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Who will be the first school to abandon HS recruiting?

Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:44 am
Posted by Bamafig
Member since Nov 2018
6108 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:44 am
What’s the point? You can just recruit 25 from the portal every year with the time, effort and money you used to spend on HS guys. You at least have a better picture of how the kids perform on a college level. The days of bringing kids in to develop are basically over. I would think it would be a lower G5 school to begin with.
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
76112 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:45 am to
Nobody will ever totally abandon it but with what Cignetti has done at Indiana and now Ole Miss becoming a playoff team using the portal heavily, I expect most teams will start going 70/30 portal to high school recruits
Posted by SEC Doctor
Member since Aug 2024
11052 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:45 am to
Colorado already has.
Posted by Bamafig
Member since Nov 2018
6108 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:50 am to
Well, Colorado is basically a lower level G5 team, ha!
Posted by 03 West CoChamps
Member since Sep 2024
686 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 8:55 am to
LSU. Lane basically didn't recruit HS when he was here. Pete go the DC job and asked what the HS recruiting plan was and was told "we don't have one". Pete started one.
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 8:56 am
Posted by aggiebrad94
Member since Aug 2017
8 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:03 am to
I would. I played very small and very below average college baseball at an NAIA school. We would still crush my VERY good big school high school baseball team.

There is also so much growth that happens to a kid mentally and socially once they leave momma's house and have to make decisions on their own. Give me those kids all day.
Posted by 03 West CoChamps
Member since Sep 2024
686 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:04 am to
quote:

Give me those kids all day.


The issue is there isn't a whole lot of OL/ QBs in the portal. Teams that recruit them are going to pay them to retain them. The ones that do want to move on are few and far between.
This post was edited on 1/7/26 at 9:06 am
Posted by southern686
Narnia
Member since Nov 2015
1031 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:11 am to
Unsure which will abandon it first, but I do think we will start seeing P4 schools going heavy on the portal and less on HS recruiting. As someone said 70/30 or maybe even 80/20 split.
I mean why recruit a HS kid, tie up money on them, develop them, etc. only for them to probably transfer the following year for more money or wanting more play time.

You might as well recruit they very best, and let the rest go to a G5 or a DIV2, or a FCS school.
While still keeping an eye on those would be recruits, let those schools do the development and give them play time. If they turn out good, then get them in the portal.

Until something is done; I personally think we will see more of this.
Posted by BreakawayZou83
Kansas City, Missouri
Member since Oct 2011
10232 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:11 am to
Drink shifted his energy away from it a couple seasons ago. Our high school classes have been shrinking the past couple seasons in favor of hitting the Portal.
Posted by aggiebrad94
Member since Aug 2017
8 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:13 am to
This might be a really shift and boon for small colleges to get a better caliber high school kid knowing they will leave for D1 if they develop.

Fairly similar to Cal's one-and-done recruiting in basketball all those years.
Posted by Tropicofcapricorn
Member since Jun 2021
240 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:22 am to
Look at the results for Colorado they haven't recruited well high school wise since probably... oof Bill McCarthy? Some places will live and die by the portal like Colorado but not SEC schools too much talent here to abandon the high school players
You still get some players to develop you can't count on studs in the portal every year and they may not fit your system or culture.. remember all that money Texas A&M spent under Fisher?
Posted by Gnash
Cypress, Tx
Member since Oct 2015
10117 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:30 am to
quote:

LSU. Lane basically didn't recruit HS when he was here. Pete go the DC job and asked what the HS recruiting plan was and was told "we don't have one". Pete started one.

My brother in Christ, Kiffin has broken you. I’ll send my prayers.
Posted by 03 West CoChamps
Member since Sep 2024
686 posts
Posted on 1/7/26 at 9:34 am to
quote:

My brother in Christ, Kiffin has broken you. I’ll send my prayers.


We can revisit this in a couple of years.
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