The Morning According to Us

Wake Forest sure got a lot out of the 95th ranked recruiting class

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The 'Hawks are offering more than a scholarship.

We've always known recruiting rankings are full of bunk. At least in football. For one, you have a limited sample size to evaluate -- high school, er, AAU basketball players have played a hundred-plus more meaningful games than a high school football player has -- and there's the raw subjectivity factor. If USC is even interested in a kid, his rating will rise. Ask any independent evaluator and they'll say this is true. Herds rule, and it carries right on through the NFL Draft.

Of course, look at what Wake Forest did in the draft.

As our own Bruce Feldman writes the Deacons did a lot with the 95th rated class. He cites a Dan Collins piece that notes, "Four players from the Deacons' class of 2004 were chosen in the first 118 picks of this season's draft. Linebacker Aaron Curry, cornerback Alphonso Smith, safety Chip Vaughn and linebacker Stanley Arnoux will join a former classmate, defensive end Jeremy Thompson, who never redshirted and thus has already spent a season playing in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers."

That redshirt year is the key. Earlier this year when we spoke with WSU head coach Paul Wulff, he cited Wake head coach Jim Grobe as an example of how to build a program. He also noted that during what most considered a disastrous 2-10 year for the normally strong Cougs, he'd red-shirted some 17 kids who could have been solid contributors. That's nearly a whole class of players. But Wulff pointed out that the jump from high school to college ball is far more challenging physically for players than the jump from college to pro and he wanted to give the kids a year to adjust, otherwise, he wouldn't be getting the best from them. During an average redshirt year, a kid can pack on between 10 and 25 pounds of muscle, can get used to the demands of school, and mostly, can get used to the physicality of play.

At a school like USC, which almost unequivocally right now is giving kids the best chance to reach the pros, more juniors have to be replaced so perhaps fewer redshirts can be used. And when you recruit 90% blue chip stars, the one-yer lag isn't as essential. But give a coach the chance to redshirt an entire class of the 50th ranked class rather than not redshirt 90% of the 10th ranked class and you'd have seriously mixed feelings. The added year is hugely important.

Just ask Grobe. Better yet, ask Curry.

The No. 4 pick in this draft spent 2004 practicing and lifting as a redshirt for the program that was the only one to offer him a scholarship.

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Chinese tennis player who said the country's athletes need more personal freedom rescinds her statement, under pressure from Chinese officials.

Africa says Rick Reilly saved the continent.

And hey, a marathon wedding.

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