The Patriot League vs., The World, 2016 FCS Recruiting Classes

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Using 247, and my own system, I took a stab at trying the Patriot League recruiting classes vs. the rest of the FCS world.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2016/03/comparing-all-fcs-recruiting-classes.html

It didn't turn out so well for the Patriot League. However, the conferences on top of the table might surprise you.

[clenz]

I'm not going to type my whole "ratings at the FCS level don't mean ****" thing again...but, likely 99% of your numbers/reasoning behind the system may be valid in spirit but are flawed before you started.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I'm not going to type my whole "ratings at the FCS level don't mean ****" thing again...but, likely 99% of your numbers/reasoning behind the system may be valid in spirit but are flawed before you started.

That's fair. This isn't meant as the end-all evaluation of the classes, that happens four years down the line. It's entertainment based on ratings systems we have.

[clenz]

That's fair. This isn't meant as the end-all evaluation of the classes, that happens four years down the line. It's entertainment based on ratings systems we have.
Understood, and that's why I didn't go after you for doing it. I think you tried to make it as fair/reasonable as possible. I just have issues with recruiting numbers for FCS recruits, as I've outlined numerous times on the site - including player names.

It is interesting to view thoughxthumbsupx

[RichH2]

That was fun. Flawed? Of course , there is simply insufficent comparative data to base any rating of FCS recruiting accurately. Still fascinating to see where it puts the various conferences. Thanks.

[LeopardBall10]

That was fun.

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/57933527.jpg

Not exactly the descriptor I would use. We all pretty much knew it was bad for the PL but to have it confirmed at the first attempt at quantifiable data is rough. So this raises a lot more questions.

1. Were the PL rosters really that far behind the rest of the FCS that even with scholarships we are just now getting close?
2. Will we close the gap at all in coming years or are we fated to hang out in the middle along with the W&Ms of the FCS who struggle with academic requirements and athletic ability? (Ignoring the Ivies, they have the pick regardless of academics)
3. Is the PL going to continue to think it has the reputation of the Ivy League when it obviously doesn't? Academic Index, no redshirting, walk-ons, etc. are taking away the advantages a team like W&M gains by leveraging their academic reputation vs the rest of the CAA/FCS

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Using 247, and my own system, I took a stab at trying the Patriot League recruiting classes vs. the rest of the FCS world.

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2016/03/comparing-all-fcs-recruiting-classes.html

It didn't turn out so well for the Patriot League. However, the conferences on top of the table might surprise you.


Interesting. The Missouri Valley has some work to do.....

[McNeese72]

Interesting. The Missouri Valley has some work to do.....

Yeah, how do you expect to win on the field against us with that type of recruiting.............oh, wait??????? :)

Doc

[RichH2]

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/57933527.jpg

Not exactly the descriptor I would use. We all pretty much knew it was bad for the PL but to have it confirmed at the first attempt at quantifiable data is rough. So this raises a lot more questions.

1. Were the PL rosters really that far behind the rest of the FCS that even with scholarships we are just now getting close?
2. Will we close the gap at all in coming years or are we fated to hang out in the middle along with the W&Ms of the FCS who struggle with academic requirements and athletic ability? (Ignoring the Ivies, they have the pick regardless of academics)
3. Is the PL going to continue to think it has the reputation of the Ivy League when it obviously doesn't? Academic Index, no redshirting, walk-ons, etc. are taking away the advantages a team like W&M gains by leveraging their academic reputation vs the rest of the CAA/FCS
All valid issues 10. Dont think Chuck was attempting to answer any of them.. Look at it as an interesting perspective , not the only one.

[DFW HOYA]

The top 10 schools by playoff eligible conferences:

Lamar
Stephen F. Austin
Austin Peay St.
North Dakota St.
Samford
Sam Houston St.
Abilene Christian
UC Davis
Rhode Island
Central Arkansas

The bottom 10:
Maine
Indiana St.
Central Connecticut St.
Georgetown
East Tennessee St.
Bryant
Duquesne
Tennessee-Martin
Wagner
St Francis PA

[PAllen]

The top 10 schools by playoff eligible conferences:

Lamar
Stephen F. Austin
Austin Peay St.
North Dakota St.
Samford
Sam Houston St.
Abilene Christian
UC Davis
Rhode Island
Central Arkansas

The bottom 10:
Maine
Indiana St.
Central Connecticut St.
Georgetown
East Tennessee St.
Bryant
Duquesne
Tennessee-Martin
Wagner
St Francis PA

Well, I think it's safe to say that in four years we'll be able to look back and say he got one or two right from each list.

[DFW HOYA]

It remains discouraging how a national brand such as Georgetown University is so ineffective in making its case to football recruits. Much of this lies on a academic culture that, after 125 years, still doesn't know quite what to do with football, competing in a league whose policies have handcuffed this program from any meaningful growth in the sport.

While a $10 million budget got men's basketball a 15-18 record this season, it's easy to figure out why students and alumni view football games alongside Marist or Columbia as a waste of time. Nearly 20,000 kids apply annually and 99.99% are admitted for who they are, not how their scores fit into a calculator. It's the absurdity of telling a student and his parents that a 3.8 GPA and 1420 SAT is great but that Georgetown can only recruit three of those kids because that's the rules.

A Georgetown education should be an unparalleled experience for a young man. Would that they could make the same offer to recruits that don't fit into an a SAT box or whose parents don't have the ability to pay $62,000 a year for college.

The son of a Georgetown football All-American once said, "you are what your record says you are." In this case, you are what your recruiting says you are.

[ngineer]

A fun read, LFN; but, do you have regular job??!!!

[LeopardBall10]

competing in a league whose policies have handcuffed this program from any meaningful growth in the sport.
Which policies do you see as so prohibitive to Gtown that do not affect the other PL members? Could you define meaningful growth? Do you want to see Gtown football competing for regular Pl championships or in an FBS conference?


It's the absurdity of telling a student and his parents that a 3.8 GPA and 1420 SAT is great but that Georgetown can only recruit three of those kids because that's the rules.
I am not sure what rule you are quoting here, but this is not my understanding of the Index system at all. The league produces the bands at the end of each season detailing the league floor and the ranges for each band but there is nothing stopping a league school from taking 20 top band students if they could find that many who could play.

[JSUSoutherner]

Yeah, how do you expect to win on the field against us with that type of recruiting.............oh, wait??????? :)

Doc
Everyone knows Southland teams are invincible. xnodx

[tribefan40]

Columbia got hosed.

[DFW HOYA]

Which policies do you see as so prohibitive to Gtown that do not affect the other PL members? Could you define meaningful growth? Do you want to see Gtown football competing for regular Pl championships or in an FBS conference?

1. A vote to go full-bore on scholarships when the other six knew there was absolutely no way Georgetown could match that.
2. Maintaining the Ivy Index, which basically says that "We [the PL] do not trust our own schools to recruit ethically."
3. Reducing squad size so that GU even less of a margin to build depth.

I think there has to be some creative thinking about competing in football without resorting to a MAAC-style model, which is where Georgetown is right now and has been for nearly 25 years. Any PL fan has to admit that, as they are presently constructed, there is next to no chance for Georgetown to consistently compete for the top division of this league.



I am not sure what rule you are quoting here, but this is not my understanding of the Index system at all. The league produces the bands at the end of each season detailing the league floor and the ranges for each band but there is nothing stopping a league school from taking 20 top band students if they could find that many who could play.

1420 would not be top band at Georgetown, where the middle 50 percent is 680-780.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

3. Reducing squad size so that GU even less of a margin to build depth.

To me, more than anything, this is going to have to be addressed at some level. Not so much for Georgetown's sakes, or for playoffs' sakes, but for competitiveness vs. the Ivy League, where they more or less have no practical roster limits for home games and essentially scholarship everyone, including walk-ons.

I can also see how this in particular could be a big issue for G'Town.


1420 would not be top band at Georgetown, where the middle 50 percent is 680-780.

As LeopardBall10 said, there is no ceiling on the academic requirement of recruits. You can put a 720 player in a band that will accept anywhere from (say) 600 and up. This is similar to the Ivy League, where my understanding is that Harvard rarely gets football athletes near the floor of the AI (yet still field competitive teams).

[Gate83]

Why cater to an associate member that uses the PL for football and will leave tomorrow if they can find a better deal? Play by our rules or get out. Until then, enjoy the beatings.

[Sader87]

^^^^^^^ Kinda has a point......

[LeopardBall10]

Why cater to an associate member that uses the PL for football and will leave tomorrow if they can find a better deal? Play by our rules or get out. Until then, enjoy the beatings.
+1

Although they win games. We're not talking about a team so happless that they should be dissolved or relegated to some far off corner of corner of FCS obscurity. Before scholarships Lafayette would lose a recruiting battle with Gtown 80% of the time.Even with scholarships it is not a slam dunk. The national brand carries a lot of weight. That is one of the reasons why I don't by DFW's complaint that there is no way for the school to match the 60 scholarships voted on by the league. Can't is a lot different from won't. You have the endowment, you have the NCAA March Madness money, TV contracts for basketball, and on down the line. To say the school doesn't want to make the move because of cost is one thing, but to say they could never match... I don't buy it.

[RichH2]

Well said 10. Hoyas with schollies would be a power. DFW has a point but does carry it a tad over the top. Having followed his battles with GU over funding, I can empathize with his frustration. That said,their issues are self inflicted not imposed by the PL. Even so they still get very good recruits just not enough of them. Lehigh lost a very good DB to GU this year.
Agree.that an assoc.member does not get to dictate to the PL. However,I like having GU here. I see no reason why PL cant adjust roster cap for them.

[DFW HOYA]

+1

Although they win games. We're not talking about a team so happless that they should be dissolved or relegated to some far off corner of corner of FCS obscurity. Before scholarships Lafayette would lose a recruiting battle with Gtown 80% of the time.Even with scholarships it is not a slam dunk. The national brand carries a lot of weight. That is one of the reasons why I don't by DFW's complaint that there is no way for the school to match the 60 scholarships voted on by the league. Can't is a lot different from won't. You have the endowment, you have the NCAA March Madness money, TV contracts for basketball, and on down the line. To say the school doesn't want to make the move because of cost is one thing, but to say they could never match... I don't buy it.

To the above comments, I am not arguing for the PL to change its ways. Majority rules, and I understand this.

As to the idea that the bricks under Cooper Field are paved with gold (as opposed to gravel), some thoughts.

1. Endowment. Georgetown's 2015 endowment number was $1.52 billion. But fund accounting and the nature of dedicated gifts make this argument an illusion. A $10 million gift to the Law Center can't go to football as a matter of contract law, anymore than Jack Bourger's gift to Lafayette football could have been unilaterally been redirected to create the Arthur Rothkopf Center for Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Absent endowment gifts to football, annual giving for football would have to top $3.8 million annually to cover the bill. In the last year where there was a public disclosure, football raised about $341K.

2. NCAA Money. Actually, no. As part of the ingenious move to buy back the Big East name and MSG contract from the AAC, the Big East ceded past NCAA winnings to the AAC, so from 2014 on, that's where the money is. For GU, not so much. 2014 was the NIT, 2015 was one win, and 2016 didn't qualify for the post-season. In other words, Holy Cross has the same number of credits Georgetown does.

3. TV Contracts. The Fox deal is a good one for a non-football league - about $4 million a year. But when the basketball budget is $10M and the head coach makes almost $3M of that, there's probably not a lot to go around for other sports.

The quote above noted that "Before scholarships Lafayette would lose a recruiting battle with Gtown 80% of the time." And now? How many kids are passing up a $60K free ride to Lafayette to take out loans and work-study buyouts in DC? Some, but far too few.

My point is not to change the PL model but the Georgetown model. I'm not sure what that is right now, so it's a discussion in progress.

[clenz]

To the above comments, I am not arguing for the PL to change its ways. Majority rules, and I understand this.

As to the idea that the bricks under Cooper Field are paved with gold (as opposed to gravel), some thoughts.

1. Endowment. Georgetown's 2015 endowment number was $1.52 billion. But fund accounting and the nature of dedicated gifts make this argument an illusion. A $10 million gift to the Law Center can't go to football as a matter of contract law, anymore than Jack Bourger's gift to Lafayette football could have been unilaterally been redirected to create the Arthur Rothkopf Center for Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Absent endowment gifts to football, annual giving for football would have to top $3.8 million annually to cover the bill. In the last year where there was a public disclosure, football raised about $341K.

2. NCAA Money. Actually, no. As part of the ingenious move to buy back the Big East name and MSG contract from the AAC, the Big East ceded past NCAA winnings to the AAC, so from 2014 on, that's where the money is. For GU, not so much. 2014 was the NIT, 2015 was one win, and 2016 didn't qualify for the post-season. In other words, Holy Cross has the same number of credits Georgetown does.

3. TV Contracts. The Fox deal is a good one for a non-football league - about $4 million a year. But when the basketball budget is $10M and the head coach makes almost $3M of that, there's probably not a lot to go around for other sports.

The quote above noted that "Before scholarships Lafayette would lose a recruiting battle with Gtown 80% of the time." And now? How many kids are passing up a $60K free ride to Lafayette to take out loans and work-study buyouts in DC? Some, but far too few.

My point is not to change the PL model but the Georgetown model. I'm not sure what that is right now, so it's a discussion in progress.
Georgetown still cuts a cut of every single NCAA credit the Big East earns...The issue is the NBE can't figure out how to win in March

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Ironically Georgetown fans have to begrudgingly root hard for Villanova and Xavier the next two days.

[LeopardBall10]

My point is not to change the PL model but the Georgetown model. I'm not sure what that is right now, so it's a discussion in progress.

Understood. I think the thing that is causing me grief is that there are some league rules that are affecting member's ability to compete both on the field and recruiting. You bring up the AI and roster limits, but an even bigger hurdle than that IMO is the rule accounting all aid (regardless of need/merit/academic) towards the 60 equivalency cap. The roster limit is a moot point unless the scholarship schools can bring in 10 full-pay kids a class. The AI isn't going away, so we will just need to find a way to live with it, same with red shirting.

[RichH2]

Pretty much agree. IMO we will see.changes in 60 cap and redshirting. PL did add 3 WO slots to caps. Aid to them does not count vs 60. PL needs and wants.a football member. Wont happen under current redshirting rule. My guess is PL could allow a fixed number of unrestricted redshirts(ie 5) per year.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Understood, and that's why I didn't go after you for doing it. I think you tried to make it as fair/reasonable as possible. I just have issues with recruiting numbers for FCS recruits, as I've outlined numerous times on the site - including player names.

It is interesting to view thoughxthumbsupx

And you would laugh even more if I explained to you how the recruiting websites give their ratings and some of the crazy things their people have told me over the years about what they apparently want people to believe. Let's just say you can absolutely ignore those ratings 100% when it comes to non P5 schools. Even when it comes to the G5 schools they don't treat them fairly. I can pretty much guarantee you it is impossible for Yale or any Ivy League or Patriot League team to have the top recruiting class because of several reasons such as academic restrictions, etc.

[BisonFan02]

And you would laugh even more if I explained to you how the recruiting websites give their ratings and some of the crazy things their people have told me over the years about what they apparently want people to believe. Let's just say you can absolutely ignore those ratings 100% when it comes to non P5 schools. Even when it comes to the G5 schools they don't treat them fairly. I can pretty much guarantee you it is impossible for Yale or any Ivy League or Patriot League team to have the top recruiting class because of several reasons such as academic restrictions, etc.

clenz can answer, but he used to work with Rivals. His posts on the topic are scattered around this forum.

Speaking of.....clenzy, you might as well have something "at the ready....copy/paste" to throw up in instances like this. xthumbsupx

[smallcollegefbfan]

clenz can answer, but he used to work with Rivals. His posts on the topic are scattered around this forum.

Speaking of.....clenzy, you might as well have something "at the ready....copy/paste" to throw up in instances like this. xthumbsupx

I remember hearing that before and I hope he admits what the guys at Rivals do. There are some good people there but they don't do a fair job and rely too much on offers and buzz instead of evaluating guys.

None of the sites do a great job. There are some players who haven't had an update to their size or anything other than offers or if they committed in over a year and some who don't get rated simply because they didn't have a major D1 offer. FCS players don't get rated unless they had a FBS offer or were expected to get some early on and the website never dropped them. I have seen so many 3 star recruits go to FCS schools who had FBS offers heading into junior year but the schools pulled the offer and they just never update them. The star system is heavily broken and when the websites miss their first defense is well the coaches got it wrong too but yet they would claim to me that coaches pull offers or offer based on stars. I know for a fact coaches in FBS never offer or pull offers to players who get 4 stars or drop to 2 or 3 stars yet they claim they do.

[Tribe4SF]

Patsy ratings are fun for PL folks, but comparisons to other leagues just highlight how flawed the ratings are, and how flawed the star ratings are. Different schools report their incoming recruits in different ways. W&M is like many FCS schools in that they don't report preferred walk-ons until they enroll in July. If you add the 11 known walk-ons coming to Williamsburg this summer to the 14 guys signed on Feb. 3 you'd get a very different Patsy rating.

[RichH2]

Correct Tribe. Caveat tho is that PL restricts PWOs with its roster cap of 90 and by including all aid to PWOs in computing its max of 60 schollies for football. That we fit in the middle of LFN's Patsy comparison is not surprising given our restrictions. The basic differences between the PL and other FCS conferences.limit any comparison of recruiting but its fun to read.

[clenz]

I remember hearing that before and I hope he admits what the guys at Rivals do. There are some good people there but they don't do a fair job and rely too much on offers and buzz instead of evaluating guys.

None of the sites do a great job. There are some players who haven't had an update to their size or anything other than offers or if they committed in over a year and some who don't get rated simply because they didn't have a major D1 offer. FCS players don't get rated unless they had a FBS offer or were expected to get some early on and the website never dropped them. I have seen so many 3 star recruits go to FCS schools who had FBS offers heading into junior year but the schools pulled the offer and they just never update them. The star system is heavily broken and when the websites miss their first defense is well the coaches got it wrong too but yet they would claim to me that coaches pull offers or offer based on stars. I know for a fact coaches in FBS never offer or pull offers to players who get 4 stars or drop to 2 or 3 stars yet they claim they do.
Here's my post from the "TOp 10 Recruiting Classes" thread


Bull****.

I'll say it in every single thread that recruiting rankings are mentioned...maybe someday someone will listen.


These don't mean ****. I worked for Rivals for about 5 years going across the state of Iowa gathering film on recruits for football and basketball. I cut the film to create game highlights and player highlights, published the film to the site, did interviews, involved with how to rank kids, etc... I know how this **** works.

247 doesn't know a damn thing about these classes beyond superficial ratings done on kids that they maybe saw 8 minutes of highlight tape on. That doesn't make 247 lazy, it's how Scout, Rivals, NY2LA (for BB), etc... do their rankings. Outside of the top 150-200 (even that's pushing it) the rankings are like the points on Whose Line Is It Anyway. For those unfamiliar (somehow) with that...

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/46/4688668e4138abc21361f6bde1e21598bf0d18751fb011bd6d 638cb06d94e6ec.jpg



Want some proof? I'll use specific names to make my case.

Class of 2010 - Andre Dawson http://sports.yahoo.com/uab/football/recruiting/player-Andre-Dawson-76560
I did film on him. Those highlights you see on Rivals...guess who was involved in that.

Look at his offer sheet - for those that don't want to click the link
Cinci
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Minnesota
Northern Illinois
Purdue
Wisconsin
Northern Iowa

He was, long considered, the best player in the state of Iowa. There was, at one point, a strong push to make him a top half 4* recruit. Towards the end of the recruiting cycle someone started a rumor he wasn't going to be a qualifier due to how well he liked UNI and how strongly he felt about going there -regardless of his other offers and how could a kid not be a clearing hows qualifier, yet still enroll as an athlete a D1 school. What did that do to people at Rivals and Scout? Sent them panicking. One e-mail I got on the topic said "We can't have a 4* kid commit to an FCS program out of high school. That would make a mockery of our rankings." so they dropped him from the #1 player in the state and out of the top 50 position rankings. They knew they couldn't drop him from 4 to 2 so they dinged him down to a low 3 and had anyone got "solid confirmation even one of his offers was pulled" he would have gone to 2* or N/R after being 3-4* just a few weeks earlier and for all of his JR and SR seasons.

Once Dawson got to campus he was pretty much disinterested in football. Transferred after a year to Iowa Western CC for a year, then to Iowa for a season and then quit football all together.

Other kids in the state of Iowa that year? David Johnson (we all know that name), AJ Derby (started at Arkansas and bouncing around the NFL), Jake Waters (started 2 years at K-State), Brandon Scherff (4 year starter at Iowa, top 5 NFL pick and NFL starter), James Morris (4 year starter at Iowa, All B10, now with NE), David Parry - All P12 guy at Stanford, drafted by the Colts and starts for them, Jack Rummells (3 year OL starter for UNI and on a couple camp/practice rosters this past year). Turns out Scherff and Morris were the only two liked by Rivals that year. Parry won the award for best NCAA senior that started career as a walk on. His only offers out of HS were UNI, Illinois State and Navy. Chose Stanford due to academics. Why were Parry and Johnson so low but guys like Dawson (who was probably "rightfully" dropped but for the wrong reason...anyone watching football in Iowa knew DJ was the better back) were high to start? Dawson played at a highly respected program that had produced B10 WRs like Adrian Arrington (of Michigan fame) and Keenan Davis (of Iowa fame) in the previous few years. DJ played on a Clinton team that was historically awful and he was their only bright spot. Same with Parry at Linn-Mar High (the district I now live in...and it's not a great program but getting better because of kids like Parry).

It's why the MVP is almost always the best player on the best team. It's easy to give them that award/rank them that high. Hard to justify a kid from a sub .500 program being a 3-4* kid.

Also keep in mind with DJ, had he played LB/SS in college and signed with Iowa/Iowa State (like they wanted to happen) he would have been a 3* "Athlete" because of where he signed. Instead, unranked RB for an FCS school.



Another one that's interesting is happening right now, and 247 is leading the charge at changing rankings on this one.

UNI DE/TE commit Desmond Chappel http://sports.yahoo.com/ucf/football/recruiting/player-Desmond-Chapple-183043 and http://247sports.com/Player/Desmond-Chapple-81282

He has offers from UNI (committed), Ball State, Miami (OH), Pittsburgh, SEMO, SIU, and Wyoming.
Jan 17 he was 3* across the board - Scout, Rivals and 247

On Jan 18th he tweeted "Blessed to say that I will be furthering my education and football career at the University of Northern Iowa!!! "...he has the tweet pinned to the top of his twitter

Rivals left him as a 3* and show he has a solid verbal. That's actually shocking to me. Watch it though, signing day he may be a 2*, or NR, depending who signs LOI where ahead of him.
Scout moved him to a 2* and show he has a solid verbal
247 has moved him to N/R and show him as uncommitted and "cool" for interest for every school...and I bet there will be zero updates to his page ever again.


Why? Can't have a FCS recruit ranked highly out of HS. Simply can't have it.

I could go on and on and on with examples but it doesn't matter. What the media has done to drive 25+ year old men to follow these kids every move is sickening. It's why I don't follow recruiting more than if something gets re-tweeted to my timeline so that I see a kid "committed". It's a perverse world.


But yeah...feel free to brag about being "ranked highly in the FCS recruiting rankings". We see it every year from the same set of schools. Yet those same schools can't seem to develop those kids to that potential because they never really accomplish anything as a team.


Also should note where I said it's likely 24/7 would never update Chapple's recruiting page again...they still haven't even though he is signed to a LOI

[smallcollegefbfan]

Here's my post from the "TOp 10 Recruiting Classes" thread




Also should note where I said it's likely 24/7 would never update Chapple's recruiting page again...they still haven't even though he is signed to a LOI

That is an interesting story. I have heard some other crazy ones. One time a writer at Rivals put a player in the Army game because he was dating the kid's mom. I have heard of them automatically dropping a FCS kid down to 2 or 3 stars, etc. They definitely don't scout players. It's all about how things look. They can just say 4 years later the player developed or everyone missed but their problem is they don't hire qualified people. I remember I did an All-America game that had Shaq Lawson in it and they rated Lawson as a 3-star. I invited him and he blew up the North-South Game in Myrtle Beach. Then, he went to my game and was MVP. He got bumped to a 4-star after the N/S Game and then was MVP in mine. He still never got in the top 100 like he clearly should have.

I was told they would not move him in the top 100 because they did not think he was big enough and he did not play in the Army or UA games. They clearly just want to make their sponsored all-star game roster look great, only evaluate P5 prospects and they don't want to do in-depth work on low tier players. They just slap a low 3 or 2-star rating on them and move on. The only way that differs on the level of 2 or low 3 is if the player has some offers and what not.

It's really sad at how bad the ratings have become. I like Farrell and those guys personally but none of the sites do a great job.