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DEL.ICIO.USClass of ‘05: Only one-third of blue chips live up to hype
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The chances of a blue-chip recruit living up to his billing in college is not so good, or maybe the class of 2005 was below average.
I was looking at the state’s 2005 signees last weekend and identified 28 players as blue-chippers, based on their selection to the AJC Super 11 team or being named a four-star recruit (or better) by Scout or Rivals, the major recruiting services.
Only eight of those 28 are starting for major-college teams today. Ten are no longer playing football, according to my best efforts at tracking them online.
And here’s a tip for four-star recruits: Take your schoolworkseriously. That seems to derail more top players than lack of talent.
Here’s a look at the 28:
Starting for BCS conference schools (8):
Duke Robinson, Washington: First-team All-American as a junior and a three-year starter at Oklahoma. Only Rivals listed Robinson as a four-star recruit, and he didn’t make the AJC’s Super 11 team.
James Davis, Douglass: Third-year starting running back at Clemson. Rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons. First-team All-ACC.
Tray Blackmon, LaGrange: Two-year starting linebacker at Auburn. Second-team preseason All-SEC.
Chris Scott, Lovejoy: Tennessee: Two-year starter at Tennessee. Moved from guard to left tackle this season.
Kyle Moore, Houston County: Two-year starting defensive end at Southern Cal.
Roderick Battle, Douglass: Two-year starting defensive end at Georgia.
Justin Mincey, Florida State: First-year starting defensive tackle at Florida State. Spent a year at Hargrave Military Academy.
Anthony Barnes, Cartersville: First-year starting linebacker at Georgia Tech.
Backups (7):
Carlos Thomas, Banneker: A nickel back and backup corner who has 20 career starts at South Carolina.
Darius Dewberry, Peach County: Linebacker at Georgia. Spent year at Hargrave Military College.
Brandon Sesay, Douglass: Defensive end at Texas Tech, pushing for a starting spot. Sesay signed with Georgia but went to a California junior college.
Paul Duncan, East Paulding: Backup guard for Notre Dame. Started at tackle last season.
Marcus Washington, Burke County: Part-time starting linebacker at Georgia in 2007, but out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Matt Dunham, Pacelli: Third-string tight end at Florida State.
Richie Rich, Wheeler: Third-string cornerback at North Carolina.
Playing at a smaller school (3):
Kalvin Baker, Pacelli: Signed with Florida but transferred to Tennessee State, where he’s a two-year starter at linebacker.
Mike Harness, Pacelli: Signed with Auburn but attended prep school, then signed with Jackson State, where he’s a first-year starter at right guard.
Brandon Perry, Hawkinsville: The first defensive tackle off the bench at Middle Tennessee.
No longer playing football (10):
Travis Barr, Chattahoochee: Played a season at Central Florida.
Antonio Clay, Twiggs County: Former starting linebacker at Clemson left school this year amid personal problems stemming from the death of his sister.
Dan Foster, Early County: Committed to Florida State but went to junior college and wound up playing a season at Eastern Arizona.
Tyler Horne, Newnan: Signed with UAB but quit the team before playing a game. Became a star third baseman at Shelton State Community College in Alabama and recently signed with Tennessee to continue his baseball career.
Charles Jackson, Tri-County: Signed basketball scholarship with Illinois but switched to football after two years and played on the offensive line for one season. Known as C.J. Jackson in college.
Tavares Kearney, Tucker: Signed with Georgia, left school, landed at Georgia Southern and played one season under Brian VanGorder.
Corey Moon, Decatur: Signed with Georgia but attended prep school, then junior college.
Mam Nyang, Wheeler: Played two seasons at Southern Miss.
Ian Smith, Cartersville: Played two seasons at Georgia, left the team for medical reasons.
Tony Wright, Peach County: Signed with Florida, never got there.
Permalink | Comments (27) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
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By GeoffDawg
September 8, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this
Richie Rich probably assumed the starting cornerback job would be handed to him on a silver spoon.
By Kevin T, Valdosta,GA ( TITLETOWN USA )
September 8, 2008 11:58 AM | Link to this
I like that article Todd, it is very interesting to see where some of those guys wind up. In some cases it really proves that the so called recruiting experts do not really know squat!
By BuzzGT
September 8, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
Nice article. I think your research shows that raw talent can only take you so far. To play in college, you have to be able to get into and stay in school. We should appreciate our student athletes for all of the hard work they do in the classroom as well as on the field.
By GT76
September 8, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Yep. This just proves all the recruiting hype is “National Enquirer” like material.
The bigger the “cap choosing press conference” the greater chance of failure in my opinion. Show me humble, and low key to go along with speed and brains and I’ll show you a likely success story.
By Denver Dawg
September 8, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
Todd:
This kind of percentage can be statistically deceptive. This doesn’t mean that 80-90% of today’s star players weren’t blu-chip recruits. I’d be interested to know that percentage.
By ANT
September 8, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
MCNAIR VS MLK JUST MIGHT BE THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN THIS WEEK. . WITH MCNAIR COMING OFF A BIG WIN AND MLK COMING OFF A BIG LOSS IT WILL BE A VERY EXCITING MATCHUP. BY THE WAY MCNAIR HAS THE MOST TALENTED TEAM ACROSS THE BOARD THAN ANY TEAM IN THE COUNTY AND IF YOU DOUBT THAT I BEG TO DIFFER. JUST DO YOUR RESEARCH
By ANT
September 8, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
MCNAIR VS MLK JUST MIGHT BE THE BIGGEST GAME IN TOWN THIS WEEK. . WITH MCNAIR COMING OFF A BIG WIN AND MLK COMING OFF A BIG LOSS IT WILL BE A VERY EXCITING MATCHUP. BY THE WAY MCNAIR HAS THE MOST TALENTED TEAM ACROSS THE BOARD THAN ANY TEAM IN THE COUNTY AND IF YOU DOUBT THAT I BEG TO DIFFER. JUST DO YOUR RESEARCH
By Pupdawg
September 8, 2008 1:52 PM | Link to this
In summary, most blue chips aren’t worth a bag of potato chips.
By StingerSplash
September 8, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
Two things, Tavares Kearney played all of two games at Georgia Southern. He had exactly one tackle. Kyle Moore went to Houston County.
By StingerSplash
September 8, 2008 2:13 PM | Link to this
Two things, Tavares Kearney played all of two games at Georgia Southern. He had exactly one tackle. Kyle Moore went to Houston County.
By Rec
September 8, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
First, I agree with “Denver Dawg” that pulling these 28 out can be VERY statistically deceptive. Even with that said, it shows that (like another poster noted) more the just athletic talent goes into the ability of recruits to succeed. They have to be able to be successful college STUDENT athletes, which some just can’t manage at certain levels. It definitely doesn’t show that the “recruiting experts don’t know squat” or that “all the recruiting hype is national enquirer like material” (even though I believe much of the early commit hype is along those lines).
By Gilley
September 8, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
Corey Moon attended West Georgia for a small stint but he didn’t play football…Instead I only seen his athletic prowess on the basketball courts playing Intramural Ball, which was quite amazing since his tip in won the Intramural Championship a few years back…
James Davis is nice.. Glad he stayed in school and represented for the inner-city.
But that’s life, some people do not make it while others do.
By War Eagle
September 8, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
Auburn has several 2star and many 3 star starters. Derrick Marks will be All American next two years if stayshealthy(2 star).
By tom
September 8, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this
Great follow-up work!
By Thanks Todd
September 8, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
Thanks for an informative and fun article. Wish you would do others showing showing 2004 and 2006. I can’t remember who said “recruiting classes are best rated 3 years later”, but they are correct. Please keep up the great research.
By Johnny Danger Dawg
September 8, 2008 5:26 PM | Link to this
Great article, Todd! More sports media should be doing articles like this one.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
September 9, 2008 4:58 AM | Link to this
.
.
You need 3 more years from today, sir, to be able to judge these players at the different schools. Clearly, a starter is a starter. And, according to you - but, not according to Chipper Towers - if you are a starter, then you have arrived. There are 11 starters on both sides of the ball.
2005 signed and redshirted. 2006 redshirt freshman, not expected to play much, even as a blue-chip player. 2007 redshirt sophomore, should start to get significant playing time, if he is blue-chip. 2008, this is where we are and have one game or 2 of the season. There is no idea what may come of them during the 2008 season; but, they are a Redshirt Junior and would be expected to get in games depending on the strength of the depth chart at his position - which you make no note of because you don’t know. 2009, a year from now, no measurement of that season is available either and that is their Redshirt Senior Season. 2010 season is the season referred to as Medical Redshirt Year, and the NCAA has granted this to many football players, because they do unfortunately get hurt.
Did you get any of that, or is it too much trouble to have the facts ?
.
.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
September 9, 2008 5:46 AM | Link to this
There also is way too much emphasis put on 5-Star or 4-Star rated high school recruits TOTALLY DISREGARDING where each recruiting service paid millions to rank each player at each position.
You have to go back to the 2002 class to actually be able to decide how a recruit in fact did, instead of guessing how his Redshirt Junior and Redshirt Senior Season might turn out. And, you have no idea if the recruit might get the NCAA Medical Redshirt 6th season in addition.
Then, you look at how the player was RANKED BY NUMBER AT HIS POSITION , not 5-Star or 4-Star.
DJ Shockley, for example, after four (4) years on campus going into his Senior Season, had completed a grand total of 67 passes. That’s all for 4 entire years on campus. (There was no Medical Redshirt Year requested for DJ when in his 3rd entire season, he completed only 9 passes.)
Here, you are trying to judge the DJ Shockley’s of this 2005 class even before they play their Redshirt Junior Year.
But, DJ through 4 years had 67 completions.
Excuse me, after his Redshirt Senior 5th Season, he was SEC Champion, Drafted by the Falcons and paid $1.7 million years for 3 years and he is still on the Falcon’s roster.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
September 9, 2008 5:52 AM | Link to this
DJ’s Senior Season, DJ completed 173 passes for 24 passing touchdowns and another 4 touchdowns running the ball.
DJ Shockley now today owns the UGA Season Record for TD Passes in a season 24 (with only 5 interceptions) and total Touchdowns scored 28.
Yet, you don’t want to measure DJ for example here in this article BEFORE HIS SENIOR YEAR but, before he Junior Year. 1 or at most 2 games into the season. That’s where we are.
Go back 3 more years. DJ Shockley was rated 1 of the Top 10 Quarterbacks in the nation by EVERY recruiting service.
And, I don’t think any of us really give a crap about the players recruited at Georgia Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas Tech, etc.
It’s very clear to me that Coach Richt has recruited very well.
He ended last season No. 2 in the AP Poll and is No. 2 again this season.
Coach Richt was also No. 10 AP Poll 2005.
No. 7 in 2004.
No. 7 in 2003.
No. 3 in 2002.
Now, if you go back and see where Coach Richt has been ranked each year in recruiting by these services paid millions to rank each player at their position, you will find that Coach Richt is exactly where he is today because of his recruiting.
It’s not 5-Stars or 4-Stars that matters but is the player ranked No. 20 at his position in the nation or No. 87.
By tholcomb2988
September 9, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
To BuLLDawg:
Good point about DJ Shockley, but he was in a very unusual situation and is an exception.
Most 4- and 5-star recruits are projected to start by their fourth season in the college. Rivals defines a 4-star recruit as an All-American candidate.
So I stand by my assertion: If you’re a 4- or 5-star recruit or an AJC Super 11 player and are not starting in your fourth season in the program, you have fallen short of what was projected for you.
Except for DJ, of course.
By mark
September 9, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
Think there is any correlatin with this and the fact that Ga. is ranked 48th out 50 states in SAT scores? Kids aren’t prepared to handle the college workload and expectations. They are babied through high school and aren’t prepared. As a public school teacher I should know.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
September 10, 2008 5:55 AM | Link to this
B.S. DJ Shockley is an exception. Football players have their BEST SEASONS as Juniors and Seniors and ALWAYS HAVE yet this article says ” LET ME JUDGE FOR YOU HOW THE RECRUITS BEFORE THEIR JUNIOR AND SENIOR SEASONS HAVE DONE.
We don’t know.
And, don’t forget that DJ Shockley did not request a NCAA Medical Redshirt Year for his 3rd season here in which he had only 9 completions. I would have. But, DJ Shockley graduated with Honors and wanted to move on.
The point is that we are only 2 games into the Junior Year of the players he is talking about here, every single one of them. And, those who are injured find themselves being judged by this guy no one has ever heard of at the AJ-C when they in fact have THREE (3) MORE YEARS to shine.
Their best seasons are their last 2 seasons and we are being asked to agree that with the facts that they have done nothing in their college careers.
It’s the same B.S. analysis Chipper Towers did, to arrive with the theory that the No. 2 team in the AP Poll 2007-2008 and No. 2 team in the nation in the AP Poll 2008-2009 has MORE “BUSTS” than stars, calling Dannell Ellerbe for example ” **NOT A STAR ” . I will make my point.
By ............................................BuLLdawg
September 10, 2008 6:07 AM | Link to this
When you get over this 5-Star and 4-Star hurdle and can discuss their actual rank by these recruiting services paid millions to do just that, at their position - then, and only then, can you compare how they did (once their college careers are done 3 Years from NOW ) compared to their rank at their position.
If you are a teacher, and your state ranks No. 48 in the nation in education, how well are you doing your job ? How well are those around you whom you support and spend all your time with, doing ?
The Academic Progress Rate at The UGA in Football is the Highest in The Entire SEC and the Highest of all BCS Bowl Game participants.
By RICK
September 10, 2008 12:15 PM | Link to this
Tavares Kearney was locked up in Stateboro, Ga along with Melvin Greer on drug charges December 07.
By humbledawg
September 10, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
I saw an article yesterday saying that Antonio Clay is going to play at Southern Miss next season. Along with another highly regarded former Ole Miss signee.
By JY
September 11, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Now go back and list the Blue Chippers that made it or are making it and add the ones that were overlooked and are making it.
Show equal time for the underdogs that stuck it out as for the ones that “tanked”. It would be nice to see a list of the ones the experts “missed”!
By George P. Burdell
September 11, 2008 10:17 PM | Link to this
Its actually kind of funny to see Bulldawg getting so upset about this point when in no way was the article even hinting at UGA falling short. The point of the article is that nearly half the elite recruits from one of the top recruiting States in the entire country are not playing Div. 1 football. Thats not going to change no matter how many years you go down the road from now and the number will only get smaller if anything. Of the ones playing Div. 1, only slightly more than half of those are starters.
Point is that recruiting is not an exact science by any stretch. If you look at the rosters of most major programs, you will find plenty of 3 stars or lower players that are filling starting roles. 2005 may be a little low, but it is not way out of what is normal. Recruiting has become a nice way for us diehards to pass through the offseason, but it is in no way indicative that you are guaranteed success just by recruiting well. If it was Clemson would have several ACC championships and Notre Dame would be competing for the NC this year.