The (Real) Size Matters
February 17th, 2009 - byCollege coaches are always looking for information on recruits. They want to as much as possible to accurately evaluate a recruit’s ability to thrive at their school. For many sports the information that is biggest grey area are seemingly black and weight statistics. Height. Weight. Wingspan. A 40 Yard Dash. The American Statesman recently published an article describing the difficulty many coaches have in trusting the published information.
Odessa Permian offensive lineman Garrett Porter, who will sign with Texas today, is listed anywhere from 6-3 to 6-6 and weighs somewhere between 271 and 308 pounds, depending on whom you’re asking. And Madisonville running back Chris Whaley — another future Longhorn — is listed anywhere from 217 to 249 pounds.
“He’s probably around 239 right now,” Madisonville coach Greg Morgan said. “But he gains and loses weight a lot. He also runs a legitimate 4.4.”
How do these discrepancies happen?
One reason is that the recruiting process now lasts a couple of years, and as recruits grow and get stronger and faster, sometimes Web sites aren’t updated.
But more often than not, it’s another reason.
“People lie,” said Gerry Hamilton of Burntorangebeat.com, Scout.com’s Texas site. “You’ve got high school coaches who are trying to help their kids. You’ve got kids trying to add an inch or 10 pounds.
“I would say I get wrong or inaccurate information 60 to 70 percent of the time. You hear one thing, and then when you’re standing next to the prospect, you can see it’s not true.”
While fans are often left guessing what is accurate and what isn’t, college coaches don’t take any risks.
“I don’t look at any of the sites or even scan rosters for heights and weights,” Texas recruiting coordinator Bobby Kennedy said. “Most of the time, you go by the eye test. I know how tall I am and how much I weigh, so I kind of size up our prospects when I’m standing next to them. You watch how they look during their athletic periods and practice. You really don’t go by what’s reported.”
It’s hard to believe any of it.
That is why NCSA recommends all of our athletes get to a combine to get accurate results to college coaches. By giving a coach a verified number he can at least feel comfortable to express serious interest. Then the all important eye-ball test can be conducted on unofficial visits or at a camp.
College coaches need to be able to evaluate recruits accurately. NCSA suggests that student-athletes give them that shot.
