Kent State's Kenni Burns: "I don't want my coaches to be the best recruiters..."

The top recruiters in college football is something that is referenced often, but maybe in the new age of college athletics with the transfer portal here to stay there's another skillset for coaches that should get just as much attention.

While talking with Carl Reed and 247 recently, Kent State head coach Kenni Burns, who is entering his second season leading the Golden Flashes after a 1-11 debut campaign, talked about a perhaps overlooked skill that he views as more valuable in their growth as a program that may be even more important than recruiting for Group of Five teams.

"The ticket in the MAC that doesn't get talked about, that I think the great MAC teams do, and that I think we did at Western Michigan while I was there and we're starting to do it here, is when we talk about recruiting, I don't want my coaches to be the best recruiters. I think that's one aspect of it, sure. Everyone wants to be the best recruiter.

"What we have got to do a great job of is that we've got to be the best evaluators."

Burns goes on to explain that at Kent State, they've got to be able to find people that are being overlooked, and the occasional diamond in the rough that has the intangibles that will grow exponentially in the right environment, with the right coaching.

Part of their pitch to recruits is embracing the new direction of college athletics, as Burns shares that he tells guys to come to Kent State all the time and they will get them ready for the next step of their journey - whether that be the NFL or the Power 4 level.

Hear more from Burns in the clip.