Badger247 Board

If we get Collins it may be all because another kid was stupid enough to commit to a school that consistently makes horrible use of its runningbacks.

Jimbo: Hey Ryan, you should come to FSU where you won't get carries, won't rack up yards, and won't impress anybody.
Green: Sign me up!

How does this keep happening for schools like FSU and ND and not the UW?

Notre Dame is iconic, Four Horsemen, Knute Rockne, Rudy, and their own tv network that guarantees you at least seven appearances a year on National TV.

Like it or not Florida State has more national reputation then UW and it is warmer.

Sure would be nice if these kids saw things the way we do:)

He said 'NFL prospect' - not All Pro, etc.

Okay - my bad. I don't know... I think the staff can point out that in recent years they had guys like P.J. Hill and John Clay run behind their O-line and they made it to the NFL. It was pretty well documented that both players had to 'get in shape' after their collegiate careers.

This is a point that kids should take notice of. If we can take lightly recruited RBs, and turn them into All conference players, what can we do for a kid who is one of the top RBs in the nation?

How do we do this?

I have not seen one post on this board where people have said we don't NEED to recruit any better. But, there does appear to be two sides on here regarding football recruiting. One side that seems to imply that the coaching staff is not up to the task of doing a better job. And the other side that says UW is at a disadvantage due to Geography.

I am on the Geography side.

National studies have concluded that approximately 80% of recruits commit to a school within 400 miles of home. By the way QB's are just under 70% staying within 400 miles of home. This same study said that UW is one of the best in the country on getting commitments from recruits outside the 400 mile zone. A review of the schools that are consistently within the top 10 or 20 every year reveals that those schools are in an area with a larger recruiting base within the 400 mile zone. There are a few exceptions but not many. UW has 7 QB's listed on their roster. Two are from WI and are walkons. One is from IL, within the 400 mile window. The other 4 are all outside the 400 mile window. It was stated by someone who knew Jacoby Brissett that if the UW campus was in Florida he would be playing for the UW.

When you make the amount of money that a Head Football coach does you have to do the best job you can to recruit the best talent you can. The studies indicate that UW coaches are doing as well or better then most in attracting top kids from outside the 400 mile zone.

All of us would like to see more top kids commit to UW. But how do you get those kids? To date I have seen people saying the coaching staff needs to do a better job, but have seen no one offer a suggestion as to how it should be done. It would be nice to always get the top players on our board. I compare it to getting a 100 on every test you ever take. With an added hurdle. For tests it is just you. For recruiting you are competing against 10 to 20 of the top schools in the country.

Many on this board have a high opinion of our school, its campus, the lakes, its education, the city of Madison. I share those opinions. Getting the kids on campus is always a plus. Unfortunately not all 17 & 18 year old kids share our opinion. There are a lot of schools with a great campus.

UW's football program isn't perceived by a lot recruits as highly as many on this board view the program. UW is probably in the top 20 but is not in the top 10. ALA, FLA, FSU, Miami, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Texas, USC, Michigan, OSU, ND, and PSU are most likely viewed ahead of UW. We might not think so but the recruits do. Partly because they live closer to these programs. Other programs that UW has to compete with include Oregon, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Michigan State, Iowa, and Tennessee. On the East Coast Rutgers, Boston College, and West Virginia are schools we have to compete with. Additionally Pittsburgh is now competing with us for recruits.

So what should the coaching staff do and how should it be done? And do we know that what is being suggested is not already being done?

Thanks for reading and look forward to your opinions.