangy player has all the advantages over someone who is not that.<\/p>\n

How Tall is the Passing Game?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are no surprises at the pro-style quarterback position either. \u00a0Absolutely zero sub six foot quarterbacks have been ranked in the top 10 over the last five years at Rivals.com. \u00a0The average height of the guys that have been ranked number one in this category is 6’4″.<\/p>\n

Ok, \u00a0we get it, \u00a0you “need” a tall guy to see over the line (that is till you realize the centers and guards are also 6’4″ but I’ll drink my tea now). \u00a0Perhaps the shifty dual threat quarterbacks are given some leeway on height. \u00a0Fat chance! \u00a0Over the last five recruiting cycles, \u00a0the average height of the #1 ranked dual threat quarterback in the country at Rivals has been 6’1.5″ and only one prospect out of a possible 50 listed in the top 10 over that time period has been listed under six feet. \u00a0That prospect is none other than Booker T. Washington High School’s and current Florida Gators starting quarterback Treon Harris. \u00a0That should surprise you.<\/p>\n

Receiver’s Being Stolen from the Basketball Court<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surely, \u00a0receivers are not so much a part of this scenario. \u00a0Yes, \u00a0we have noticed that they have been getting taller but not across the board, right? \u00a0Hit the buzzer, \u00a0wrong! \u00a0No receiver from 2011-2015 recruiting classes listed under six feet has found themselves as the #1 receiver in the country. \u00a0Of the 50 receivers listed in the Top 10 over that time span, \u00a0a mere nine have been under six feet. \u00a0 That’s 18%.<\/p>\n

What About the No Fly Zone?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn’t take a look at the entire No Fly Zone. \u00a0I took an interest in cornerbacks. \u00a0When I was growing up, \u00a0it was rare to see six foot plus guys playing the position. \u00a0The thought was that they did not have the agility to mirror a wide receiver going through his cavalcade of direction changes. \u00a0That thinking has seen it’s way out with rotary dialed phones, VCR’s and other beloved amenities of my youth. \u00a0Take a look at the recent trends:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Height of Top 10 Rivals Cornerbacks 2011-2015<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
–<\/td>\nHeight of #1 Prospect<\/strong><\/td>\n# out of Top 10 listed under 6′<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2011<\/td>\n6’1″<\/td>\n7 out of 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2012<\/td>\n5’11”<\/td>\n6 out of 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2013<\/td>\n511″<\/td>\n6 out of 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014<\/td>\n6’1″<\/td>\n5 out of 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2015<\/td>\n6’1″<\/td>\n4 out of 10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Noticing a trend here? \u00a0Each recruiting cycle, \u00a0the number of sub 6′ cornerbacks in the Top 10 is shrinking. \u00a0Only the University of Miami’s Tracy Howard (2012) and the University of Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves (2013) has managed to find themselves in the top spot standing under six feet. \u00a0I guess we can all thank the Seattle Seahawks for this trend as they’ve dominated the air waves in the NFL the past few seasons with power forwards playing cornerback.<\/p>\n

What’s the Reason?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well there are a few theories I have. \u00a0First, \u00a0the field of exercise science has exploded in recent years. \u00a0The ability to turn seemingly any individual into a competent athlete has increased. \u00a0This now applies to taller athletes who were once considered to be awkward. \u00a0Physical development and training is turning tall athletes into agile beings that can survive out in space and change direction. \u00a0There was a time that the thought was once you passed 6’5″ it was time for you to go stand in the paint on a basketball court. \u00a0Now exercise science has turned those guys into tight ends and even wide receivers.<\/p>\n

College coaching staffs can add weight to a prospects frame when they get on campus. \u00a0They can also make them faster and improve their IQ. \u00a0However, \u00a0we have not reached the point where medical science can make an athlete taller. \u00a0With that in mind, \u00a0the thought of a coaching staff is I can’t teach height so acquiring a 6’5″ player that can do what a 6’2″ player can do gives me a tactical advantage.<\/p>\n

College coaches are also involved in a profession that does not offer a ton of stability. \u00a0Jobs are given and taken with light speed now in college football. \u00a0More and more, \u00a0jobs are lost over lack of production in the area of recruiting. \u00a0This means, \u00a0coaches are less likely to take chances on the recruiting trail. \u00a0Bringing in a highly productive high school player who was not the ideal height and having him struggle on the college practice field makes for some uneasy moments in the meeting room. \u00a0Coaches now are much more resigned to taking a tall athlete that “looks the part” and having him fail than the alternative.<\/p>\n

You may ask why should we care about the Top guys or the top 10 guys? \u00a0We are just looking to get a scholarship to any of the schools, not necessarily Alabama. \u00a0Here’s the rub. \u00a0College football is very much a copy cat game and that means in recruiting too. \u00a0All of the schools are looking to imitate what’s in the top 10. \u00a0It seems they will take a poor man’s version of the Top 10 prospects before going after a highly productive version that does not resemble top 10 characteristics. \u00a0I have division II schools telling me they are looking for 6 foot corners. \u00a0Really man?<\/p>\n

Few programs are willing to be trend setters it seems as the herd mentality rules. \u00a0Playing it safe is the name of the game and the bottom will imitate what’s happening at the top as best they can.<\/p>\n

What Should\u00a0the Little Guys Do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have no fear. \u00a0It’s not time to start watching the horse races and conjuring up a career as a jockey. \u00a0In the long run, \u00a0football is a results oriented business that holds many rewards for those who can persevere. \u00a0What is football if not a test of will? \u00a0If you are not the required height, \u00a0it just means you are going to have to dig deep, work harder and grind more than the next man. \u00a0It’s what you should be doing anyway but even more now since your are looking up to your competition. \u00a0The lessons and character you build in this pursuit will only yield dividends in every aspect of your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Height Rules the New Recruiting Landscape By: Chad Wilson – Editor – Gridiron Studs Blog Twitter: @GridironStuds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-high-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2792\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}