The first two articles in this series have provided a quantitative,
"macro-level" view of recruiting in the state, but the one aspect that
this analysis does not address is the quality of the recruits at an individual
level. The next two articles will provide a "micro-level" view of
recruiting by evaluating individual players. This article will provide a
"re-ranking" of the players in the 2001-2002 through 2003-2004 recruiting classes to see who really won the recruiting battles in-state
earlier this decade.
Evaluating players will always have a high degree of subjectivity, but after
college careers are completed more objective information on players is available
via combine testing and detailed scouting reports. Taking this detailed scouting
information as a major source, I have plugged the data into my own player
evaluation system and graded the players for the first three years of the
in-state analysis. Ranking players will always be a subject for debate, but I
have attempted to be as objective as possible in evaluating these recruiting
classes.