King of the South wrote:
I, too, am of the belief Roberts can get something decent going there. The growth of Jonesboro helps, the overall improvement in Arkansas HS football helps, and stability helps a whole ton as long as it doesn't translate into stagnation.
Indians fans, maybe I've just paid more attention or maybe it's just there's more talent available, but it seems that the Tribe has put a greater emphasis on getting local/Arkansas talent. Is that so or no? Either way, I think you can only help yourself by keeping as many local kids as possible as it, if nothing else, generates interest (which generates dollars) in the program. Even if you take six locals and only 3 or 4 pan out, you're probably going to get some residual effect from the others anyway. And if I'm going to have somebody be an essential waste of a scholly, I'd rather it be a local guy than some buffoon from a California JUCO.
If ASU is going to turn it around with the instate kids, I think they need to do it now. I have a feeling they will lose some players to recruiting battles with UCA if/when UCA makes the jump to D1AA. I know that ASU is D1 and UCA will be 1AA, but I still think some of the players (especially in the central part of the state) will opt to play for UCA instead of ASU.
If ASU can become successful in the next couple of years, I think they will have a better shot to win those players from UCA...which could hurt UCA. Hopefully, there will be enough talent around for UCA and ASU to be competitive and successful.