Chat Transcript
CBS SportsLine.com
February 8, 2001

PrepStar's managing editor, Rick Kimbrel, stopped by for for his last chat about the best high school football players and which colleges they are going to attend.

You can check out their website at PrepStar.com.

Previous Kimbrel chats 2/5 | 1/31

Rick Kimbrel: Welcome friends! Here we are again.. Things are more solidified now. We are still receiving lists so everything isn't solidified yet. We're working hard to get them all done. I hope I can answer your questions tonight.

Question: shaq102: Who are the top five recruiting classes and why?

Rick Kimbrel: I would have to say #1-FSU, #2 Michigan, #3- Texas, #4-LSU, and #5 Miami. They are all close. With FSU there is so much talent and they just do it better than anyone else. And have for the last 10 years or so. They seem to graduate 4-5 a year to the NFL. Michigan.. only one is not an All-American or Dream Teamer. When you recruit from a talent factory as Texas, and are as charismatic as Mack Brown, you have success. Now they have to win on the field. No more 8-4s. And Miami.. well Larry Coker did a good job. They were on the verge of unravelling and he was able to right the ship and bring it into the harbor. A tremendous job.

Question: rebelfan: How would you rank the recruiting class at ole miss?

Rick Kimbrel: Ole Miss had a pretty good hit when Frank Gore stayed close to home and went to Miami. It was a good class however and has the chance to be in the top 25 or 30. It would have been a certain thing if Gore had stayed with Ole Miss.

Question: montrice: Rick What do you think of Syracuse's recruiting class?

Rick Kimbrel: Not one of their more..oh glamorous classes. They still will have some good players again. The #1 guy for them is the QB from Pennsylvania, Cecil Howard. A talent that the Orangeman like. He'll be the best since McNabb. Keith "Thump" Belton may even start at RB next year.

Question: adminjp: Rick there's a lot of talk here in the east that the new staff at Rutgers did a nice job keeping Jersey kids home..what do you think??

Rick Kimbrel: I think what that new staff at Rutgers did was a recruiting miracle. What Coach Schiano did was prove he had the right stuff as far as recruiting and administration. He called a meeting of all top players in New Jersey, the kids who will usually leave the state for college, and impressed them. They even beat Penn State for a few. If you are a Scarlet Knight fan you should be happy. He hired his ex High School coach who has contacts with all the other High Schools. I really think this guy will pull it off!

Question: scoop100: How did the new coaches do such as Carroll and Coker?

Rick Kimbrel: Like I said, Coker did a good job of keeping that class together when it was falling apart. He was able to receive the verbal of Frank Gore and the LB McIntosh. He did great. USC got the best DL on the west coast with Cody. What you have to like about Carroll is the staff he is hiring. You will see a lot of good things out of USC next year.

Question: barky: Who would you list as the overall best signee?

Rick Kimbrel: Well that is a tough question. In the game of football how can you compare a great OL to a great QB? It is a game of synergy and when all is working well it is a thing of beauty. So it is hard to say who is better because the positions vary. The best DL? Tommy Harris who signed with Oklahoma. The Best QB may be Brodie Coyle. But the best overall would be so hard to call because of the talents required for the different positions.

Question: conkussion: Would you say this was a particularly strong signing class?

Rick Kimbrel: I would think that the top echelon players are as good as any other year but the class did not have as much depth as others. Although they might surprise us in a few years. I don't think it was a strong as a few years ago. But that is why we like to see what happens in a few years.

Question: bignit: What regions of the country are the current hotbed for talent? Has there been a shift in where the good players are coming from?

Rick Kimbrel: For the last 10 years, the big three have been California, Texas, and Florida. I haven't seen that change. I will have a count of the exact numbers soon. Georgia is making a move. They have 40-60 going Division I. California has like 300. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi are also good states for talent.

Question: az_why: How is Mizzou doing with their recruiting?

Rick Kimbrel: Mizzou did as well as could be expected. They pulled a coup with Damien Nash and it will be bigger if he qualifies. If so they will have signed one of the best backs in the nation, beating Nebraska for him. I don't think Missouri gets to do that too often.

Question: bama1: With all the problems Alabama has faced, do you think they recruited well?

Rick Kimbrel: When you consider how far they needed to come? Yes. The benefactor of their 1 year demise has been Auburn. They got some of the better players in state. They will be remembered for getting Brodie Croyle. The whole staff was being cleared out and they still got him. He was the #1 recruit from the state and Francione was able to talk him into staying home and that dark cloud was lifted from the psyche of the Bama fans. He will be remembered for this silver lining from that dark, dark cloud.

Question: hoyathere: Were there any last minute decommits?

Rick Kimbrel: I think the Frank Gore decommit from Ole Miss, Fred Gibson changing to Florida. Cedric Houston went Arkansas, Tenn, Arkansas and ended up on Tennessee's sheet! Lydell Ross first committed to 2 other teams before landing at Ohio State.

Question: baob_mya: Are the scholarship limits for football starting to even out the recruiting wars? Would even tighter limits lead to more parity in talent among schools?

Rick Kimbrel: Definitely they are evening them out. If they get any tighter maybe some D-I-AA will start competing for championships! 85 in any given year, 25 maximum to sign is a good place. College football has never been healthier. Aside from the controversies that is.

Question: baob_mya: What trait do you feel that the most effective recruiters have in common?

Rick Kimbrel: I think it would be charisma. They can convey a message in a way you feel positive about them. The great ones are like Bobby Bowden, Lou Holtz, Joe Paterno.. the elder statesmen of the game. The parents, grandparents, etc. all love them and trust them. Rodney Gardner at Georgia is a very good recruiter behind the scenes. But as far as stable, head guys go? Those three come to mind.

Question: barky: Rick, what exactly makes Joe Mauer the best QB Prospect?

Rick Kimbrel: He has the intangibles you love. Not only a great athlete (#1 in baseball too), but he has that quiet confidence you admire. He has the type of personality that the people want to rally around. He is humble. Many times QBs are c o c k y. But he is not. To go with a great arm and speed he had the leadership ability that is so darn important.

Question: stymie: How would you classify what it is that you do, more art or more science?

Rick Kimbrel: Honestly, what I do is broker information. I have the ability to gather a great team who helps me with what I do. It is NOT a science. More of an art I guess. Science you can, through theory, get answers. In this recruiting game there are so many shades of gray that it is much more of an art.