That article about Academy Recruiting is not bad - a bit biased in a few different ways, but relatively informative.
That said, it completely omits 1 HUGE aspect of Academy Recruiting - Academy-affiliated Prep Schools. It wasn’t ‘wrong” for them to omit those because, technically, Athletes at the Prep Schools can be recruited by & can sign with any college (even a different Service Academy - well, they technically wouldn’t “sign,” but they can go to USAFA Prep School & then on to the Naval Academy, for example, if they choose to) after their Prep Year - just like a kid at Fork Union or St. Whatever’s...but...the REALITY is a very high % of the kids at the Prep Schools (of those that continue playing) move on to their affiliated Academy the following year. So...not only do the Academies have 50+ Direct Admit kids coming in with a Recruitment Class, they also have 50+ coming ‘up’ from the Prep School.
So...again..the Academies’ & the Ivies’ Football/Recruiting ecosystems are SO different from the ecosystems of FCS & G5 schools, it’s almost useless to make any inferences about a kid from his actual / claimed recruiting activity with any of those 11 schools.
That said, it completely omits 1 HUGE aspect of Academy Recruiting - Academy-affiliated Prep Schools. It wasn’t ‘wrong” for them to omit those because, technically, Athletes at the Prep Schools can be recruited by & can sign with any college (even a different Service Academy - well, they technically wouldn’t “sign,” but they can go to USAFA Prep School & then on to the Naval Academy, for example, if they choose to) after their Prep Year - just like a kid at Fork Union or St. Whatever’s...but...the REALITY is a very high % of the kids at the Prep Schools (of those that continue playing) move on to their affiliated Academy the following year. So...not only do the Academies have 50+ Direct Admit kids coming in with a Recruitment Class, they also have 50+ coming ‘up’ from the Prep School.
So...again..the Academies’ & the Ivies’ Football/Recruiting ecosystems are SO different from the ecosystems of FCS & G5 schools, it’s almost useless to make any inferences about a kid from his actual / claimed recruiting activity with any of those 11 schools.
NCAA MANUAL
20.10.1 ...intercollegiate athletics...competition in amateur athletics…
20.10.1.2 …maintaining a line of demarcation between student-athletes who participate in the Collegiate Model and athletes competing in the professional model
20.10.1 ...intercollegiate athletics...competition in amateur athletics…
20.10.1.2 …maintaining a line of demarcation between student-athletes who participate in the Collegiate Model and athletes competing in the professional model
