Okafor up to 5 star prospect in new Rivals 100

by jtlonghorn on Dec 10, 2008 3:11 PM CST

Updated rankings can be found here:

http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1936

DE commit Alex Okafor was the big mover for the Horns, jumping up to #14 ahead of Garrett Gilbert who slid to #18.

Jamarkus McFarland is now at #20 which corresponds with a drop in the Lone Star rankings.

Other Longhorn hopefuls Devon Kennard and Dre Kirkpatrick are at #6 and #10, respectively.

I love this quote from the site:

He was so quick at the Fort Worth Nike Camp that the coaches there thought he was an NFL prospect.

Has anyone seen him play in person? It looks like he could be an Orakpo type DE in the future. He runs a 4.6 in the 40.

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pretty cool

On the one hand I think it’s great that he is being so highly regarded. From what I understand he is physically a monster.

The other thing you have to keep in mind though is that these recruiting websites have affiliations with all star games. rivals rolls with the all american bowl game so since that game is now coming up pretty soon expect the players they have going to their game to move up in their rankings. That way they don’t have to host an all star game with a bunch of guys that aren’t in their top 20.

It’s probably even worse over at the wordwide leader. Last year they bumped down Pryor at the last second so that they wouldn’t be hosting a high school “all star game” that didn’t include the best player in the country.

I can go ahead and gaurantee you without checking that rivals’ new #1 player is gonna be at their all star game.

Basically what I’m getting at is #14 is great but chances are #67 has every bit as good a chance of devloping into a great college football player.

Blake Gideon and Brian Robison, former 2 stars, are reason enough for me to pretty much disregard whatever those forums have to say about players.

by andmyster on Dec 10, 2008 3:53 PM CST reply actions

Probably not best to form your opinions based on outliers

The cases of Gideon and Robison are pretty easily justified, considering Gideons injury history and Robinson’s dedication to track and field.

Matt Hinton before he was Dr. Saturday investigated these services in some detail earlier this year, at the behest of PB. The results? Essentially you’re significantly more likely to be getting a good player with a higher ranking. Link, Link, Link

proud to swim home

by learned hand on Dec 10, 2008 4:22 PM CST up reply actions

yeah but

I agree that on a national scale obviously the guys who are heralded as 5 star guys are more likely to be successful than the 2 star guys. I guess the argument I was trying to make is that when a player ends up with a scholarship from a big time program like Texas that means the rivals and espn’s and scout ranking systems of the world are probably wrong.

I’m not trying to make an argument for the 2 star player whose best offer comes from wyoming…

by andmyster on Dec 10, 2008 11:37 PM CST up reply actions

There will always be lower ranked players who turn out to be great on the field

And with how many lower ranked players there are, it would be more amazing if some didn’t develop into solid talents.

Like Learned Hand said, think of ratings more as probabilities than absolutes, its never necessarily bad to have a higher star rating, but it is hardly the end all be all.

PS – if you really want to be jilted about the system, check out Matt Barkley’s senior season numbers against Garrett Gilberts, then notice their relative rankings.

by BoddickerIsClutch on Dec 10, 2008 4:33 PM CST up reply actions

I refuse to believe. . .

that recruiting sites would sunshine pump just to make money. My reasons for believing that rivals, ect. are nothing if not totally honorable, unbiased, and without moral or ethical blemish after the jump ($).

"Stats are for losers, I like winning games"
". . .switzer is a cracked out bitch . . ."-osu poster

by 98horn on Dec 10, 2008 4:14 PM CST reply actions

+1

by ctex80 on Dec 10, 2008 4:32 PM CST up reply actions

doesnt really mean much to us

we are still getting the same guy

by acho81 on Dec 10, 2008 5:10 PM CST reply actions

I've seen him up close

He’s not huge. He does NOT look like or could be confused with an NFL prospect. He needs to put some time in the Weight Room. I think he probably has the ability to be a great DE/LB for us because he has the frame to put on some serious muscle and add strength.

Hopefully Maddog gives him the same weight program Orakpo was on, because I totally see him able to carry that kind of weight and he would probably be one of those guys you want “First off the bus”, but he’s not there yet and probably won’t be until his 2nd or 3rd year in the program. I’d be surprised if he was 210 pounds right now, maybe right at about 200 pounds. He looks kind of like a WR, but so did Orakpo when he and Kelson arrived on the 40 acres, so who knows?

Regardless, it appears he has done well his Senior year and it’s always nice when our Recruits are bad-asses!

by Hippie Killer on Dec 10, 2008 5:39 PM CST reply actions