[socalstanfan1]

Agreed, we will not be able to consistently pull the class full of 4- and 5-star players like USC.  I think our model should be that of the New England Patriots (granted, the NFL, because of the nature of the draft, is different from college recruiting).  The Patriots, more than any other team in the NFL drafts low (maybe a rough equivalent of the high academic standards of Stanford that make certain recruits unattainable, just as the Patriots consistent success means the most highly regarded athletes are not typically available for them).  But, the Patriots are successful in scouting, finding the right players for their system, and then coaching those players to make them effective.  They get guys who are off the radar for most teams, or just considered to be "meh" players, and turn them into important cogs in their machine.

We need to do the same in identifying people like Cotton, Tyler, Thomas, etc, (or Murphy, David Parry, ....the list could go on and on), while still having success with highly regarded players who DO meet the academic criteria for the University (Peat, K. Murphy, Luck, etc.)  We can definitely sustain long-term success with that model.  Our margin for error will just be a bit more narrow than most places.  Of course, USC has been making a hell of a lot of errors lately.

[socalstanfan1]

Agreed, we will not be able to consistently pull the class full of 4- and 5-star players like USC.  I think our model should be that of the New England Patriots (granted, the NFL, because of the nature of the draft, is different from college recruiting).  The Patriots, more than any other team in the NFL drafts low (maybe a rough equivalent of the high academic standards of Stanford that make certain recruits unattainable, just as the Patriots consistent success means the most highly regarded athletes are not typically available for them).  But, the Patriots are successful in scouting, finding the right players for their system, and then coaching those players to make them effective.  They get guys who are off the radar for most teams, or just considered to be "meh" players, and turn them into important cogs in their machine.

We need to do the same in identifying people like Cotton, Tyler, Thomas, etc, (or Murphy, David Parry, ....the list could go on and on), while still having success with highly regarded players who DO meet the academic criteria for the University (Peat, K. Murphy, Luck, etc.)  We can definitely sustain long-term success with that model.  Our margin for error will just be a bit more narrow than most places.  Of course, USC has been making a hell of a lot of errors lately.