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Signing day or April 15? Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - The first Wednesday in February might be more dreaded than April 15. For the former, there is the buildup to signing day - football players effusive in their praise of coaches and facilities, eventually offering soft verbals and hard commitments. Then comes the confirmation of the signatures, the head coach's always positive analysis, the experts' assessment of each school's haul, and the speculation that goes on ad nauseam until there is a new round of names to fawn over. For the IRS deadline, there is some procrastination before the check goes in the mail. But, that's the end of it, assuming the math is correct. It's not that I don't care about Arkansas' signees or the work that Dudley Dawson does staying on top of developments; it's the gung-ho enthusiasm for players before they have taken a college test, gotten homesick, become smitten, or been smacked in the mouth by somebody bigger and stronger. No matter what an athlete has done in high school, the Southeastern Conference is a new game. The most meaningful recruiting reading was provided by a radio man who discovered a re-ranking of the 2004 classes on CollegeFootballNews.com. At the time, LSU's class was ranked No. 2 and that group came through, providing the crux of the Tigers' national championship team. On the other hand in 2004, both Miami and Florida State were ranked in the top five and both bombed this year. And, there was Kansas, with a class ranked No. 56 when the ink was dry. "The seeds of last year's improbable 12-1, Orange Bowl-winning season were sown in a recruiting class that housed a bunch of hidden gems," the author said. He cited cornerback Aqib Talib and left tackle Anthony Collins as two-star recruits with few options out of high school. The first position players to make All-American at Kansas since 1973, both passed their senior season to enter the NFL draft. The piece offers hope for Arkansas fans, past and future. Signed in 2004 by Houston Nutt, the Razorbacks were No. 27 at the time. Re-ranked, they moved to No. 5. "The headliners were (Jonathan) Luigs and (Jamaal) Anderson, who went from 2-star afterthoughts to a Rimington Award winner and a high first round draft choice, respectively," said Richard Cirminiello. He mentioned many others, including Peyton Hillis and Michael Grant. At No. 14 in the updated rankings was Louisville, No. 54 in '04. "For a class that was dominated by 2-star recruits, Bobby Petrino's 2004 haul wound up being well above average," the article said. The latest Arkansas class will number something more than 20 and about a half-dozen are of the two-star variety. The group includes a handful that were always going to be Razorbacks, another handful that Nutt's staff had not contacted, six or so that Arkansas had not offered, and some that were on the fence until Petrino and his staff closed the deal. Nationally, the perception of Arkansas' class will swing on the decision of wide receiver Joe Adams of Central Arkansas Christian. Back in August, he committed to USC. When Petrino arrived with a new offense, Adams decided to give Arkansas another look. At USC, Adams might be a defensive back for a year or so. At Arkansas, he would be a wide receiver from the get-go. Without Adams, Arkansas' class will be ranked 25-30. With Adams, it will be 20-25. In-state, fans will be thrilled if Adams signs on with Arkansas. If not, they can rationalize that Petrino was only on the job for a month. Petrino will confirm the names this afternoon and it will be all business. The news conference is for media only, according to the UA. In years past, the audience has included boosters and fans who oohed and aahed at the highlight video. The video will not even be available until Thursday. ------- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
