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Utah is producing its share of top-notch football recruits

Now only if most would choose BYU or Utah. I am a Ute fan but I love seeing any of our States schools doing well and especially with local talent. I can see how it is difficult for a kid to pass up on big schools who play in big time games with big time exposure. It could be the difference in determining what round you are drafted or if you are drafted.

Wonderful, I'd agree with at least half of what you say, but, I see no evidence that going to LSU improves your draft prospects over going to Grambling. NFL scouts spend inordinate amounts of time at small schools... ones that don't even show up on the Utah and BYU radar screens. And when they find someone who can help them win, they'll take them from Arizona Penal Academy.

I too hope these young men and women recruited for colleges seriously look at the local universities first and make their decision based upon which school offers them the best education and environment. Do well. Perform. And if they have talent, the pros will find them and they'll make oodles of cash.

The Martinez boy is "John" not Steve (that's his dad's name).

What conference does Utah and BYU play in?
Oh yea, the MWC. There conference champion plays in the Las Vegas Bowl. The big time.

I agree with the previous poster who said NFL scouts will find you anywhere. It is just that the bigger school you attend the more you will be on scout's radars and the more opportunities you will have to showcase yourself. It may mean the difference of being invited to the NFL combine and pre-combine all-star games (and all the hype that brings) versus having to rely only on a great on-campus visit and work out in order to catch their eye. The bigger the school the more opportunities you have to show you are NFL worthy. And I also think that if you are good enough to play on a big name team you will likely have a better chance of reaching your potential by playing against the best. Yeah, you can go to Grambling and still make the NFL. But your chances are diminished. Stanley Havili will probably be the first or second full-back to be drafted when he is done at USC (as long as he stays healthy). I'm not sure he would have put himself in that same position had he gone to Grambling or BYU/Utah. He has shown he can start on a top team.

I have little doubt Havili's chances of making the NFL would be just as good going to Utah or BYU vs. USC. Both schools are already on the radar of every NFL team. There is no way Alex Smith would have been #1 if that was not true. And, there would have been no chance for Alex Smith to be recognized if not for Steve Young, Detmer, Scott Mitchell, McMahon, Nielson, Wilson and even Walsh. Add in the many other good to great players that have come out of the Utah schools (Merlin Olsen, Poppinga, Herrman, etc.) and it's clear the Mountain West is considered a legitimate recruiting ground that agents and scouts seriously examine constantly.

You cannot compare Grambling to BYU or Utah, although Grambling, because of Eddie Robinson, is well within their scope.

Slurs against the MWC for someone of the ilk as "Conference" might be fun, but it's just foolishly wrong. Ask Chad Lewis, Scalley, Beck, as well as M. Anderson, Chris Maufalu, and Urlacher. The NFL knows and respects the MWC. That is obvious. We won't have as MANY talented players, but there are enough here that have great talent.

Hey Rock On,

If these student athletes want to play against the highest level. Then they should leave and play in the PAC 10, sec or even the TOP PROGRAMS in the WAC. Because if they play in the Mt. Worst and they don't have urban coaching they get to play in a bowl game before christmas when everybody else is talking about NEW YEARS DAY BOWL Games or after. EVEN PLAYING at Grambling would at least get them in the Superdome for the Bayou Classic which gets more attention than the vegas bowl. Even the AGGIES have won that bowl game!

The 2010 class will be good as well

Utah and BYU both recruit from the same (or similar) high schools that they did in the 70's and early 80's. Except for Utah's run in 2004 and fortuitous pairing vs. Pitt, neither program wins bigger games or bowls than they did back then. BYU has one of the worst records in post-season play and this year one two bowl games in a row for the first time since 1983. Not a lot of progress...

Big woop, more blue chipper than Washington. What's next, South Dakota

RE: So Cal Fan,

Your ignorace is shining through. Do you really think that the scouts put so much weight into when a prospect played his bowl game? It does have some weight, but for the most part the scouts are focused on whether or not the kid can play ON SUNDAYS! Not before or after New Year's/Christmas/Hannukah. You clearly have no idea of what you're talking about when it comes to NFL scouting. So stick to what you know... being blinded by the TOP PROGRAMS shining lights.

Utes & Cougars in the Pac-10. Until that happens, guys like AZ Dave and So.Cal fan will continue to pop off.

I believe it is a simple truth that the conference you play will make a difference in your draft status and opportunities. Just because some quality athlets from UTah and BYU also make does not chance that fact.

THe highly regarded lineman recruit in Utah, Martinez, this year admits that he would go to BYU if he didnt want to go to a top 5 program to showcase his ability. He thinks it makes a difference.

I just think it is rude. When our boys stay in Utah they are close to their moms and the church. This is the most important thing for these boys. They need to avoid the evil of the PAC-10,SEC, and others and stay in Utah.

You guys who think you know everything really irritate those of us who really do! LOL

I'm just happy to see so many guys recruited from Highland.

There are a few PAC-10, SEC, and Big East fans who regularly hang out on this sports blog devoted primarily to MWC and WAC teams who are like tiny gnats, pesky nuisances who never have anything useful to contribute. You know who you are.

So lets give a big cheer for these kids who can have their lives ruined by the all mighty buck, the influence of drugs and alcohol and everything else outside of Utah that make Utah's temptations for kids look like a ice-cream stand in comparison to places like LSU, Chicago, USC, UCLA, and other big city schools. Ask Hal Garner, there are more important things to life than MONEY!

How about playing for the team of your childhood dreams, then a beautiful wife, and family, and keeping FIRST THINGS FIRST! Sadly you hear the words but the lessons just don't sink in do they?

This article alluded to an important fact - coaches from this area going to big name schools come back here to recruit. Look at the schools who tend to come after the top Utah hs athletes - USC (formerly Chow and still Sarkesian), UCLA (Chow), LSU (Crowton), Oregon (formerly Crowton), Colorado (Hawkins). I'm surprised there are not more Florida offers to the best. I think the relationships these schools have developed with local hs coaches make a huge difference in who regularly comes here and grabs our best. I don't hear about many Miami, Alabama or Georgia offers to Utah kids. The very top one or two who are also considered 4 star recruits may get those but most come from the BCS schools with local ties.

And local college kids who are GREAT will be on scouts radars. But the middle of the road kids like Kelly Poppinga will have to get to the NFL through the backdoor because they are not on the radars like they would be as a starter at a BCS school. Being invited to combines and all-star games makes a huge difference between being drafter versus going free agent.

Why is Utah not recruiting Hemuli? He would be minutes from campus coming from Highland and you would think Utah would be smart to give him a look considering the success of Ngata and Victor Felipe, not to mention Stewart Bradley (all 3 Highland guys) as Bradley walked on at Nebraska and was a starter for two years and is now with the Eagles.