Hardest Position to Recruit

[Monarch History]

Since ODU will be signing its first class on February 6, I wanted to know what position you guys think is the hardest to recruit. My first thought was quarterback (the glamour position) but I have nothing to base that on with ODU. I would think big fast offensive lineman in FCS might be harder to find. Any thoughts?xcoffeex

[andy7171]

While QB and OL are high priorities for sure, I would say the rarest find out there is a big run stopping interior DL.

[soweagle]

Lineman, you can never have enough.

[uofmman1122]

IMO for Montana: Kicker. Thems are some big shoes to fill.

Overall: Defensive Tackle. Tough position to fill with huge guys at our level. Most of the best usually always go to I-A.

[OSBF]

Corners that are actually capable of covering somebody.

[grizband]

IMO for Montana: Kicker. Thems are some big shoes to fill.

Overall: Defensive Tackle. Tough position to fill with huge guys at our level. Most of the best usually always go to I-A.
Yes, but so were Snyder's. Honestly, though, I agree that DL is probably the most difficult position to recruit at the lower levels. It takes a certain combination of size and speed that is hard to find, so most great defensive lineman sign with FBS schools.

[colorless raider]

Corners that are actually capable of covering somebody.

DL's,cb's and rush end are my picks for the hardest to find

[Marcus Garvey]

Long snapper

[turfdoc]

I would say D-line and corner back. Basically there is a step down on the chart for them at the higher level. A lot of corner backs if they lack size or quickness can become pretty good receivers, and a lot of D-lineman if they are a little slow can be O-linemen at the highest level.

Also a lot fo the other positions are developed those two rely a lot of phsyical ability and "instinct" (although this instinct can be coached an developed the earlier they were taught the better they will be.

[henfan]

IMO, finding effective DTs and OLs is difficult at the FCS level.

[Franks Tanks]

At the FCS level I agree its lineman. Most FCS linemen are undersize, and many large guys that end up in FCS arent as athletic or in as good of shape as you would like.

[OL FU]

I have always thought it was DBs. I base this on Furman and others may not have that problem. We generally recruit good big lineman. But DBs have to be fast, good reactions, and athletic. Generally at our level if a person is fast, good reactions, athletic and has good hands they become receivers. (especially if they are tall). Not knocking DBs because we have had some good ones it just seems easier to match their skill sets to other positions.

Also, a lot of positions kids play in high school changes once in college. QBs become wide receivers and receivers become DB. Just seems more difficult to recruit for that spot.

[neersnbeers]

Going to go with DL on this one, especially in our league.

[ChickenMan]

At the FCS level it's usually harder to recruit for the defensive side of the ball. There are usually plenty of very good 'skill players' (QBs, RBs, WRs) found in the top FCS leagues.. but quality defensive players like defensive lineman (DTs in particular) are pretty hard to come by for most FCS programs. The top quality DLs are usually found in much smaller numbers than the offensive skill players and those DLs are normally scooped up very quickly by the top BCS programs.

[MR. CHICKEN]

LEE CORSO....IS ON RECORD....."AH'D GET UH PUNTER.....B/4.....UH QB".....HENCE......GOIN' WHIFF PUNTER..........AWQ!

[fuEMO]

I have always thought it was DBs. I base this on Furman and others may not have that problem. We generally recruit good big lineman. But DBs have to be fast, good reactions, and athletic. Generally at our level if a person is fast, good reactions, athletic and has good hands they become receivers. (especially if they are tall). Not knocking DBs because we have had some good ones it just seems easier to match their skill sets to other positions.

Also, a lot of positions kids play in high school changes once in college. QBs become wide receivers and receivers become DB. Just seems more difficult to recruit for that spot.

I have to agree with you about DBs at Furman. Seems like other schools, GSU and APP come to mind have better luck consistently recruiting defensive backs. A large part falls into the category of skill sets as OL FU talks about, and in the case of Furman and some other schools, what did they score on the SAT. Furman has secured commits from 3 defensive backs and 2 safeties for this recruiting season. And it looks like Furman's coaches (Farrington and Evangelista) have tweak their profile for DBs.

[MR. CHICKEN]

UH A+ PUNTER.....WILL GET YA OUTTAH POOR FIELD PO.........AN' PIN DUH OPPOSITION....DEEP IN DERE OWN DOO-DOO!

JES' DROP BACK 15......AN'........PUNT!

[Ronbo]

Interior Defensive Linemen and Cornerbacks.

[BearsCountry]

DT's. Hardest position to find in every level of football.

[WrenFGun]

Agreed, DL and OL.

[FargoBison]

D-line and corners that have both size and speed.

[PaladinFan]

To be honest, in my watching of FCS football, there are hardly any teams with good tightends. Furman seems to have cornered the market on that position in the SoCon and (I suppose as a result of the offense we run) utilizes them more than anyone else.

I don't know if teams have a hard time recruiting that position, or they are mostly just skinny offensive linemen for most offenses. I just can't really remember the last time I saw a real top notch tightend in the FCS that didn't play for us. ASU had a decent one in Bettis, but he dropped every other ball thrown to him.

[catbob]

While QB and OL are high priorities for sure, I would say the rarest find out there is a big run stopping interior DL.

Andy, off topic but that picture reminds me of a girl I know here in Bozeman. Who is that?

[WMTribe90]

DL, hard to find combination of size and speed. Ones that have it get scooped up pretty quick by the BCS. I think OL is hard but easier than DL becuase you can the weight to an undersized HS OL if he has decent feet. DL requires a higher level of athleticism.

[JohnStOnge]

First thing I thought when I saw the thread title is "defensive tackle." I see several others think that as well. Many times they don't get much glory because of their role but I think that if you get two big, strong, dominant defensive tackles who can stop the run and also get push up the middle on passing plays it completely changes the game. I think LSU had that in the BCS championship game this past year with Dorsey (healthy) and Jean-Francios and the effects were evident.

I, like others, think it's really tough for FCS teams to get those big, quick, dominant defensive tackles.

[VT Wildcat Fan53]

Pass Rushing Defensive Linemen, hands down,are the hardest to find. 1-AA teams try to convert FBs, TEs, ..... It is simply hard to do. Find yourself a pair of pass rushers and all of a sudden your entire defense -- from LB back to CB and Safeties -- get much better. In addition, the opposing QB who has been lighting you up magically devolves into an average joe. Go watch UMASS QB look like an A-A vs UNH, then watch him vs a pass rushing DL like the Griz or Southern Ill, .....

[McTailGator]

Since ODU will be signing its first class on February 6, I wanted to know what position you guys think is the hardest to recruit. My first thought was quarterback (the glamour position) but I have nothing to base that on with ODU. I would think big fast offensive lineman in FCS might be harder to find. Any thoughts?xcoffeex


Defensive Tackle...


Lot of big kids, but not a lot of big kids that can qualify for college.

[Hoyadestroya85]

A great Tight End Who can block and Catch..

[MR. CHICKEN]

WHAA 'BOUT UH FG KICKER?.......DUH GOOD ONES...WILL WIN AS MANY GAMES......AS DUH STUD QB.....OVERAH.......DUH SEASON/CAREER!

[FUwolfpacker]

To be honest, in my watching of FCS football, there are hardly any teams with good tightends. Furman seems to have cornered the market on that position in the SoCon and (I suppose as a result of the offense we run) utilizes them more than anyone else.

I don't know if teams have a hard time recruiting that position, or they are mostly just skinny offensive linemen for most offenses. I just can't really remember the last time I saw a real top notch tightend in the FCS that didn't play for us. ASU had a decent one in Bettis, but he dropped every other ball thrown to him.

Ben Patrick from Delaware and Bugg (?) from EKU were both pretty highly thought of.

Patrick caught a couple of TD's for Arizona this year. Patrick was a transfer from Duke though.

Drew Atchinson from William & Mary made the East/West Shrine game this year too.

There aren't a ton of top of the line TE's out there, but there are a few every year. I think the decreasing number of quality TE's does have something to do with the move to the spread offenses. 1. TE's just aren't used as much and 2. Guys who used to be smaller TE's are now being moved to WR (or DE or OL if they can put on enough weight).

Personally, I think CB is the hardest position to recruit at this level. There are some decent DT's out there that are passed over b/c of their height 5'11"-6'0", but there just aren't that many legit cover corners available to our schools.

[MR. CHICKEN]

A great Tight End Who can block and Catch..

UH THIRD TEAM TACKLE WHIFF HANDS.......COULD HANDLE DUH TASK!

[Cleets]

UH THIRD TEAM TACKLE WHIFF HANDS.......COULD HANDLE DUH TASK!

Chicken..!!! Some schools don't have a "third team"... like many Ivy Lge teams for starters...


xwhistlex

[ngineer]

While I agree DT's that are quick and big are tough to find (and usually are converted TE's or bulked up LB's), I'd still go with cornerbacks (who can do the job). The ability to play a good man-man defense in the secondary seems to be lacking in many places.

[Cleets]

You want to win football games... (period)
Build an Offensive line... if you can give your QB (Any QB) 5 or 6 seconds... you win... if you can open holes (even Shaun Alexander can score) as the Seahawks proved 3 years ago with their line...

O-Line = Wins (Period)

Knock guys down with your O-line... You win.. (any other questions..? )



xlolx

[D1scout]

You want to win football games... (period)
Build an Offensive line... if you can give your QB (Any QB) 5 or 6 seconds... you win... if you can open holes (even Shaun Alexander can score) as the Seahawks proved 3 years ago with their line...

O-Line = Wins (Period)

Knock guys down with your O-line... You win.. (any other questions..? )



xlolx

Cleets, this may be even more valid at the FCS programs level than the FBS level. If for no other reason than the fact that most of the big boys go the FBS route over FCS programs. There always seems to be an abundance of fast skill level players to go around for both levels. Maybe due to the average of the population. The really "big ugles" are a lot fewer in number. I'll bet if you examine the size of the offensive lines of the "play-off" teams they would be on the averge larger than the rest of the FCS programs.xnodx

[Cleets]

Cleets, this may be even more valid at the FCS programs level than the FBS level. If for no other reason than the fact that most of the big boys go the FBS route over FCS programs. There always seems to be an abundance of fast skill level players to go around for both levels. Maybe due to the average of the population. The really "big ugles" are a lot fewer in number. I'll bet if you examine the size of the offensive lines of the "play-off" teams they would be on the averge larger than the rest of the FCS programs.xnodx

I saw an FCS championship game played in a swamp a few years back...
A team with a very fast and very active defense was held motionless in sludge while 310 Lb line men stood still and blocked them as the defensive players wheels spun in the mud in the Chattanooga swamp...

An offense with basically 5 plays won a championship because of size and conditions...

All I'm sayin' in the mud... (which is what happens late in the season)
you win "flat out" with size, no contest" it's a complete speed neutralizer

with linemen
On speed-turf if their big and a bit quick you can build a game plan (rolling the QB) running traps and pulling guards to win...

BIG FAT LONG ARMED offensive linemen win football games...every time...

Draft all the 4.3 wide outs you want... if the QB can't check down the routs and is running for his life... your team speed is wasted...


Just my 2 cents

[Lionsrking]

IMO, the hardest position to find is a quality cover corner, and that starts in the NFL and goes right down the line. I don't disagree with those who say DT, but you don't need 6-2, 300 pounders to be successful in FCS. You can get good production out of shorter guys who are in the 260 to 270 range. Obviously it's hard to find quality 300 pounders but you don't need those types necessarily. There aren't a lot of guys out there who can cover above average WRs.

[SUjagTILLiDIE]

IMO, the hardest position to find is a quality cover corner, and that starts in the NFL and goes right down the line. I don't disagree with those who say DT, but you don't need 6-2, 300 pounders to be successful in FCS. You can get good production out of shorter guys who are in the 260 to 270 range. Obviously it's hard to find quality 300 pounders but you don't need those types necessarily. There aren't a lot of guys out there who can cover above average WRs.
In Louisiana it isn't hard to find CB's. Now O and D-linemen that are elgible is a different story. xlolx

[GoAgs72]

Some of it is the particular position and some of it is the college. UC Davis has had a long string of successful QB's and WR's and has no problem recruiting new QB's and WR's. Our weakest area is DB's and it killed us in 2007. We need faster, taller and more aggressive CB's to compete in the FCS.

[Tribe4SF]

DTs #1, followed by CBs.

[McTailGator]

In Louisiana it isn't hard to find CB's. Now O and D-linemen that are elgible is a different story. xlolx


BINGO!

That is the primary reason McNeese plays with 5 DB's, they are a dime a dozen down here. And while McNeese has had some success getting plenty of good OL players (many with good grades), we have had hell keeping DLmen, especially DT's elligable.

[D1scout]

BINGO!

That is the primary reason McNeese plays with 5 DB's, they are a dime a dozen down here. And while McNeese has had some success getting plenty of good OL players (many with good grades), we have had hell keeping DLmen, especially DT's elligable.

That's because OL players have to think and must have some brains. With DL it is basically "see ball, get ball". So, if he is big and strong as a DL you are already half-way there but don't look for rocket scientists on this side of the equation.xlolx