There are no longer “dream schools” just selector schools.
For example, Kalen has probably spent 2-2 1/2 years on SD Wonderboy, but tOSU came to one game and flew him out to lose to UM and he still went to tOSU, why? they can select their athletes.
Bama, tOSU, Georgia, all selector schools, maybe you can throw in LSU in years past but not with Kelly at the helm.
What’s nice about the Presley flip is that it proves that UO isn’t a selector school, they can get the NIL kids but they aren’t beating out the top tier teams for talent, at least not often.
So "selector school" means you can go toe to toe with one of those other schools and expect to win no matter what?
Is it really selector school or selector recruiter?
If Oregon State spends 3 years with an in-state recruit and the day before signing day Nick Saban offers him; he’s going to Alabama. That’s a selector school.
Alabama has a new set of assistants every year and they still pull top 3 classes; I think you’re overestimating the “top tier” recruiters. For example, hartline at tOSU, is he really a good recruiter? He’s had a couple of dudes, but they would’ve ended up at tOSU regardless of whether or not he was there because Day’s offense is highly conducive to WRs getting drafted.
Cristobal just pulled in a top 5 class in a down year for south florida recruiting (meaning he had to pull it in from places where the kids don't grow up on steady diet of "swagger". He's at a program that has been dreadful the past handful of years, a program that just came off a horrible and embarrassing season, and a program that hasn't done more than have spurts of "good" the last 18. And there are plenty of kids in that class that Bama and Buck wanted.
Obviously, talented recruiter + Mt. Rushmore name is the best situation. But recruiting ability is a talent, and not everybody has it.
It's really too bad that all his great recruits at Oregon had to portal out this year because Lanning needs time to get his own highly rated recruits in to try and not lose to UW and Oregon State
Cristobal can recruit. Lanning can recruit. Oregon can recruit. Miami can recruit
So far Cristo is a better coach than Lannbo because he beat UW and Oregon State with his highly rated recruits and Lannbo didn't
My only point being, when you're at a school that doesn't historically dominate the headlines, it's not good enough to say, "Well, you can't get 5 stars to Eugene." Allegedly what Scott Frost said back in the day. Loser talk. Cristo brought in talent to fucking Rutgers. Someday, somebody's going to say the same thing about Washington, if they haven't already: "well, you can't expect us to bring in 5* talent; we're not a selector school."
It's a talent and a work ethic thing. I believe there are really and truly lazy recruiters and guysms who just aren't good at it. They're just not! Kelly was reputed to be both.
Anyway, my response to LSkid's theory, which is more fatalistic than my own.
I used your post to take a shot at Lanning
There have been internet battles going back years between those who say UW can do whatever it wants if it wants to and those who cry WE CAN'T
DeBoer and staff appear to be pretty good at this recruiting stuff. They needed a big year on the field and they cashed it in
Will be interesting going forward
He leaves his ego at the door. Doesn't seem to try and sell kids. As long as UW plays their part which it looks like they are this should be the worst class he'll have here going forward. This class is already better than many of Pete's classes.