that all but two of Texas' starter were from the state of Texas. Really would like to see more Texas players on our roster if the past is any indication (Pope and Peprah)
Did anyone else notice the number of Texas starters
- Thread starter IukAL
- Start date
Rosters of Texas teams are similar to that of Florida and California schools. Usually 80-85% are from their home states because they have such well developed HS football programs.
I was thinking the same thing. It would be nice to get more recruits from Texas. I would think that a recruit would much rather play for Bama than T.T. or A&M.
Not Texas kids. Playing for A&M (and to a lesser extent TT) means something to kids from Texas. Being a Bama fan sometimes we might not understand that, but it is true.tidelaw2004 said:
On that note, I'm kind of partial to Alabama kids that grow up loving and wanting to play for the Tide. I know our HS programs are not what they are in some states, but we are getting there, and the state is definitely not short on talent. We've done well with homegrown kids.
Numbers game
IMHO, high school programs in TX, FL, CA, or anywhere else for that matter are not any more developed that those in AL. There are just simply larger populations and thus more D1 football players that come from those states. Consider that CA has a population of around 50 million to AL's 5, and it should be easy to extrapolate why there are 10 times as many D1 prospects from CA than from AL.
IMHO, high school programs in TX, FL, CA, or anywhere else for that matter are not any more developed that those in AL. There are just simply larger populations and thus more D1 football players that come from those states. Consider that CA has a population of around 50 million to AL's 5, and it should be easy to extrapolate why there are 10 times as many D1 prospects from CA than from AL.
Hey, don't leave out Shaud Williams! :biggrin: Actually, there have been several great Tide players from Texas.
How many Vile starters are from Tennessee? It's pathetic. It's my pet peeve with them. WHile I wil concede that Tenn. is NOT a hotbed full of talent, but there has to be 10-15 D-1 prospects from Tenn. Are Tenn kids a little smarter than we give them credit for? Is it the same situation with Al Bore in the 2000 election? He couldn't even carry his own state. Do Tenn. kids know UT is thuggery and that's why they go elsewhere?
Yeah, I did and
I heard / read from one of the Rival.com recruiting gurus that Andre Smith was being courted very much by USC but he mentions the barn first in almost every conversation.
so were USCs. Both teams had only two out of state starters. USC had one from New Jesery and one from Florida. The two out of state starters for Texas came from Arizona and Colorado, I believe.IukAL said:
I heard / read from one of the Rival.com recruiting gurus that Andre Smith was being courted very much by USC but he mentions the barn first in almost every conversation.
BamaSteve999 said:
Obviously you've never lived in Texas, or seen or played in a Texas high school football game. Hoover High School is one of the best programs in the state. They are equipped with Nike products. They play their games in a AA Minor League stadium. Yet the passion, support, and craze is nowhere near what most Texas teams garnish. High school football is far more refined in Texas than any other state.
Alabama is a good state for high school football. I think we have a lot of talent every year, so I'm not selling us short. However, we aren't at the level that Texas is at. Why do you think Mack Brown recognized Texas high school football just moments after winning the National Championship? Because he knows that the talent there is uncomparable to any other state.
It's simple numbers. Texas has more people. More people means more high school aged boys playing football. More high school football players means a higher probability of them being skilled. Add to that the fact that most high school football players will choose to play for a program in their home state, and you have the formula for why Texas, Florida, and California have such good college football teams.
I am retired military and have lived in more states and countries than I wish to remember. I can tell you from my experience that nothing beats Texas HS football. From the players to the fans, you will find no better in the country.
They are fantastic there. But I think sometimes the football talent gets a little overhyped. If Texas is always producing the best football players in America, why did it take Texas so long to win another National Title.
Observations on Texas HS FB, etc..
As a long term exile out here in Texas (since 1972), I agree with most of the posts about the talent, development of HS FB programs and sheer numbers (population). It's long been recognized as one of the top 5 states for Div I FB talent. That talent alone has not made a Texas school dominate, you need superior coaching (Mack Brown looks like he's headed the right direction). Other reasons Texas schools have not dominated & championships in the last 35 years are:
1) State of Texas has at least 9 Div I programs to split the talent pool (dilution of talent)
2) Nebraska, OU & Arkansas always take a % of available recruits, higher when the "premier" Texas schools (UT & A&M) not doing well and a lower % when the "premier" teams are doing well (Texas schools struggle to "close" their borders"
3) Implosion of the SWC, staggering number of schools on probation
4) Not many "superior" coaches to coach the talent (very subjective point)
I would love to see Bama recruit more in Texas but our school seems to have a Southeastern bias for recruiting.
RTR :biggrin2:
As a long term exile out here in Texas (since 1972), I agree with most of the posts about the talent, development of HS FB programs and sheer numbers (population). It's long been recognized as one of the top 5 states for Div I FB talent. That talent alone has not made a Texas school dominate, you need superior coaching (Mack Brown looks like he's headed the right direction). Other reasons Texas schools have not dominated & championships in the last 35 years are:
1) State of Texas has at least 9 Div I programs to split the talent pool (dilution of talent)
2) Nebraska, OU & Arkansas always take a % of available recruits, higher when the "premier" Texas schools (UT & A&M) not doing well and a lower % when the "premier" teams are doing well (Texas schools struggle to "close" their borders"
3) Implosion of the SWC, staggering number of schools on probation
4) Not many "superior" coaches to coach the talent (very subjective point)
I would love to see Bama recruit more in Texas but our school seems to have a Southeastern bias for recruiting.
RTR :biggrin2:
States that emphasize HS football over other sports develop more college football talent. If population were the primary explanation, you would expect to see many more Div 1 palyers from the northeast. You don't see that because football is a distant 4th in popularity up here.
Soccer, basketball and hockey get much more attention from young athletes. Even lacrosse beats out football in many areas...
States/schools that love HS football tend to see their best athletes participating in that sport. The athletes that cannot make it play other sports. The sport of choice varies from state to state...
Soccer, basketball and hockey get much more attention from young athletes. Even lacrosse beats out football in many areas...
States/schools that love HS football tend to see their best athletes participating in that sport. The athletes that cannot make it play other sports. The sport of choice varies from state to state...
Population Response
I agree that population is not the only factor for football talent. However, if you combine a large population with a "warm weather" climate AND a football crazy state like Texas you end up with ton's of Div I prospects.
The reasons the state of Texas has not produced more National Championships are detailed in my post above.
Another factor in the generation of a large pool of Div I prospects is a "warm weather" climate. A primary reason more prospects don't come from NY/NJ compared with similar population centers - Florida, Texas & California is the climate issue. When you can play ball outdoors throughout the year, it's more likely you'll development talented prospects in sports that are outdoor oriented as opposed to sports that are primarily played indoor.
I agree that population is not the only factor for football talent. However, if you combine a large population with a "warm weather" climate AND a football crazy state like Texas you end up with ton's of Div I prospects.
The reasons the state of Texas has not produced more National Championships are detailed in my post above.
Another factor in the generation of a large pool of Div I prospects is a "warm weather" climate. A primary reason more prospects don't come from NY/NJ compared with similar population centers - Florida, Texas & California is the climate issue. When you can play ball outdoors throughout the year, it's more likely you'll development talented prospects in sports that are outdoor oriented as opposed to sports that are primarily played indoor.
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