Interesting piece by The Athletic

[Ghost of the HEB]

They interviewed a bunch of anonymous assistant coaches from various teams and conferences about the ins and outs of recruiting. One question inquired as to which school they believe should recruit better than they do. Here’s one response:
Pac-12 coach: “I think there are a lot of good football players in Utah who don’t go to Utah. … They’re always talented. So it’s not like they’re doing anything wrong. I just feel like there are some Utah kids who would love to go to Utah that they don’t get on early and they end up falling through the cracks and ending up somewhere else.”
The Athletic

[younglurch]

I’d say we’re punching above our weight a bit in recruiting and I disagree with the sentiment that we miss out on in state guys due to our own ineptitude. The top in state talent almost always goes to a flashy blue blood if Utah doesn’t get them. I don’t think it has ever been an issue with our staff dropping the ball. Only example I can think of where this happened is with Zach Wilson who would’ve loved to come to Utah and we didn’t offer. But almost everyone missed on him.

Let’s face it, Utah is not USC, Oregon, or other big brands. We’re at an inherent disadvantage there and when we pull in state blue chip guys like Van Fillinger away from big names we’re doing really well. Would the Sewell brothers have come here only if we had recruited them earlier and better? I don’t necessarily think so.

[EagleMountainUte]

Yeah look at the Nacua brothers get one but not the other and both end up at Poo poo. 

As far as Wilson, blessing in disguise imo. Good for him though his family dynamic worked out better for him. Tuttle made us miss out but both of them had weird parents.

Utah does well recruiting Texas and getting guys who want to play for Utah. I think that P12 coach is throwing shade and that is the method he uses on the trail. “Oh they ain’t rolling out the red carpet for you since you were 12?  Come to this school we will appreciate you.”. Transfers back in state in a few years.  

[chinngiskhaan]

Samson was not even close to a top level recruit ang pika never truly considered Utah. Samson only went to Utah because they were the best team that was also willing to overlook his perceived significant character flaws.

[junkemail]

Zach Wilson doesn’t bother me one bit for a few reasons beginning with the system mismatch and ending with him landing a spot in the NFL.

I want to start by saying this: just because someone is a starter at a “better program” doesn’t mean they can transfer to an “inferior program” and automatically assume a starting role let alone thrive there! This was the case with BOTH BENTLEY AND BREWER! Simply put, Utah’s offensive system was a mismatch for them both and it lead to Bentley transferring (again), and Brewer being benched and then in the transfer portal. Both of those guys lit it up at their schools before Utah and Bentley is doing well now at South Alabama… It wouldn’t surprise me to see Brewer transfer somewhere else and do very well.

I would argue that in a similar way, Zach Wilson wouldn’t have fit with Utah’s offensive system… Definitely not Ludwig’s system at least. Possibly there would’ve been a better fit with Troy Taylor but it’s a moot point because there’s no way he starts in 2018 over Huntley and he would be competing with Shelley for a backup spot. When 2019 rolled around, BYU started off 2-4 with both wins in overtime and the only reason Zach Wilson wasn’t benched was because he threw an interception against Toledo and broke a finger, which made him effectively remove HIMSELF from play for a few weeks. In 2019 BYU only secured Bowl eligibility with a win over Idaho State and blew the bowl game due to clock management and mental errors on Wilson’s part.

Any person living in reality would has to agree with the following statement: Zach Wilson wasn’t on anyone’s radar until the 2020 Covid season and BENEFITTED FROM THE COVID SEASON MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLAYER IN THIS YEAR’S DRAFT. Playing a complete (albeit poor) 2020 schedule with empty stadiums with minimal crowd noise and against opponents who had NEVER planned for him worked in his favor. This padded his numbers and showcased his ability to throw the ball while masking the worst part of his game: the mental mistakes he makes against better defenses. Truly, the stars aligned to get Zach Wilson to where he is today and I can’t conceive another explanation for it. There’s simply no way Zach Wilson could put up the numbers he did against the original 2020 schedule he was going to play… and the same could be said of him at Utah, assuming he wins the starting job.

It’s wonderful for him that he landed high in the draft and get a high NFL grade but his NFL career is just beginning. It hasn’t been the best start for him and in part this is due to having been thrown into the lion’s den with the Jets. If I were him, I would’ve demanded to play only small portions of the game, learn the system, and come back in year 2 ready to strike after having a season to get the hang of it.

Don’t even get me started on his mom Lisa and the attention (or should I say “distraction”?) she brings to a team.

Long story short, the Utah/Wilson debate is entirely moot and resulted in win for Wilson, a win for BYU and 2 wins for Utah 😉

[Charlie]

Not all the time but for the most part, the name schools literally pick first. There are exceptions but fewer than you may realize. USC, Oregon and Washington generally pick first in our area. Next, Utah competes with ASU, UCLA, Cal and others without an advantage. We will get very few that also have an offer from Stanford. Then there are SEC and B1G schools that also pick before we do. Awesome coaches and recruiting strategies can only make minor adjustments to this pecking order. For the top quartile of talent looking instate or staying close to home is down the list of priorities. Occasional exceptions create the belief that the pecking order can be changed for the most part.

[2008 National Champ]

Pecking Order? Utah as a program has defined its whole identity as being willing to take an axe to whatever established norm is being perpetuated.

G5’s aren’t good enough to be included in the BCS? Throw together a 2004 season so dominant that you can’t be left out, even if the establishment still gives you a booby prize in Pittsburgh.

G5’s are a cute story but they could never really play with the best. Throw together a 2008 season good enough that while still passed over for the championship game nets you the opportunity to dominate the team who spent 10 weeks in the top 2 and 5 weeks as the top team in the nation.

Can’t compete at the P5 level? Challenge accepted. Can’t recruit top end players? Challenge accepted.

The only question some of us have is how can a program convince top out of state talent like CP3 to come play for them but struggle to get anyone from the state of Utah that does not have familial connections? I know it’s heresy on these boards to ask the question.,,

[Author]

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