All-star games lacking in star power

[Harry]

UNT head football coach Dan McCarney said that now a lot of recruits are starting their collegiate careers much sooner than they did in previous years.

“As a player, I came in the fall of 1971 to the University of Iowa and we didn’t start until August,” McCarney said. “And for years and years and years, that’s all we ever knew. That’s dramatically changed through the years now, as young men are reporting much sooner.”

Now, it’s common for recruits to enroll at their respective schools during the summer, where they cannot only start their coursework but begin their strength and conditioning programs before football season officially begins.

McCarney — who remains neutral in letting his kids play in games — and Coker both cited the early enrollment of players has a reason higher-caliber recruits at college football’s highest level are foregoing a chance to play with their high-school counterparts for a final time.

With both the Oil Bowl and the THSCA game, kids show up at the sites of the two games a few days prior to the contest. The athletes will train with their coaches, build friendships with some and disdain for others. While the Oil Bowl was in the middle of June, the THSCA game is historically played during the last week in July.

Whitesboro head coach Eddie Gill said the main reason top players are no longer playing in the games is because of restrictions by universities.

“The main reason is that the universities are telling them, ‘Hey, we don’t want you to play in these games,’” Gill said. “The universities are investing a lot of time and money into these kids. They want to try and get them in there early in the summer and make sure they’re doing what they want them to do, and that sort of thing.”

read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/high-schools/high-schools-headlines/20130713-football-all-star-games-lacking-in-star-power.ece