DMN: Youri Yenga commits to SMU

[PerunaPunch]

Or... You could go the glass half full route and say since the recruiting Top 100 Lists were generally made prior to their senior seasons, that the Recruiting Lists rate what those in the know expect an athlete to do versus the post-season accolades which rate what an athlete actually accomplished.

And just remember, Cory Muse was only 6'3 205 during his senior season. And look at him now! This Yenga kid has 10 lbs. on Muse, so I'm not too worried.

Here's a recruiting tip, if a kid can rack up 111 tackles in a TOUGH 5A division, SIGN HIS [deleted] UP!!

[Stallion]

Again VERY very happy to have him-think he looks like one of the top recruits in our class and fits in nicely with what Phil Bennett does at LB but you are taking the opinion of some of the high school beat writers' opinion over the real expert's in the field who are the college football coaches. Especially if SMU is projecting him to gain 1-2 inches and gain 35-45 pounds and play DE then I can certainly see why he isn't at the top of the List of DE prospects in the state of Texas. He isn't a finished prospect at DE-his prospects at DE will largely be a measure of Yenga's physical growth, drive and work ethic which is always a pretty large variable.

[PonyPride]

From what I've seen and heard about him, drive and work ethic will not be an issue with this guy. But you're dead-on in your assessment that his physical growth will play a factor in determining his ultimate position on the field. He's got a lot to learn about the game, and clearly needs to get bigger, but the raw ability appears to be there, and his desire/drive/work ethic reportedly are excellent. Let's hope it continues.

[Stallion]

also if he is used at LB he will have to learn a new position which shouldn't be too much problem but will probably mean a redshirt year.

[Webmaster]

you are taking the opinion of some of the high school beat writers' opinion over the real expert's in the field who are the college football coaches.

Whoa there hoss, err Stallion,

The content providers for Rivals are not "experts", nor are they college coaches. They are people who run websites. To run a Rivals website, the prerequisites usually include owning a fan site, being a fan of your particular school and having an interest in sports. Nowhere does that make them "expert". In many cases, most of these guys have never coached nor have they played ball at the college or professional level.

On the other hand, one would assume that it would take some level of knowledge to get a gig as a sportswriter, and they are getting paid for that knowledge, which by definition makes them a professional.

Going back to an assertion you've made many a time, you CAN glean an opinion from the "experts" by looking at a kid's offers. But I don't know how relevant that would be in this case since this kid is new to football and thus probably wasn't on anyone's radar screen when the recruiting process started (especially at some of the larger schools who, as you've also pointed out ad nauseam, tend to load up on all the blue chip commits back in the spring and summer before a kid's senior year).

[Stallion]

Not the point! The point is that he goes to one of the Hottest recruiting hotbeds in Texas and is sitting on offers from UNT and UTEP. That's the point. Every College in a 5 state region and in the Big 12 have scouted his high school on multiple occassions over the last two years

[Webmaster]

Can't argue that point. If colleges aren't visiting Euless Trinity, they ain't visiting anywhere.

[Stallion]

Rivals confirms the Yenga commitment. They have unverified reports of 6-1, 212 4.6. List offers from North Texas-oops NTSU and UTEP. Says he is not interested in taking any other trips. Congratulations to Joe Sawyer as he was apparently instrumental in getting the commitment. Rivals gave him a rating of 2 stars and 5.3