Evaluation is perhaps more important than ever in recruiting
Evaluation has always been a critical component in college football recruiting.
But it’s perhaps more important than ever with the roster turnover that occurs annually and the rise of the transfer portal in college athletics.
“It ain’t the guys that you don’t get in recruiting that kill you. Even if they go to a rival because then you’ll only play them one a year. It's the ones you take that can’t play,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said.
Too many misfires can lead to a head coach getting fired. And while one or two isn’t all that bad, if that total gets upwards to 10 or 12 then it can have a devastating impact on a program.
And while all positions are important one that Rodriguez has long placed a strong emphasis on is at quarterback. That’s why he’s made it critical to have two or three that they are comfortable with and believe that they can win games with when they’re on the field.
“But you can’t have too many misses. And sometimes it’s harder now and it’s more urgent now because of the portal,” Rodriguez said.
So overall that places a stronger emphasis on doing things the right way and finding a seasoned or veteran coach who has got more experience in evaluating is critical at certain positions.
For example, the Mountaineers hired a veteran at running backs coach in Larry Porter who has both recruited and evaluated a lot of good running backs over the course of his career and understands what it looks like.
Just looking at West Virginia’s roster, the Mountaineers brought in a long list of new faces and are one of the tops in college football in that category through the transfer portal and incoming freshmen and junior college players. But even that likely isn’t done yet, as the roster is still evolving.
“And I hope that there's not too many more. But that's probably where we're at in college football till there's some sensibility with this portal stuff going on,” Rodriguez said.
Everybody on a coaching staff needs to recruit and while there are differences for the ten that will go on the road, the importance of finding players that can make an immediate impact is critical.
A good mix of staff is key but there is perhaps more of a role than ever for those strong talent evaluators.
“So that means you better evaluate the right way. And sometimes a seasoned or a veteran coach has more experience evaluating,” Rodriguez said.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE todayto stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe
-
Kodai Senga rediscovering peak form is more important than ever for Mets rotation
Kodai Senga was just "ok" in Friday's spring training start against the Cardinals, but the Mets need their ace healthy and to find his peak form to compete with their rotation riddled with injuries.Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15 -
Trump’s Affinity for Putin Grows More Consequential Than Ever
President Trump’s admiration for President Vladimir Putin of Russia has been endlessly dissected, but the American leader’s policy shifts since taking office again could have profound effects.The New York Times - Mar. 8 -
Rashford could be more important to Tuchel’s England than Palmer or Saka | Jonathan Wilson
One Harry Kane pass to his fellow forward in otherwise routine win over Albania gives a hint of how England could succeed. One of the problems of international football is that everybody is always ...The Guardian - 2d -
The cost of U.S. imports jump in February. Is it the Trump tariff effect?
The cost of imports rose faster than usual in February, perhaps a result of U.S. companies rushing to bring in foreign goods ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.MarketWatch - 6d -
Mike Bianchi: With FSU’s Mike Norvell shutting out the media, we miss Bobby Bowden more than ever
ORLANDO, Fla. — We miss you, Bobby. We miss you, Bobby Bowden. We miss you now more than ever. We miss you not just for all the victories, the national championships or the larger-than-life aura ...Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Iron age hoard found in North Yorkshire could change Britain’s history
More than 800 objects unearthed near Melsonby show the north was ‘definitely not a backwater’ 2,000 years ago. One of the biggest and most important iron age hoards ever found in the UK has been ...The Guardian - 6h -
More than 150 ‘unprecedented’ climate disasters struck world in 2024, says UN
Floods, heatwaves and supercharged hurricanes occurred in hottest climate human society has ever experienced. The devastating impacts of the climate crisis reached new heights in 2024, with scores ...The Guardian - 6d -
GDC 2025 preview — with 700 sessions and perhaps 30,000 attendees
GDC 2025 could drawn 30,000 people to attend more than 700 sessions at the big event in San Francisco.VentureBeat - Mar. 13 -
Americans Are Unhappier Than Ever. Solo Dining May Be a Sign.
The United States slipped to its lowest ranking ever in the World Happiness Report, in part because more Americans are eating alone. Once again, the Finns came out on top.The New York Times - 3d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Top Returning MD/DC Football Players - MIAA B Offense
Maryland Varsity names the top returning high school football players in this conference now! CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE------------------ What other coverage am I missing by ...Yahoo Sports - 45m -
Top Returning MD/DC Football Players - MIAA B Offense
Maryland Varsity names the top returning high school football players in this conference now! CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE------------------ What other coverage am I missing by ...Yahoo Sports - 45m -
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
There is plenty of star power left in women's March Madness with Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts still playing even if JuJu Watkins won't be. Watkins hurt her right knee in the ...Yahoo Sports - 56m -
Greg Rousseau's shoutout to Bills Mafia after signing extension
Rousseau's message to Bills Mafia:Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Titans make the easy choice in new mock draft update
Titans take Cam Ward in new mock draftYahoo Sports - 1h
More in Sports
-
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
There is plenty of star power left in women’s March Madness with Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts still playing even if JuJu Watkins won’t beABC News - 17m -
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
There is plenty of star power left in women’s March Madness with Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts still playing even if JuJu Watkins won’t beABC News - 17m -
Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini acquitted again at second trial of financial wrongdoing
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have won again in court and now lead 2-0 in trial verdicts against Swiss federal prosecutorsABC News - 22m -
'Gotta carry it like a battle scar': Can Yankees bounce back from fifth-inning World Series nightmare?
Starting with their historic Game 5 meltdown, the road to Opening Day in the Bronx has been a rough one.ESPN - 42m -
'Gotta carry it like a battle scar': Can Yankees bounce back from fifth-inning World Series nightmare?
Starting with their historic Game 5 meltdown, the road to Opening Day in the Bronx has been a rough one.ESPN - 42m