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Korren Kirven.
Jonathan Allen.
Dashawn Hand.
What do those guys have in common? They are all Rivals Top 10 ranked recruits from Virginia each of the last 3 seasons who elected to play their college football at the University of Alabama.
Michael Barnett.
Who's that guy? The latest Hokie decommit. He surely didn't read my last piece on the Hokie decommit curse. (Did you? If not, check it out here.) Barnett, a South Carolina prospect, committed to the Hokies in November of 2013 during his junior year. He gave Rivals such lovely quotes about the Virginia Tech, including:
"I really like the coaching staff and their tradition on defense...I really love the campus and the facility and how the coaches are. I love how it's like a family there...I just like that the fans are with you 100% win or lose. It's like whatever happens, they're there for you. They've got your back, no matter what...I'm gonna stay with Virginia Tech. I'm not looking around no more." (courtesy of Rivals.com, found here--subscription required)
Then, he broke the heart of Hokienation not 3 months later, when he decommitted the day before Valentine's Day...incidentally, the very next day after he was offered by the University of Alabama and coach Nick Saban, saying:
"Coach Saban told me he gets the best coaches to help his players get to the next level." (courtesy of 247Sports, found here--subscription required)
Gosh. We know Saban's that good, but is Beamer that bad at getting players to the NFL? Let's take a closer look.
Beamer vs. Saban: no holds barred.
The First Round
In terms of the players drafted from both Virginia Tech and LSU during Saban's stint in Baton Rouge (2000-2004), the numbers are comparable in terms of selections. In terms of on-field productivity, it pretty much comes down to the Tigers' Devery Henderson vs. the Hokies' DeAngelo Hall. It could be argued that either side truly wins here, as Henderson earned a ring with the Saints, but Hall has been to 3 Pro Bowl to Henderson's zero. I'll call it an even draw.
The Battle Continues
Alabama Draft Selections in the Saban Era (2007-present)
Javier Arenas | DB | 2nd | Chiefs | 2010 | 4yrs in (Chiefs) | Reserve |
Mark Barron | DB | 1st | Bucs | 2012 | 2yrs in (Bucs) | Starter |
Antoine Caldwell | OL | 3rd | Texans | 2009 | 4yrs, out | |
James Carpenter | OL | 1st | Seahawks | 2011 | 3yrs in (Seahawks) | Starter, 1x SB Champ |
Josh Chapman | DL | 5th | Colts | 2012 | 2yrs in (Colts) | Reserve |
Terrance Cody | DL | 2nd | Ravens | 2010 | 4yrs in (Ravens) | Reserve |
Glen Coffee | RB | 3rd | 49ers | 2009 | 1yr, out | |
Kenneth Darby | RB | 7th | Bucs | 2007 | 4yrs, out | |
Marcell Dareus | DL | 1st | Bills | 2011 | 3yrs in (Bills) | Starter |
Brandon Deaderick | DL | 7th | Patriots | 2010 | 4yrs in (Jaguars) | Reserve |
Quinton Dial | DL | 5th | 49ers | 2013 | 1yr in (49ers) | Reserve |
DJ Fluker | OL | 1st | Chargers | 2013 | 1yr in (Chargers) | Starter |
Donta Hightower | LB | 1st | Patriots | 2012 | 2yrs in (Patriots) | Starter |
Mark Ingram | RB | 1st | Saints | 2011 | 3yrs in (Saints) | Reserve |
Kareem Jackson | DB | 1st | Texans | 2010 | 4yrs in (Texans) | Starter |
Marquis Johnson | DB | 7th | Rams | 2010 | 2yrs, out | |
Nico Johnson | LB | 4th | Chiefs | 2013 | 1yr in (Chiefs) | Reserve |
Rashad Johnson | DB | 3rd | Cardinals | 2009 | 5yrs in (Cardinals) | Reserve |
Barrett Jones | OL | 4th | Rams | 2013 | 1yr in (Rams) | Reserve |
Julio Jones | WR | 1st | Falcons | 2011 | 3yrs in (Falcons) | Starter, 1x Pro Bowl |
Dre Kirkpatrick | DB | 1st | Bengals | 2012 | 2yrs in (Bengals) | Reserve |
Eddie Lacy | RB | 2nd | Packers | 2013 | 1yr in (Packers) | Starter. 1x Pro Bowl, Off. RoY |
LeRon McClain | RB | 4th | Ravens | 2007 | 7yrs in (Ravens) | Reserve |
Rolando McClain | LB | 1st | Raiders | 2010 | 3yrs in (Raiders) | Reserve, 1x SB Champ |
Greg McElroy | QB | 7th | Jets | 2011 | 3yrs in (Jets) | Reserve |
DeQuan Menzie | DB | 5th | Chiefs | 2012 | 1yr, out | |
Dee Milliner | DB | 1st | Jets | 2013 | 1yr in (Jets) | Starter |
Trent Richardson | RB | 1st | Browns | 2012 | 2yrs in (Colts) | Reserve |
Ramzee Robinson | DB | 7th | Lions | 2007 | 3yrs, out | |
Brad Smelley | TE | 7th | Browns | 2012 | 2yrs in (Giants) | Reserve |
Andre Smith | OL | 6th | Bengals | 2009 | 5yrs in (Bengals) | Starter |
Courtney Upshaw | LB | 2nd | Ravens | 2012 | 2yrs in (Ravens) | Starter, 1x SB Champ |
Chance Warmack | OL | 1st | Titans | 2013 | 1yr in (Titans) | Starter |
# Bama Selections By Year
2007 | 3 |
2008 | 0 |
2009 | 4 |
2010 | 6 |
2011 | 5 |
2012 | 8 |
2013 | 7 |
Virginia Tech Draft Selections in the Saban Era (2007-present)
Xavier Adibi | LB | 4th | Texans | 2008 | 5yrs, out | |
Duane Brown | OL | 1st | Texans | 2008 | 6yrs in (Texans) | Starter, 2x Pro Bowl, 1x All-Pro |
Roc Carmichael | DB | 4th | Texams | 2011 | 3yrs in (Eagles) | Reserve |
Kam Chancellor | DB | 5th | Seahawks | 2010 | 4yrs in (Seahawks) | Starter, 2x Pro Bowl, 1x SB Champ |
David Clowney | WR | 5th | Packers | 2007 | 3yrs, out | |
Danny Coale | WR | 5th | Cowboys | 2012 | 2yrs in (Cowboys) | Practice Squad |
Chris Ellis | DL | 3rd | Bills | 2008 | 3yrs, out | |
Brandon Flowers | DB | 2nd | Chiefs | 2008 | 5yrs in (Chiefs) | Starter, 1x Pro Bowl |
Brandon Frye | OL | 5th | Texans | 2007 | 2yrs, out | |
Corey Fuller | WR | 6th | Lions | 2013 | 1yr in (Lions) | Practice Squad |
Cody Grimm | DB | 7th | Bucs | 2010 | 3yrs in (Bucs) | Starter |
Justin Harper | WR | 7th | Ravens | 2008 | 1yr, out | |
Macho Harris | DB | 5th | Eagles | 2009 | 2yrs, out | |
Jayron Hosley | DB | 3rd | Giants | 2012 | 2yrs in (Giants) | Reserve |
Josh Morgan | WR | 6th | 49ers | 2008 | 6yrs in (Redskins) | Starter |
Vinston Painter | OL | 6th | Broncos | 2013 | 1yr in (Broncos) | Reserve |
Carlton Powell | DL | 5th | Broncos | 2008 | 1yr, out | |
Aaron Rouse | DB | 3rd | Packers | 2007 | 3yrs, out | |
Eddie Royal | WR | 2nd | Broncos | 2008 | 6yrs in (Chargers) | Starter |
Tyrod Taylor | QB | 6th | Ravens | 2011 | 3yrs in (Ravens) | Reserve |
Ed Wang | OL | 5th | Bills | 2010 | 1yr, out | |
Ryan Williams | RB | 2nd | Cardinals | 2011 | 3yrs in (Cardinals) | Reserve |
David Wilson | RB | 1st | Giants | 2012 | 2yrs in (Giants) | Starter |
Jason Worilds | LB | 2nd | Steelers | 2011 | 4yrs in (Steelers) | Starter |
# VT Selections By Year
2007 | 3 |
2008 | 8 |
2009 | 1 |
2010 | 3 |
2011 | 4 |
2012 | 3 |
2013 | 2 |
Let's Go To the Scorecard
Saban | Beamer | |
# Players Drafted | 33 | 24 |
Avg. Draft Round | 3.18 | 4.16 |
Avg. Career Length | 2.28 yrs | 2.33 yrs |
% Still Active | 82% | 63% |
% Active Current Starters | 44% | 53% |
Pro Bowlers | 3 | 2 |
All-Pros | 0 | 1 |
Super Bowl Champs | 4 (all in 2013-14) | 2 (all in 2013-14) |
Saban has a much higher percentage of active players than Beamer, but that's largely due to the fact that the last two seasons, our programs have been headed in opposite directions. The Tide's number of selections during that time dwarfs Hokies' 15 to 5; it's only natural that those young guys would still be in the NFL. Also, it seems that Saban's boys get drafted slightly higher, but Frank's seem to hang around a little longer. From a pure "dollars and cents" perspective, what does that mean? It depends. Higher draft position = more cash in the short-term, but longevity = higher earning potential over the long-term.
A classic case of The Tortoise vs. The Hare? Perhaps.
So Why Do Recruits Choose Bama?
- 1. On-field Success
- 2. High Profile Coach(es)
- 3. Ridiculous Fan Support
- 4. The "Bandwagon" Effect
- 5. The Error of Recency