You Can't Win 'Em All
Mike Pinciotti, one of the big offensive linemen prospects Columbia was looking at, has committed to his hometown school of Penn. According to Scout.com, Pinciotti originally had his heart set on Rutgers of Penn State, but made the shift to better academic schools at some point last year.
And the Brophy Prep linebacker Mike Tree has reportedly committed to Dartmouth, choosing the Big Green over Columbia and Princeton.
I guess this is as good a moment as any to remind everyone that these prospects are just that, prospects. It's important not to get too excited or dejected about the crop of high school seniors making their football and academic decisions.
And I assume some of the existing players may resent all the attention we pay to guys who haven't even practiced at the college level yet. On the other hand, I think 99% of the readers here understand this and we're just trying to play a little "hot stove league" during our very long offseason. I just hope everyone else takes no offense.
posted by Jake @ 9:11:00 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I guess this is as good a moment as any to remind everyone that these prospects are just that, prospects. It's important not to get too excited or dejected about the crop of high school seniors making their football and academic decisions.
Very good. Many prospects are also considering the possibility of preferred walk on status at D1 schools. It is huge and stressful time for those athletes.
friend12 is correct. There are plenty of fine Ivy League football prospects and not all of them are going to attend any one school. Columbia already has snared some outstanding players with more certain to follow. As for "prefered walk-on status," at a football factory, doesn't that usually mean four or five years on the practice squad getting knocked around by the athletic scholarship guys? I have never understood why anyone would choose to "walk-on" at a big-time football school if he got into Columbia or any other Ivy League school.
It would be more accurate to say Penn State and Rutgers did not recruit him rather than his focus shifted.
Regarding comment #3: A couple of reasons why you might not choose Ivy League vs walk on at a big time football school:
1. Cost. A 4 yr degree at an Ivy league school-with no chance academic/athletic scholarship- especially during an economic recession is staggering for many. Other 'non Ivy' schools are usually less costly, or have "in state tuition" or offer academic and/or athletic scholarships that might make economic sense for the athlete and the parents. In the long run, maybe not such a smart economic decision. But in the short run, maybe so.
2. If football is more important to the student athlete than academics. The big schools have more exposure locally and nationally, more opportunity to play at a higher level including post season bowls, have better training facilities, etc, etc.
3. They might feel they fit in better in the city, school and/or football program at another institution.
Who knows? Big decision that arguably will be the 'launching pad' for the rest of their lives.
also, linked in witht the cost argument:
"preferred walk on" does not mean punching bag, they aren't Rudy....
If your confidence and drive is big enough to think you can make it as a walk on at a D1 school, the expectation is probably that you'll earn a scholly down the road anyway.
Philadelphia Eagles MLB Stuart Bradley was once a preferred walk on at Nebraska
We lost a great potential running back to preferred walk-on status at UCLA a few years ago. I don't think that he ever saw any time at UCLA and would have been one of the better RBs in the Ivies. He made a mistake. Coaches give scholarships to the guys they expect to play. Preferred walk-ons are scout team players, although every once in a while they can earn scholarship status.
In my freshman class at a D1 school, 3 of the 20 walk ons eventually (1-2 yrs) got partial or total scholarships. Im not sure if this is typical, but just my experience.
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