Are recruiting classes really that relevant anymore?

Trey W. said

Just curious what everyone’s thoughts are on recruiting and the portal usage. With all the talk of signing day, how teams rank, and future classes, just thought it would be something different to talk about.

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The purist in me longs for the old days where kids wanted to play for a school that they loved and stayed on the squad until they reached their maximum draft potential. And when a kid was recruited from afar it was because he knew he’d get a better chance to start and help the team win.

The realist in me knows that money has always played a role in getting top players to don your uniform. All the major football programs violated the NCAA rules because of the money that was at stake for the school. The schools that got caught over the years just accepted the slap on the wrist for a few years.

The best part about the portal and NIL system is that it gives some of the bigger football programs a chance to level the playing field a bit by stacking their rosters with good players that would get benched on teams that have (possibly) better players. (See Joe Burrow) So I’m glad that a kid who might not have gotten a chance to showcase his talents can now improve his stock and also get a little bit of the profits that used to go entirely to the schools at the expense of these talented kids.