Recruiting Stars Don’t Always Matter

Oct 11, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen with his daughter Breelyn Mullen celebrate their 38-23 victory over the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

There have been a lot of storylines that have emerged as Mississippi State has made their incredible run to the top of the polls. There has been the story of Dak as a Heisman Trophy candidate, Dak and his relationship with his late mother, and Dan Mullen going from a coach who couldn’t beat a top 25 team to a coach that has now beaten three top 10 teams in a row, a feat not accomplished by any team in 31 years.

One of the story lines has been how Mississippi State has beaten three straight teams that have a considerable edge on the Bulldogs when it comes to four and five star talent. One of the most read and favorite articles among Mississippi State fans is this one from Bleacher Report. Many of the guys on Mississippi State’s team were not recruited at all by other SEC schools, and if they were, those other schools came in late to the party with an offer. It has given many Bulldogs a chip on their shoulders.

Now, if you are a person who believes recruiting stars are the be all, end all to how a team performs on the field, you will be disappointed. If you are a person who believes recruiting stars are completely overrated, you are going to be equally disappointed. The belief that many have taken that Dan Mullen only goes for players that can be developed into great players is misguided. If you think that, then you have not paid attention to the recruiting Mississippi State has done recently. The Bulldogs go after four and five star guys just like every other school in the SEC. The difference is they have to make sure the recruits are completely aware of what they are signing up for when they come to Mississippi State.

I heard an interview that Scott Stricklin did on the Gary Parrish Show in Memphis. Gary proceeded to ask Stricklin about this same logic that Mississippi State only recruits guys that like to fish and hunt, and go for the lower ranked guys who can be developed. Scott then told him that a school can recruit who they want, but they will only get the ones that match who the school is. Stricklin said that he tells recruits when they come to Mississippi State for visits that if they decide to come to State, they are going to have to focus on being the best student they can be, the best athlete they can be, and to spend their time developing friendships and relationships that will last them the rest of their lives. There isn’t a lot of opportunity to pursue many other interests outside of those three things while they are at Mississippi State. According to Stricklin in this interview, some recruits don’t like that idea and it allows the coaches to know right away that they don’t need to spend a lot of time going after those players. It works out well for the coaches and the players because both know where the other stands.

So what does this mean for Mississippi State? Everyone knows that Mississippi State has more recruiting hurdles surrounding it because there isn’t much in terms of extracurricular activities. This has long been the belief among most. If that is the case, then that belief might be starting to change. Mississippi State is currently 12th in the composite rankings at 247Sports with 30 commitments, with six of them rated as four stars. That is 20% of the class, which is about 5% more than what they have done in previous years under Dan Mullen. Despite the current on-field success of the Bulldogs, they probably will see more of the results show up in recruiting in the 2016 class. Don’t be surprised to see more four and five star recruits show up in that recruiting class than this year’s.

But also don’t be surprised if Mullen continues to offer two and three star prospects he believes can develop into something greater. A lot of people have wondered why it has taken six years to get Mississippi State to the next level, well here it is. This is the first year that did not include a single player who wasn’t initially recruited by Sylvester Croom. The fifth year seniors on last year’s team were all initially recruited by Croom in some fashion, but signed under Mullen. Coach Mullen started this recruiting philosophy when he first got here, and it takes time to develop the players into the guys he wants them to be. Now, we are seeing the fruit of that labor.

One other thing to remember is that Mullen has made Mississippi a priority since he came to Mississippi State. Mississippi has a large number of schools that are so small that they don’t get the attention that the larger schools do. Think back to when Chris Jones signed on at Mississippi State. The 5 star player was not always thought of so highly. He was lightly recruited, if recruited at all, until Mississippi State took a look at him. Once he committed to the Bulldogs, more attention came his way and he shot up the recruiting rankings and eventually stopped as the number 2 overall prospect in the country. That is a credit to Mullen and his staff for scouring the state and finding the players that just don’t get the publicity that students at bigger high schools do.

Mullen has recently said that players may not come in as four and five star talent, but the players leave the school as four and five star players. Look at some of the players that came in lightly recruited and either have been drafted or are going to be drafted. KJ Wright, Darius Slay, and Johnathan Banks were all lightly recruited players having good NFL careers. Bernardrick McKinney was a two star quarterback that is likely going to be a first round choice at linebacker. Say what you want about how important it is to develop players, but Mullen is proving that he can do it.

The question going forward is if this style of recruiting can continue to work? It can, but it isn’t easy. Mullen has always said he has a different style of evaluating players, and I have longed believed this season would be a referendum on that style of evaluation. So far, it’s working. The key is to not miss. Mullen has a much smaller margin of error than most other schools do. When you can’t replace a five star bust with another five star guy wanting playing time, then you have to have a lot more hits than you do misses. If he doesn’t correctly evaluate players that can grow into something more than they were in high school, then Mullen is going to have a hard time competing at the level that he is now.

Mullen’s job is harder than most in the SEC. Attracting top tier talent to Starkville is not easy so he has to be a master developer. He has proven that he is capable so far.  For Mississippi State to continue to be successful, Mullen has to continue to develop guys the way he has.