Should we focus on the big school players only??

[Coogiguy03]

Knowing the cowboys, we like to look at small school players and try to make them something special. Other teams do it too and it has turned out well for us at times. On the other hand the Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas teams etc should we focus on getting players from the bigger programs, and get as many players that we can from those teams??

The eagles went on a Georgia run and it worked out well, call it luck or brilliance!

 

[timb2]

You can find some gems at small colleges. Mid to late rounds

 

[Creeper]

To me is still comes down to the player, but I prefer taking players from winning programs, or schools that fight for the championship every year. I also like players who have game experience against top players. In the later rounds I have no problem drafting someone like Jackson Slater as a project. I just don't want to miss in the first 3 rounds.

 

[JoeKing]

Knowing the cowboys, we like to look at small school players and try to make them something special. Other teams do it too and it has turned out well for us at times. On the other hand the Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas teams etc should we focus on getting players from the bigger programs, and get as many players that we can from those teams??

The eagles went on a Georgia run and it worked out well, call it luck or brilliance!

History has shown that diamonds in the rough are to be found if the scouting department does the work to look at the smaller schools. So, I disagree with just focusing on the big school players.

 

[Coogiguy03]

To me is still comes down to the player, but I prefer taking players from winning programs, or schools that fight for the championship every year. I also like players who have game experience against top players. In the later rounds I have no problem drafting someone like Jackson Slater as a project. I just don't want to miss in the first 3 rounds.

Exactly

 

[Dalmations202]

Jerry Rice -- Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Larry Allen - Sonoma State University
Lawrence Taylor - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Roger Staubach - Navy

Need I write more?

 

[beware_d-ware]

Obviously, we can sit here and name good NFL players from small schools all day, and there will be lots more. But in the NIL era, I think you have better odds if you draft players from the big schools.

The 4-stars and 5-stars out of high school all want to go play at the big schools, even if they know they'll be blocked for 2 or 3 years by other 5-stars. And if any late bloomers or hidden gems break out at a small school, the big schools will literally just buy them in the transfer portal. Put the recruiting + portal together, and the talent ends up concentrated at the big schools. I'd bet that the #4 cornerback at Ohio State or Notre Dame or Georgia or Oregon is better than the #1 cornerback at Tulsa.

So if a late rounder from a big school blows up the Combine, or gets a chance and has a big half-season, etc, I'd probably gamble on that dude's potential on day 3 over a MACtion hero with big stats and pedestrian measurables.

 

[Nova]

Jerry Rice -- Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Larry Allen - Sonoma State University
Lawrence Taylor - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Roger Staubach - Navy

Need I write more?

True, but for the same reason that 4 #1 seeds are in the final four, NIL is further driving talent to bigger programs.

 

[jazzcat22]

Jerry Rice -- Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Larry Allen - Sonoma State University
Lawrence Taylor - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Roger Staubach - Navy

Need I write more?

Erik Williams, I think he was from Central State, a small college near Dayton Ohio. East of Dayton.
I was going to take some classes there. But ended up with an affiliate, at the time of Ohio State.