Ask Farrell: Between Saban and Meyer, who is the better recruiter?
TAKE TWO: Does Michigan have the edge now for five-star Zach Harrison?
With the retirement of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, a deep dive into the recruiting numbers for arguably the best two recruiters and coaches in the game - Meyer and Alabama’s Nick Saban - was worthwhile. Here are some takeaways during the Rivals.com era dating back to 2002 on how Meyer and Saban fared on and off the field:
... In 15 seasons as a head coach during the Rivals era at LSU and Alabama, Saban has landed commitments from 47 five-star prospects, 209 four-stars and 115 three-stars through the 2018 recruiting class. In 16 seasons at stops at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and finally Ohio State, Meyer got 35 five-stars, 183 four-stars and 97 three-stars.
... Saban gets the edge in terms of numbers but also had an arguably easier path to elite prospects coaching in the SEC and at winning programs - LSU and Alabama. His far-ranging success in Tuscaloosa has caused a snowball effect in recruiting where elite talent wants to play for the Crimson Tide so they can shine on the biggest stage and be prepared for the NFL.
... But an argument could also be made that Meyer has done more with slightly less since his record is stunningly good. His success at all stops is almost hard to fathom and even beats Saban, although the Alabama coach has won six national titles compared to Meyer’s three.
Meyer has never had a losing season. Not at Bowling Green, where he had a 74 percent winning percentage in two seasons. Not at Utah, where he went 22-2 in two seasons and had only one four-star in two recruiting classes. Especially not at Florida and Ohio State where he had three 13-1 seasons with the Gators and an unthinkable 90 percent win percentage with the Buckeyes. Ohio State was routinely on top of the Big Ten recruiting rankings.
In his career, Meyer finished 186-32, winning more than 85 percent of his games. Saban is no slouch, either. He hasn’t had three losses in a season since 2010. He’s had three five-stars (and usually more) in every recruiting class of Alabama’s since 2010. Saban has had double-digit four-stars in every single class of his during his time with the Crimson Tide and Tigers. His overall record is 231-62, good for nearly 79 percent of wins, slightly off Meyer’s pace but not by much.
Saban and Meyer, now gone from college football at least for the time being, have both had incredible runs. The numbers are just astounding. In terms of winning percentage, Meyer is ahead. In terms of championships, the edge goes to Saban. As far as recruiting, that could be debated forever.
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell whether he thinks when all is said and done and all factors are considered, was Meyer the better recruiter?
FARRELL’S TAKE
“People think I’m crazy for saying this, but I have Meyer as my No. 1 head coach recruiter in the Rivals.com era and it’s for a few reasons. Both Meyer and Saban were successful in the SEC, but Meyer changed the game in the Big Ten at Ohio State. He changed the way the entire conference recruits and that’s something Saban can’t say.
"Meyer also did an amazing job of recruiting players from the Southeast all the way to Columbus, Ohio, and the cold weather, which is vastly underrated by those who don’t know the recruiting game. Based on talking to hundreds and possibly thousands of recruits over the years regarding each coach, Meyer gets the nod as being the more dynamic recruiter and more relatable to players and parents.
"Saban has more recruiting titles and that comes with more national titles, but Meyer set the bar for an individual recruiter as a head coach.”
