ESPN has always been the most innovative entity at marketing the random. Spanning channel upon channel, they have unearthed ratings through a multitude of sporting outlets. The general public visits ESPN. The leftovers visit ESPN2 for their specified, offbeat interests. Those in need of a quick sports fix or just love an unsalted SportsCenter flip to ESPNews. Fans searching to relive ‘better times’ or failed ESPN originals find ESPN Classic. Hell, who doesn’t enjoy a good re-run of Stump the Schwab at two in the morning? Those suffering from dementia enjoy ESPN’s variety of alternate channels, which play more soul-draining background music than sporting events. And usually, seventeen students at Dartmouth are intently watching their men’s squash team on ESPNU.
However, ESPNU’s ratings rose infinitesimally this Wednesday thanks to the development of a relatively new market. The center of attention in the sporting world had deserted February basketball for the sport of hat selection with a side of awkward banter. That could only mean that National Signing Day had come. For hours, the general public, including myself, were glued to their televisions anxious to see where the next big recruit would go, his potential on the college field and his selection antics.
At times during the day, it could be described that I was watching Spike TV, Soap Net, and Animal Planet all conglomerated onto ESPN. It was manly, drama-filled Darwinism at its best. The athletes were physical beasts. Some of them, including Cyrus Kouandjio, involved plot twists that would leave LOST writers scratching their heads. Then, there was Isaiah Crowell, who brought out a miniature bulldog in some sort of Snuggie after he chose Georgia over Alabama. The awkward conversation that followed may have been the most unbearable of the day.
Speaking of Alabama, how did they fair in signing day? ESPN ranks the Tide as the number two recruiting class in the nation following Florida State. The tricky aspect of their ranking is the added weight that they attach to ESPNU 150 recruits, which Florida State had twelve and Alabama had ten. Rivals, which I believe to be a more legitimate recruiting source, has Alabama as the top ranked recruiting class based on the average talent of all of the players acquired to this point.
As dominant as the state of Alabama has been in football recently, the same can be said for Alabama and Auburn on the recruiting trail. Both teams finished in the top five in recruiting, but Alabama was by far more impressive. Think about it. Alabama has a young, experienced team. Auburn has a young, non-experienced team. For Alabama to out recruit the defending national champions is one thing, but for Alabama to out recruit the defending national champions when they can offer playing time is another thing. While it may take Auburn two or three years to rebuild, Alabama will constantly be near the top thanks to consistent recruiting.
Great recruits always have the hype, but which ones will show the potential their first year on campus? Looking at Alabama’s committed class of players, I see three athletes that have the ability to be stand out when they arrive to campus. If Jadeveon Clowney (who will break someone’s heart with his decision on February 14th) and Kouandjio commit to Alabama, it would be easy to say that they would be early impact players, but you can’t count your unsigned emotional teenagers until they sign.
3 Players to Make an Immediate Impact
1.Xzavier Dickson (4 star recruit, DE) is the player who I believe will have the most impact upon joining the team. In an Alabama defense with a wealth of experience and talent, the defensive line is possibly the weakest area. It will be interesting to see, due to his size, whether he will add bulk to play the line in a 3-4 defense or focus on speed to play both linebacker and down lineman where Donta Hightower and Courtney Upshaw excel.
2.Trey DePriest (5 star recruit, MLB) has received much hype this offseason as the number one middle linebacker in the nation. He is the stereotypical Alabama linebacker due to his strength and quickness. However, Alabama is extremely deep at the linebacker position. It will be interesting to see how Nick Saban and company use him in the defensive rotation.
3.This may come to many as a surprise, but the third player that I believe can have an immediate impact is Marvin Shinn (4 star recruit, WR). With the exit of Julio Jones, Alabama’s receiving core will mostly consist of faster, quick-strike receivers. Shinn, 6’4 180 lbs, has the opportunity to add weight during the offseason and become the possession receiver in a group of explosive receivers. It would also be an added benefit for an inexperienced AJ McCarron to have a possession receiver reminiscent of Jones.
The Winning Team
The team that benefitted most from this recruiting season is the Georgia Bulldogs. They finished in the top ten of the standings, largely based upon the wealth of talent that the state of Georgia delivered this year. Honestly, I predicted them to be a top ten team next year which I admit is far-fetched, but given a strong, young quarterback in Aaron Murray and an excellent coach in Mark Richt to lay the foundation of this team, I expect Georgia will re-enter the national spotlight within the next few years.
This year’s signing day has come and gone, but the media fiasco, hype and excitement of that day will live on as these young players make the transition to the football field. Those athletes who prevail will forever bask in the glory, and those who bust will forever be the butt ends of the jokes. Just remember; it all spawned from the selection of a single hat.
