College Football: Scouting Services Cause Underperforming Players to Shine

It is quite upsetting that underperforming stars in college football still receive so much national attention, just because of their notoriety from high school.  It may be the result of playing for big-time programs, but the press should pay more attention to the players who actually make an impact for their respective teams.

Brian Cushing's career has been derailed by shoulder and ankle injuries, limiting him to only one full season.

His production has never been that great, tallying 105 career tackles, which includes both solo and assists.  In three seasons he has only amassed five sacks from his rush linebacker position.

Brian is obviously a phenomenal athlete with great size, strength, and speed.  But what frustrates me as a college football fan is when he makes the Bronco Nagurski Award Watch List and the 2008 Preseason Playboy All-American Team, and gets tons of publicity from fans and writers.

My only conclusion is that fans and media are so enamored with how many stars each prospect had and his Rivals numbers that people overlook reality.  There is no reason that he should be well known enough for me to be writing about him.

I am not bashing Brian Cushing—I want to make that clear.  He will probably have a solid senior season and go on to get drafted.  So glorify him after this season when he has accomplished something.

I am bashing a system where big-time high school prospects live off their reputation, and it is ridiculous.  Not to mention, they take attention away from productive players from smaller conferences.

This leads me to my next player—Myron Rolle.

Myron Rolle, in two seasons as the starting rover for Florida State, has had one interception.  He does not break on the ball well with his 220-pound frame and is often out of position in the passing game, resulting in opposing first downs.

In two seasons he does have 144 total tackles, mostly from wrapping up receivers after big gains or tackling running backs 15 yards downfield.

There has probably never been a more publicized recruit to ever commit to Florida State, resulting in the program worshipping this player.  The media went nuts when they found out he had a 4.0 in prep school and wanted to be a brain surgeon.

Another undeserving Bronco Nagurski Watch list candidate living off his high school reputation, Myron is similar to Brian in the sense that they are physically built for the NFL and have all the measurables—but they both have not produced.  

Some people will say he was only an underclassman last year, but as a high school repeat, Myron is much older then the average junior in college this year.  Myron Rolle's plan was to graduate from Florida State in three years, according to
numerous scouting services, before turning pro.

This will be the last year of the two five-star players whose high school careers leveraged them into supposedly good college players.

Did Mark Sanchez throwing 28 touchdowns in Pop Warner make him ready for a great college career?  Nothing you do before stepping on a college campus
should mean anything—yet to fans and media it does.