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@TomLuginbill How is Stephen Collier rated so low? OSU didn't offer the in-state Kizer, taking Collier instead, and Kizer is rated much higher?
— Aaron Cunningham (@acmc275) October 15, 2013
Simply put, Ohio State had both at camp and liked Collier better. Some programs liked DeShone Kizer (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) better; so do we. Stephen Collier (Leesburg, Ga./Lee County) is a bit of a sleeper, a late-bloomer if you will. He has nice measurables and tools to work with, but needs to be groomed long term.
Also, keep in mind that we aren’t basing our rankings on what Ohio State or any other team solely thinks about one particular player. If 10 programs were looking at one prospect, you could get five to seven differing opinions on that same player based on a variety of traits or factors. While it is always important to do everything you can to keep the top players in your state at home, when it comes to QBs, you do what you think is best for the program, and that sometimes trumps taking a prospect just because they are in-state. In this case, Ohio State felt like it was best to go in another direction.
Conversely, Notre Dame felt like Kizer was the right fit for them. I actually applaud Ohio State for taking Collier, as he was not widely recruited by many BCS schools, so they are doing what is best for them, not being influenced by what others say.