[Hank 91]

right and it's not just being able to get in, you have to WANT to go to Stanford. Not every player with NFL potential and a 4.0 wants Stanford. Keep in mind that Stanford's academics/etc. >>>>> Alabama's, but Alabama's football program is >>>>> than Stanford's.

Not only that, but being a student-athlete at Stanford is hard. It requires lots of academic effort that many players with NFL potential may regard as a distraction/impediment to their goal of going to the NFL. That is not a totally crazy position to take. A degree from Alabama is not without value, especially if your post-football plans are in the SEC footprint.

Yeah, I think there are a lot of top players who think going to Stanford is a great idea until they find out all the hoops they have to jump through to get in, especially when they don't have to do anywhere near as much at the other dozen or so top football schools they have offers from.
Also, there is nothing wrong with a degree from Michigan or Notre Dame or Florida, or as you say, even Alabama.

This is an important distinction. The vast majority of Division I calibre recruits don't have to do anything to get into college aside from signing their names on Signing Day. Stanford remains the ONLY DI school that even asks football recruits to complete an application. When you then add the need for AP classes throughout high school -- even senior year -- it's understandable that a bright athlete who could do the work to get the Stanford scholarship might choose an easier path. He might decide that he's going to go to Michigan or Duke or Notre Dame or Vanderbilt or Texas or whichever other school that pretends to be on the same academic level as Stanford. I don't blame that kid at all, because there's a brobdingnagian difference in the two roads. Not everyone is ready to walk the Stanford road.

[Hank 91]

right and it's not just being able to get in, you have to WANT to go to Stanford. Not every player with NFL potential and a 4.0 wants Stanford. Keep in mind that Stanford's academics/etc. >>>>> Alabama's, but Alabama's football program is >>>>> than Stanford's.

Not only that, but being a student-athlete at Stanford is hard. It requires lots of academic effort that many players with NFL potential may regard as a distraction/impediment to their goal of going to the NFL. That is not a totally crazy position to take. A degree from Alabama is not without value, especially if your post-football plans are in the SEC footprint.

Yeah, I think there are a lot of top players who think going to Stanford is a great idea until they find out all the hoops they have to jump through to get in, especially when they don't have to do anywhere near as much at the other dozen or so top football schools they have offers from.
Also, there is nothing wrong with a degree from Michigan or Notre Dame or Florida, or as you say, even Alabama.

This is an important distinction. The vast majority of Division I calibre recruits don't have to do anything to get into college aside from signing their names on Signing Day. Stanford remains the ONLY DI school that even asks football recruits to complete an application. When you then add the need for AP classes throughout high school -- even senior year -- it's understandable that a bright athlete who could do the work to get the Stanford scholarship might choose an easier path. He might decide that he's going to go to Michigan or Duke or Notre Dame or Vanderbilt or Texas or whichever other school that pretends to be on the same academic level as Stanford. I don't blame that kid at all, because there's a brobdingnagian difference in the two roads. Not everyone is ready to walk the Stanford road.