Chapter 20: Further Reading - Recruiting Analytics

Academic Papers

Recruiting and Performance

  1. "The Value of College Football Recruiting" - Journal of Sports Economics - Correlation between recruiting rankings and team success - Statistical methodology for evaluation - Long-term program building analysis

  2. "Predicting Success in College Football Recruiting" - MIT Sloan Sports Analytics - Machine learning approaches to prospect evaluation - Feature engineering from measurables - Model validation techniques

  3. "Star Power: The Value of High School Recruiting Rankings" - Historical accuracy of star ratings - Position-specific analysis - Development curve research

Player Development

  1. "Player Development in College Football: A Longitudinal Study" - Tracking prospects through college careers - Factors influencing development - Program-level differences

Books

Sports Analytics

  1. "Mathletics" - Wayne Winston - Sports analytics fundamentals - Player evaluation methods - Multi-sport perspective

  2. "The Extra 2%" - Jonah Keri - Building successful sports organizations - Analytics implementation - Talent evaluation

  3. "Moneyball" - Michael Lewis - Market inefficiency exploitation - Data-driven decision making - Applicable concepts

Football Specific

  1. "Take Your Eye Off the Ball" - Pat Kirwan - Understanding football positions - Physical requirements by position - Evaluation fundamentals

  2. "The Games That Changed the Game" - Ron Jaworski - Football scheme evolution - Position value changes - Strategic context

Online Resources

Recruiting Services

  1. 247Sports - Composite rankings methodology - https://247sports.com/ - Class calculator tools

  2. Rivals - Regional recruiting coverage - https://rivals.com/ - Historical archives

  3. On3 - NIL valuations - https://www.on3.com/ - Transfer portal tracking

  4. ESPN Recruiting - ESPN 300 rankings - https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/ - Position rankings

Analytics Sites

  1. Blue Chip Ratio Analysis - Historical correlation with championships - Program-level analysis - https://www.bannersociety.com/2019/6/4/18642992/college-football-blue-chip-ratio

  2. Football Study Hall (SB Nation) - Recruiting efficiency metrics - Development analysis - https://www.footballstudyhall.com/

Data Sources

Public Data

  1. 247Sports Composite - Historical rankings - Class compositions - API access (unofficial)

  2. College Football Data API - Recruiting data endpoints - https://collegefootballdata.com/ - Python wrapper available

  3. NFL Combine Data - Historical measurables - Position benchmarks - Comparison data

Research Datasets

  1. Sports Reference - Career outcomes - College statistics - https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/

Tools and Libraries

Python

  1. cfbd - College Football Data API client python pip install cfbd # Recruiting data access

  2. pandas - Data manipulation - Recruiting board management - Class analysis

  3. scikit-learn - Machine learning - Prospect evaluation models - Classification and ranking

  4. networkx - Network analysis - Recruiting relationships - Coaching trees

Visualization

  1. plotly - Interactive charts - Recruiting class comparisons - Position distributions

  2. Tableau Public - Dashboards - Recruiting board visualization - https://public.tableau.com/

Industry Resources

Professional Organizations

  1. Football Writers Association of America - All-America selections - Award voting

  2. American Football Coaches Association - Coaching resources - Development best practices

Scouting Services

  1. Pro Football Focus (PFF) - Draft prospect rankings - College grading - https://www.pff.com/

  2. The Draft Network - Prospect evaluations - Scouting reports - https://thedraftnetwork.com/

Conferences and Events

Analytics Conferences

  1. MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference - Annual research presentations - Recruiting-related papers - https://www.sloansportsconference.com/

  2. SABR Analytics Conference - Multi-sport analytics - Methodology discussions

Recruiting Events

  1. Under Armour All-America Game - Top prospect showcase - Measurables verification

  2. The Opening (Nike) - Elite camp series - Verified testing

Methodological Resources

Rating System Analysis

  1. Understanding Composite Rankings - How services combine ratings - Weighting methodologies - Historical changes

  2. Star Inflation Research - Rating creep over time - Calibration adjustments - Cross-era comparisons

Evaluation Techniques

  1. Film Evaluation Best Practices - What scouts look for - Position-specific criteria - Projection principles

  2. Combine Testing Standards - Measurement protocols - Benchmark databases - Position norms

Suggested Learning Path

Week 1-2: Rating Systems

  • Study 247Sports/Rivals/ESPN methodologies
  • Understand composite calculations
  • Analyze historical accuracy

Week 3-4: Prospect Evaluation

  • Learn position-specific criteria
  • Practice film evaluation
  • Build measurables database

Week 5-6: Class Analysis

  • Build class comparison tools
  • Study position distributions
  • Analyze successful classes

Week 7-8: Efficiency Metrics

  • Calculate development efficiency
  • Compare programs
  • Identify success factors

Week 9+: Complete System

  • Integrate all components
  • Build recruiting board
  • Validate with outcomes