PonyFans.com

So which scouting service is generally more accurate in ranking recruits? I was looking at TCUs commits on rivals and they are ranked absurdly high. Scout.com has there commits ranked much much lower.

for example:

Four star - Waymon James #14th RB in the country on Rivals (#175 RB and a 2 star on Scout)

Just thought it was weird that there was HUGE discrepancies between the two.

depends whom you ask

Neither. They look at heights and weights and 40 times, but few at either network actually get out and see players, and those who do are probably computer nerds, not coaches. Trust a coach's report over those guys.

Yeah, good call ---- so where do you get a coaches report? 'Cause it's illegal for an NCAA to comment on a recruit publicly ... soooo ...

RedRiverPony wrote:Neither. They look at heights and weights and 40 times, but few at either network actually get out and see players, and those who do are probably computer nerds, not coaches. Trust a coach's report over those guys.

Obviously, the coaches evaluation is gold, but you are severely underestimating the services. Those guys watch tons of film, hold/sponsor all the major combines, and get more player tapes sent to them then coaches.

In hoops, they sponsor almost every AAU event and log tons of hours watching games. BTW, Rivals is light years better for football, whereas most think SCout is superior in hoops. ESPN is making a hard push as they have the resources and have signed up most of the major independants like bucknuts etc.

I don't trust the "evaluation" of either. What I think tells 80% of the story (not on an individual recruit basis but on a recruiting class basis) is the quality offers (and non-offers) by other schools especially in well recruited areas. Each service has areas of States and the Country where they aren't well staffed). I've already posted two separate studies that show that these services have an unbelievable ability to project 5-6 years in the future and predict top NFL Draft talent and another which predicted NCAA success. The Coaches are the experts. The Editors are good for the information they provide like visits, where a kid might lean, football stats, videos, heights and weights but I bet most never played football in college. Rivals Rating system is by far the most consistent and reliable. Scout''s rating of the SMU and TCU class is ridiculous. Rivals has its own problem in a rather subjective, secretive Team Ranking System that defies logic. I think really the best way to rate teams is count quality offers for players.