I keep hearing "Recruiting Recruiting Recruiting" and frankly, I am a bit frustrated with it. While I would like to see bigger, stronger, fast guys across the board (as would every team in the country), talent evaluation and player development to me is a bigger concern. Too many guys (especially on defense) didn't improve. I don't know who to cast blame on that- those kids not putting in the work, poor culture cultivated by the team leaders and staff, or the scheme. VT isn't just getting their butt kicked in recruiting- lately talent evaluation and especially player development seems to have fallen off.
Look to the southeast for some startling reality. North Carolina (yes their kids don't go to class yack yack yack) was Fedora not giving Elijah Hood the football vs South Carolina away from being neck and neck with Clemson in the ACCCG for the right to play for a National Championship game. The Hokies played UNC valiantly. That being said, when you watched the game, I bet you, like I, kept thinking to yourself "man, this is going to be tough. UNC has weapons everywhere." The Hokies stymied UNC for long stretches, but when they got going THEY MADE IT LOOK EASY. Hood, Davis, Switzer, Hollins, Howard, Logan, and keep going down the line. They had so many weapons! On D, they gave up a ton of yardage, however they did enough to win without bringing their safeties down in the box. The were big, strong, and fast up front. I walked away spinning it in my own head "Fedora is an idiot (and I still think he is on gameday.) UNC won this one on talent, but VT outworked them."
Now for reality. Fedora took over a program on shaky ground. His classes since being hired are pretty comparable to VT in terms of ratings (per 24/7) are comparable. Yet, at least from a talent perspective, UNC's kids looked like the better unit on the field and it took an inspired comeback to make it a game.
2012 UNC National 43/ ACC 7
2013 UNC National 28/ACC 5
2014 UNC National 31/ACC 5
2015 UNC National 28/ACC 4
2015 UNC National 35/ACC 6
2012 VT National 21/ ACC 4
2013 VT National 21/ACC 4
2014 VT National 27/ACC 4
2015 VT National 29/ACC 5
2015 VT National 41/ACC 8
To he and his staff's credit, Fedora has developed players, especially on the offensive side of the football. Outside of Hood, Davis, and the tackle Bentley, UNC's guys are three star guys.
I hope Fuente can do the same thing- but this tired narrative of "closers" "package deals" "pipelines" and "we have to recruit *here*" need to stop. For this program, Fuente and his staff must do a better job than the previous staff at finding guys that fit their systems and then make them better. That starts with having upperclassmen that play better as seniors than they did as sophomores. That starts in these S&C sessions.
It can happen and UNC is proof. It doesn't take top 10 recruiting every cycle. It does take great talent evaluation and teaching. For a long time, I thought that was a strong point of the program. My confidence has been shaken in the last 12 months.
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