Da'Qon Stewart, a 6-foot-2, 192-pound wide receiver

[Gamecockben1979]

Questions for thought provoking individuals (not most of the posters on this board):

1. What exactly is a 5* talent?
2. Who makes this decision as to how many *s a kid gets?
3. Why is a kid a 2* one day and changed to a 3* the next? Did he suddenly obtain some mad skills overnight? Or did he just get a really good night sleep? Or, maybe he stayed in a Holiday Inn Express?
4. Why are there exactly only 50 5* guys each year? Seems like magic that it happens to turn out that way every year. You would think there would be more in some years than in other years, wouldn't you?
5. What's the talent difference between a player who is ranked #49 and is a 5* recruit, and a player who is ranked #51 and is a 4* recruit?
6. Are the internet sites in business to be expert evaluators of talent, or to make money off of morons who they can convince they are experts.
7. Are the internet geeks making these determinations experts at talent evaluation, and if so, why do they work for a web site and not in player personnel in the NFL or Power 5 NCAA program?
8. Why is it that the number of *s only change after recruits start getting recruited by major programs, and why is it never the other way around? Why do major programs not wait to make an offer until after the recruiting sites change the number of *s?

1. A stud. Like Clowney. Someone that everyone from Alabama to Southern Cal offers. The best of the best aren’t hard to spot. You’ll know it when you see it.

2. The guys who give stars.

3. Maybe he gets better. Plays well at a game or camp against better competition. When you’re a 2 star there’s a better chance you’re gaining a star then losing one.

4. You can identify 50 top guys across the nation. Yes in some years more than 50 will pan out. In others a top 50 player will turn into Ryan Leaf. But picking one per state they’re usually safe bets.

5. 2 numbers and a star....

6. Both. In order to evaluate talent you need to see it. In order to convince people to buy, you need to show competence and something people don’t already know. It’s not as easy as someone thinks. A lot of going to camps watching a bunch of high school kids doing drills. A lot of sales. Not exactly my idea of a fun night.

7. Mel Kiper was once a “geek” and heavily criticized Colts GM (who had a job in player personnel) in 1994 for taking Trev Alberts (2 years in NFL) over Trent Dilfer (QB for over a decade, won a Super Bowl). Turns out the geek was right.

8. Not exactly true. If so, schools would never sign 5 star players. They would be 4 stars that elevate to five after signing with Alabama, Texas, Georgia, etc...Clowney didn’t get his 5th star after signing with us, it was there long before his commitment

 

[JGH 35]

1. A stud. Like Clowney. Someone that everyone from Alabama to Southern Cal offers. The best of the best aren’t hard to spot. You’ll know it when you see it. Oh yeah, there is always the Clowney reference. Well, there is only ONE once in a lifetime superstar. Most of the rest of the 5*s are indisguinishable from 4*s, etc.

2. The guys who give stars. Exactly! Faceless, nameless, nobodies who probably wouldn't even know how to put on a pair of shoulder pads.

3. Maybe he gets better. Plays well at a game or camp against better competition. When you’re a 2 star there’s a better chance you’re gaining a star then losing one. Hardly. Most are upgraded in JUNE when they have not even played in a game since the end of the previous season. Why do you think that is?

4. You can identify 50 top guys across the nation. Yes in some years more than 50 will pan out. In others a top 50 player will turn into Ryan Leaf. But picking one per state they’re usually safe bets. Only 50? Not 51, 56, 60? It's always 50 - meaning it is TOTALLY arbitrary. Meaningless!

5. 2 numbers and a star.... But not TALENT. Again, totally arbitrary!

6. Both. In order to evaluate talent you need to see it. In order to convince people to buy, you need to show competence and something people don’t already know. It’s not as easy as someone thinks. A lot of going to camps watching a bunch of high school kids doing drills. A lot of sales. Not exactly my idea of a fun night. Exactly! It's "lets go to Alabama's camp and see who they are hot on and are recruiting heavily and then we'll piggy back on that." Then when they are in the playoffs we can say "see, we had them ranked highly." But then there is FSU and USC that kinda blows that whole argument out the window.

7. Mel Kiper was once a “geek” and heavily criticized Colts GM (who had a job in player personnel) in 1994 for taking Trev Alberts (2 years in NFL) over Trent Dilfer (QB for over a decade, won a Super Bowl). Turns out the geek was right. Who is Mel Kiper? What team has he coached? What teams has he scouted for? How many NFL teams seek out his guidance when evaluating talent? I don't seem to recall that name among the ranks. Occasionally critics do turn out to be right. If every day you woke up and said its going to rain today, sooner or later you'll be correct.

8. Not exactly true. If so, schools would never sign 5 star players. They would be 4 stars that elevate to five after signing with Alabama, Texas, Georgia, etc...Clowney didn’t get his 5th star after signing with us, it was there long before his commitment

Really? Can you name a recruit that the top schools recruited only after they obtained a 5th *? Major programs don't sign 5* recruits, they sign recruits who are 5*. There is a difference.

 

[rogue cock]

He was 4 star in FB and BskB.

For football, he was a low-ranked 3 star who was at one time ranked as the 600-1400+ player in the country (which at the time would be a 2-star). He was higher ranked as a basketball player IIRC.
https://247sports.com/Player/Sidney-Rice-25350/

 

[Athenscock1]

He was 4 star in FB and BskB.

You may be correct but I don't think so. As I remember it has all over this board over the years that he was a 2. It came down to us and cuse, which were his only solid offers. He and a db from Rock Hill who played outstanding football for us and played in the NF were both rated 2.. Can't think of his name.

 

[rogue cock]

You may be correct but I don't think so. As I remember it has all over this board over the years that he was a 2. It came down to us and cuse, which were his only solid offers. He and a db from Rock Hill who played outstanding football for us and played in the NF were both rated 2.. Can't think of his name.

Ko Simpson.

 

[Scuba_do]

Benny Snell had those kind of problems too and look how that worked out for him.

So did Arnold Parker. Ever hear of him?

 

[Cocky704]

So did Arnold Parker. Ever hear of him?

No, please enlighten me.

 

[01fatboy]

The coaches know more than you....LOL

you laugh but yes, yes they do know more...a lot more

 

[Gamecockben1979]

you laugh but yes, yes they do know more...a lot more

I like our coaches overall but the ones that lost 28-0 to UVA don’t know more than anyone. You can take that to the bank.

 

[jonesz21]

UMass and Akron his other offers?? What the....?

Life as a gamecock

 

[world famous 3rd base hecklers]

UMass and Akron his other offers?? What the....?

6"2" Size matters....

 

[A_F_Deerhunter]

You may be correct but I don't think so. As I remember it has all over this board over the years that he was a 2. It came down to us and cuse, which were his only solid offers. He and a db from Rock Hill who played outstanding football for us and played in the NF were both rated 2.. Can't think of his name.

One of the Hopes, Chris or ?Leon?

 

[A_F_Deerhunter]

For football, he was a low-ranked 3 star who was at one time ranked as the 600-1400+ player in the country (which at the time would be a 2-star). He was higher ranked as a basketball player IIRC.
https://247sports.com/Player/Sidney-Rice-25350/

thanks

 

[Athenscock1]

One of the Hopes, Chris or ?Leon?

Thanks but I thought of the name today. Frequency of old age. The mind finally kicks in. K. O Simpson. That's the guy. Came in with Rice.

 

[Athenscock1]

UMass and Akron his other offers?? What the....?

Well I'll bet you a dime to a doughnut he will have many more offers by the end of his senior season. He's got a year to go and apparently hasn't had a lot of exposure. Let's just see how this one turns out before knee jerking.

 

[jonesz21]

Benny Snell had those kind of problems too and look how that worked out for him.

Those potential diamonds probably turn into Benny Hill for us

 

[jonesz21]

Stars don’t matter
-Dawn Staley

 

[rogue cock]

Those potential diamonds probably turn into Benny Hill for us

Not sure Abraham, Taylor, Munnerlyn, or Norwood would like to be compared to Benny Hill. All 2-stars or worse. Considering we don't take many, we've actually had pretty good luck with 2-star recruits.

 

[Scuba_do]

No, please enlighten me.

That's my point.

 

[jonesz21]

Not sure Abraham, Taylor, Munnerlyn, or Norwood would like to be compared to Benny Hill. All 2-stars or worse. Considering we don't take many, we've actually had pretty good luck with 2-star recruits.

Yes we should have a lot of 2 star guys that turn out to be our best Players when most of our players were 2 and 3 star guys.

I bet most of Bama great players were 4 star since that’s the majority they sign

 

[jeff2001]

Gamecock bump. 3 star. 5.7 if he has a good year he will end up a 4 star.

 

[flatwoodcock]

Remember Stars don't matter. Look at Bama and Clemson rosters. Oh wait my bad.

You are exactly right, if stars won games then Bama would have won because i think the last 4 or 5 years Clemson has never had a higher ranked class than Bama. I will never forget when SOS said while he was at UF, they never had a class ranked higher than UGA but he never lost to UGA. As long as we have top 20 classes every year we will be fine imo.

 

[flatwoodcock]

So there are people on here who actually think that BMac and Bentley would take a commitment this early from a guy who is 2 star talent when we have 7 4star WRs on our current roster? So who do you think is "off" on this guy right now? The geeks that run these sites or coaches of a team that passed for over 500 yards against the national champion?

BTW, there are more 4 star WR flops than any other position I have seen while following recruiting for the last 25 years. Just go look at our last 10 or more recruiting classes and see if you remember half of the 4 star WR names that came and disappeared. clem has there share as well...their best WR is an unrated walk-on.

Show some intelligence people....you are embarrassing yourselves.

Thank you sir and that is the truth whether these star gazers believe it or not.

 

[flatwoodcock]

Our last piece of the puzzle to make our national championship run!

No but it won't keep us from winning one either.

 

[tngamecock#]

Don’t know this kid but if he’s a pivotal part of state championship football and basketball teams then I’ll be as excited about him as I was about Sidney Rice.

If you followed upstate high school ball there wasn’t a Gamecock fan that did that wasn’t excited about Rice.

Rice wasn't a 2 Star like one poster floated out there, he was a 3 star on Rivals ranked the 12th best prospect in SC. I'll take 10 of those. You are right about him.

 

[Legendary Cock]

You are exactly right, if stars won games then Bama would have won because i think the last 4 or 5 years Clemson has never had a higher ranked class than Bama. I will never forget when SOS said while he was at UF, they never had a class ranked higher than UGA but he never lost to UGA. As long as we have top 20 classes every year we will be fine imo.

Spurrier spent most of that time coaching against Ray Goff and Jim Donnan.

 

[wendellj]

I am excited about this potential class. I haven’t personally confirmed this but I heard one reference to this young man being the son of NFL Carolina panther player Chris Gamble! If true that means he at least has some bloodlines. Hopefully more along the lines of Jaycee Horn than Al Harris Jr