We spend a lot of time in college football talking past each other. Is development more important for a program, or is it raw talent? In reality, it's both. Of course players need to develop; not one player -- with perhaps the exception of Adrian Peterson -- leaves high school ready to play in the NFL.
And of course raw talent is important. The greater the raw materials, the more powerful a machine you can build. No matter what they may say on Signing Day, all things equal every coach is taking a 6-foot-2 cornerback who runs 4.3 with hips like an Olympic downhill skier ahead of the alternative.
Obviously, there are only so many of those guys to go around, and so most everyone else lives or dies with how they develop players rated three stars or lower by the recruiting services.
Our friends at SportSource Analytics ran the numbers to analyze the 10 best programs at turning 3- and 2-stars into NFL players.
Last weekend was a crowning achievement for Kyle Whittingham's program, as the Utes trailed only LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama in producing draft picks. Only one of Utah's seven selections was a 4-star.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.