Interesting recruiting stats from ESPN

by Chi08, Friday, February 03, 2012, 08:42 (5241 days ago)

On signing day, listen to how many recruits talk about spending four years in school. But when we asked 45 prospects from the ESPNU 150 if they'd leave school early for the pros, 84.4 percent said yes. "My parents would be upset if they heard this," an elite receiver says, "but the goal is to get to the NFL." And our goal at Confidential is to provide cover for tomorrow's stars to dish on recruiting. We'll hold on to their identities -- but the truth is yours.

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WHO'S THE NATION'S BEST RECRUIT?
Dorial Green-Beckham: 26.7 percent
All others: 73.3 percent
Dorial Green-Beckham is currently undecided, choosing from a final list of Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. But his peers have made up their minds about the 6'6", 220-pound receiver from Hillcrest High in Springfield, Mo. With 26.7 percent of the vote, he's the nation's bluest chip, they think. "He has the height, the athleticism and the hands," says one lineman. "He's another Randy Moss."

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WHO'S THE BEST RECRUITER?
Nick Saban: 25 percent
Gene Chizik: 13.1 percent
Blue-chip prospects are torn about Nick Saban. A quarter of those surveyed say he's the best in the business. (Auburn's Gene Chizik polled second with 13.1 percent.) "Saban is a cool guy who knows how to relate to players," says one tackle. But when asked who was THE MOST OVERRATED RECRUITER, a poll-topping 33.3 percent picked Saban. "When I talked to him, I couldn't believe how cocky he was," says a D-lineman.

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ON CAMPUS VISITS, WERE DRUGS OR ALCOHOL AVAILABLE?
No: 59.1 percent
Yes: 40.9 percent
The majority (59.1 percent) says no. But the other 40.9 percent isn't buying the naysayers' answers. "If anybody tells you that stuff isn't around, they're lying," says one linebacker. "Nobody ever pushed it on me. But nobody ever said 'no way' when I asked about it either."

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IF YOU WITNESSED VIOLATIONS, WOULD YOU REPORT THEM?
No: 56.9 percent
Yes: 43.1 percent
Most players (56.9 percent) admit they wouldn't make a peep if some- thing illegal went on in their presence. "Nobody likes a rat," says a star DB. Even the guys who vowed to report it say they'd be doing so to avoid the NCAA's wrath more than to uphold the virtues of amateurism. "If there was a chance not reporting it would come back to bite me, I'd tell somebody," says a tackle.

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TRUE/FALSE: CONFERENCE REALIGNMENT HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT RECRUITING ISSUE FOR ME.
True: 15.6 percent
False: 84.4 percent
As the nation was consumed by who was moving where, recruits were, well, not paying attention. Only 15.6 percent cares about conference ties. Says one among the 84.4 percent who tuned out, "I had no idea what was happening, and it wouldn't have changed anything. You can get to the BCS and the NFL from any FBS school now."

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DID YOU EVER FEEL THAT HOSTESSES WERE BEING USED BY SCHOOLS TO INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION?
Yes: 62.2 percent
No: 37.8 percent
The answer is yes for 62.2 percent of those surveyed. "On about my third official visit, I finally noticed that I was the only recruit who was being taken around by three hot girls," says one uncomplaining defensive lineman. "That's when it dawned on me that everybody seemed like they were bringing in their best talent to try to get me to commit to that school." He chuckles, then echoes a sentiment we heard a lot. "But I have to say, pretty girls never hurt."

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AFTER THIS FALL'S SCANDAL, WOULD YOU STILL CONSIDER PENN STATE AN OPTION?
Yes: 24.4 percent
No: 75.6 percent
We surveyed players in the weeks prior to PSU's hire of Bill O'Brien. But of the three-quarters (75.6 percent, to be exact) who say they have no interest in Penn State, most make it seem as if it didn't matter who replaced Joe Paterno. "Every recruit I've talked to agreed that they wanted no part of Penn State," says a running back recruit. "Why would you go there unless you have no other offers?"

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IF YOU KNEW NO ONE WOULD EVER FIND OUT, WOULD YOU TAKE $50,000 FROM A RECRUITER?
Yes: 14.4 percent
No: 85.6 percent
Good news for the NCAA enforcement team: 85.6 percent says no way. The bad news? About one in seven players admit they'd take the money and run. "Knowing nobody would ever find out, who's going to turn down that much money?" wonders an SEC-bound defender. "Not me. I haven't gotten any money offers like that, but I wish I had."

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DURING RECRUITING, HAVE YOU EVER FELT STALKED?
Yes: 64.4 percent
No: 35.6 percent
The easy answer is yes, with 64.4 percent of the vote. But players have all sorts of reasons they feel that way. Some were taken aback by the constant presence of coaches ("They were always there, writing down my every move," says a wideout). Some say fans were too in their faces. And others point to, uh, us. "The phone calls and emails and Facebook messages from recruiting sites didn't feel like stalking -- they were stalking," says a blue-chipper from Florida. "I had to turn my phone off for most of the fall."