Evaluation has always been a critical component in college football recruiting.
But it’s perhaps more important than ever with the roster turnover that occurs annually and the rise of the transfer portal in college athletics.
“It ain’t the guys that you don’t get in recruiting that kill you. Even if they go to a rival because then you’ll only play them one a year. It’s the ones you take that can’t play,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said.
Too many misfires can lead to a head coach getting fired. And while one or two isn’t all that bad, if that total gets upwards to 10 or 12 then it can have a devastating impact on a program.
And while all positions are important one that Rodriguez has long placed a strong emphasis on is at quarterback. That’s why he’s made it critical to have two or three that they are comfortable with and believe that they can win games with when they’re on the field.
“But you can’t have too many misses. And sometimes it’s harder now and it’s more urgent now because of the portal,” Rodriguez said.
So overall that places a stronger emphasis on doing things the right way and finding a seasoned or veteran coach who has got more experience in evaluating is critical at certain positions.
For example, the Mountaineers hired a veteran at running backs coach in Larry Porter who has both recruited and evaluated a lot of good running backs over the course of his career and understands what it looks like.
Just looking at West Virginia’s roster, the Mountaineers brought in a long list of new faces and are one of the tops in college football in that category through the transfer portal and incoming freshmen and junior college players. But even that likely isn’t done yet, as the roster is still evolving.
“And I hope that there’s not too many more. But that’s probably where we’re at in college football till there’s some sensibility with this portal stuff going on,” Rodriguez said.
Everybody on a coaching staff needs to recruit and while there are differences for the ten that will go on the road, the importance of finding players that can make an immediate impact is critical.
A good mix of staff is key but there is perhaps more of a role than ever for those strong talent evaluators.
“So that means you better evaluate the right way. And sometimes a seasoned or a veteran coach has more experience evaluating,” Rodriguez said.
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