Ron Kantowski on why it’s better to wait before making judgments about new players

Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007 | 7:11 a.m.

From left: Tyler Crandal (OL, 78), Brian Nicholson (DL, 92), Alvin Marshall (RB/WR, 24), Sergio Aguayo (K, 10), Faauo Faga (LB, 39), Joe Critchfield (OL, 56) and Shane Steichen (QB, 15) were part of the new recruits at UNLV in 2003.

In the manner of Paris Hilton's fame or Mark Cuban's fortune, here's another thing that never ceases to amaze me. Every year at this time, college football coaches call news conferences to announce - make that confirm - the identity of their new recruits, and then segue into long, boring monologues about how great they are.

Even more amazing is the reporters who will show up to write it all down, as if it were prophecy instead of wistful speculation. They'll write how State U. outrecruited Disco Tech for this blue-chipper or that one and filled all of its recruiting needs, and the get-a-lifes in the chat rooms will hyperventilate and start making plans to attend a minor bowl game.

Then some distant relative of the Amazing Kreskin, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit or a so-called recruiting expert will assign State U. a grade for its efforts, usually an A-minus or a B-plus.

What a load of nonsense.

As I've written before, a better way to judge State U.'s recruiting class is to look back at it four years from now, when it's easier to assign a "pass" or "fail" grade based on facts and statistics rather than a grainy high-school highlight film and a 40-yard dash time.

So let's take a look at UNLV's 2003 football recruits.

"It's clearly our best class," then-coach John Robinson said at the time. "We were able to target our needs and fill them very successfully."

Yada, yada, yada. And more yada.

That year's class featured 28 players - 19 freshmen, eight junior college transfers and one transfer from The Ohio State University.

In my mind, here's how The State University on Maryland Parkway did in 2003:

Impact players (6): Sergio Aguayo (K), John Andrews (LB), Joe Critchfield (OL), Greg Estandia (TE), Howie Fuimaono (DL), Jay Staggs (DB).

Starters (6): Tim Goins (OL), Marcus Johnson (OL), Shane Steichen (QB), Isaiah Tafua (DL), Ernest Gordon (DB), Donnell Wheaton (WR).

Reserves (5): Faauo Faga (LB), Brian Nicholson (DL), Solomon Smart (DB), Will Tagoai (DB), Nate Wederquist (WR).

Washouts (7): Phil Cosenza (TE), Jacob Flowe (RB), Dustin Forshee (OL), Marques Johnson (WR), Charles Owens (OL), Garrett Reden (OL), Nathan Todhunter (OL).

Major washout (1): JaJa Riley (RB, Ohio State University).

Asterisks (3): Tyler Crandal (OL), Alvin Marshall (RB/WR), Ryan Welter (LB). These were good players or, in Welter's case, probably would have developed into a good player, were it not for injuries and/or preexisting medical conditions. I mean, not even Tom Lemming could have predicted that Marshall's career would be cut short by a heart murmur.

So there you are. It's a lot easier to review the concert after you've heard the songs, isn't it?

All things being equal and/or uninjured, I'd probably give Robinson a B-minus.

But with only 12 of the 28 newcomers becoming starters, he'll have to settle for a C.

And considering the recruiting Class of '03 has helped the Rebels win a grand total of six games in three years, perhaps anything above a D is being too generous.

But if you're wondering about the guys that Mike Sanford was saying nice things about on Wednesday afternoon, I will only say what I say every year at this time:

Only time will tell.