While that's definitely true, you can't outweigh failures to recruit top local high school players with Ivy League and Group of Five transfers. If they were really going to be coached up, I think we'd have seen that by now.
I disagree. UCLA football can and should be successful without the 5 stars that go in droves to the SEC and other elite programs. We need volume of 4 star talent which we absolutely can and should eat up from the portal. We shouldn’t be just focusing on the lesser conferences for our transfers either. We should be trying to raid the SEC and the Big Ten of their transfers as well. I’d much rather have a 4 star talent with a year or two experience under his belt than a 4 star high school recruit that might flop.
I agree with you completely, if we can get the four star transfers. That does outweigh most high school recruits. And yes, we shouldn't be just focusing on the lesser conferences. I think that was my point, though. We have had quite a few transfers from those programs, and not so many from the SEC or Big Ten.
When you are a school like UCLA or any other non-elite program, your recruiting classes will generally be dominated by 3 star and low level 4 star guys who are not going to see much time if any as 1st years and probably not really make an impact until their third yet. So a recruiting class is not going to turn anything around. If you want instant improvement, you do what USC did and focus on the transfer portal. You can get better players who are more proven and ready to start immediately.
I agree to an extent - but I still believe it needs to be "AND" not "OR", especially in such a talent-rich area where we live. We're one of two schools in the overall metro area of the highest level HS football league in America, not to mention the rest of Southern California, and we should be doing better/more to recruit from that talent base at the very least along with/AND hitting the portal successfully just as you suggest.
I don't think that's 2018 thinking - the talent where we live is one of the biggest advantages we have over so many schools if we can be better at tapping into it.
You really underestimate the importance of the portal. Wake up. It’s not 2018.
While that's definitely true, you can't outweigh failures to recruit top local high school players with Ivy League and Group of Five transfers. If they were really going to be coached up, I think we'd have seen that by now.
I disagree. UCLA football can and should be successful without the 5 stars that go in droves to the SEC and other elite programs. We need volume of 4 star talent which we absolutely can and should eat up from the portal. We shouldn’t be just focusing on the lesser conferences for our transfers either. We should be trying to raid the SEC and the Big Ten of their transfers as well. I’d much rather have a 4 star talent with a year or two experience under his belt than a 4 star high school recruit that might flop.
I agree with you completely, if we can get the four star transfers. That does outweigh most high school recruits. And yes, we shouldn't be just focusing on the lesser conferences. I think that was my point, though. We have had quite a few transfers from those programs, and not so many from the SEC or Big Ten.
When you are a school like UCLA or any other non-elite program, your recruiting classes will generally be dominated by 3 star and low level 4 star guys who are not going to see much time if any as 1st years and probably not really make an impact until their third yet. So a recruiting class is not going to turn anything around. If you want instant improvement, you do what USC did and focus on the transfer portal. You can get better players who are more proven and ready to start immediately.
I agree to an extent - but I still believe it needs to be "AND" not "OR", especially in such a talent-rich area where we live. We're one of two schools in the overall metro area of the highest level HS football league in America, not to mention the rest of Southern California, and we should be doing better/more to recruit from that talent base at the very least along with/AND hitting the portal successfully just as you suggest.
I don't think that's 2018 thinking - the talent where we live is one of the biggest advantages we have over so many schools if we can be better at tapping into it.