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Rivals has already graded 208 high school players as 3 star or above in the 2010 Class. In the 2009 Class there were 212 3 star or above high school recruits. Generally many players gain 3+ stars later in the recruiting season. Prior years 3* and above high school recruits:

2008-162
2007-156

For analysis approximately 365 Texas high school recruits received Division 1A scholarships in 2009 according to Texas Football. So there seems to be very significant grade inflation at Rivals in recent years. What used to be roughly a Top 42% of the Class seems now to represent the Top 58% of the Class and most likely more

Stallion wrote:Rivals has already graded 208 high school players as 3 star or above in the 2010 Class. In the 2009 Class there were 212 3 star or above high school recruits. Generally many players gain 3+ stars later in the recruiting season. Prior years 3* and above high school recruits:

2008-162
2007-156

For analysis approximately 365 Texas high school recruits received Division 1A scholarships in 2009 according to Texas Football. So there seems to be very significant grade inflation at Rivals in recent years. What used to be roughly a Top 42% of the Class seems now to represent the Top 58% of the Class and most likely more

How many players overall exist for each year? If there is a commensurate change in the size of the pool, then these numbers make sense

Good Point-Checking my past Texas Football reports:

2009-365
2008 (misplaced Texas Football but from memory I don't recall a big change)
2007-361
2006-375

BTW Texas Football does not include service academy appointments, grayshirts who signed the previous year but did enroll and Division 1A transfers). In fact, I left out the JUCOs altogether in the above numbers-these are just from the high school Class of a particular year)

Those are the total number of eligible recruits each year? Obviously the schools typically take a similar number of recruits each year, but I thought the actual number of seniors playing football each year would've increased.

Interesting nonetheless.

The total number of Texas high schools recruits who signed football scholarships with Division 1A schools

David Piland commits to Houston. Here's another guy that's been to all the camps, started half a year in one of the most high profile programs in the country but gets no quality D1A offers except for Houston and yet is rated a 3 star 5.6. I don't get it. Padron outplayed him last year and Padron was a 2 star. I'm not sure I really have a good feeling for what a "3 Star" is anymore at Rivals. The way they are going about 70% of the Texas recruiting class that signs are going to be 3 Stars.

UPDATE on Rivals Grade Inflation:

Texas High School 3 Stars or Better:

2010-272
2009-212
2008-162
2007-156
2006-164

Texas had more players on the Rivals All-American Team than any other state. Texas dominated the Rivals All-American Team. So it may not be that grades are inflated, it probably is that we have a lot of good players this year in Texas. There is no set number that is good or bad for 3 star players, if they grade out as a 3 star they grade out as a 3 star. This is just a good year for Texas talent wise.

Seriously? I bet the total number of Texas High School signees remains within 5% of last year's class. It almost always does while trending upward-I've followed this for years. In fact, in 2006 more Texas high school players signed than in subsequent years. Right now the number of 3+ stars should be 75% of the entire Texas class of Divsion 1A signees which will likely be in the 360-370 range like it has been for several years. So far only 282 Texas High School recruits have committed and 210 of them are 3+ stars- Even on a National scale high school recruits rated 3 stars or above is up about 55% since 2006.

Another way to evaluate this year's group of recruits is to compare where we are relative to other teams this year and in year's past. At present Rivals has us tied for 64 nationally, which is higher than we've been in the last several years, and 3rd in C-USA. Last year as I recall we were in the middle of the conference pack. Looking at releative performance thus far, JJ is bringing in the best class in some time. Of course it is nice to look at all the 3 stars after so many years of mostly deuces.

The bottom line is people love stars and stars sell. Expect more and more 3*s in future classes.

It is still possible for this to not mean inflation... such as more extensive scouting by Rivals.

Stallion - Your a realist I respect that. But your also a huge buzz kill.

Go 2010 Recruiting Class - Best in Years!

Blvd_Stang wrote:Stallion - Your a realist I respect that. But your also a huge buzz kill.

Go 2010 Recruiting Class - Best in Years!

I don't think he's downplaying our 2010 class at all. If I get anything out of his post, it's that stars don't mean as much as we think and you really have to look at the measureables and intangibles of each player to decide for yourself it it will be a good fit. I think that based upon those standards, even Stallion would agree that the 2010 class represents a marked improvement over SMU's recruiting efforts of the previous few years.

I believe IMO this class is the best recruiting class since the DP. And I expect the 2011 class to be better than this one.