High School talent in the state of Arkansas

[buff2.0]

I keep seeing comments like these, and I've never disagreed with them, but I've also always wondered exactly why that is.

Why does Arkansas not put out D1 talent at the same rate per capita as other states?

The state of Arkansas just doesn't put out enough talent. Look at our best years and it's guys from in state that carry the team. MS is the same size in population  but they put 3-4x the D1 talent. This has been an Achilles heel for a while and mothing has been done to change it. I'm sure this was a big reason Kiffen took the OM job over us.

[mde114]

I keep seeing comments like these, and I've never disagreed with them, but I've also always wondered exactly why that is.

Why does Arkansas not put out D1 talent at the same rate per capita as other states?

Demographics, brother. Demographics.

[egregious]

Demographics, brother. Demographics.

and our money is concentrated as far away as possible from the demographics

[mde114]

and our money is concentrated as far away as possible from the demographics

💯

[Barton Fink]

If you look at each year we've been really good, we were led by talented players from Arkansas. Maybe it's coincidence but it sure seems to be the case.

Arkansas is putting out elite talent in basketball and baseball. Moreso than probably any state our size. I know with basketball, there are guys all over that offer training and skill development. Same with baseball. Kids are taking to that extra training in those sports. Not saying that is THE issue but I never hear anything about specilized skill development for football in Arkansas. However, it is a thriving business in places all over Texas. Kids train with former college/pro players year round.

[animal]

Demographics, brother. Demographics.

Something Jimmy The Greek would agree on perhaps.

[Trigger7672]

I don't pay attention like I used to but it seems like the Little Rock public schools don't produce much of anything these days. Our starting dline for the 2006 SEC west championship of the world team was all Little Rock guys.

[Barton Fink]

Parkview has recently but thats it. We just got a kid from Mills but that doesn't happen often. We miss the athletes put out by PB and Warren as much, if not more, than Pulaski County.

[CardHog]

I've seen the argument that we're a basketball state.  Started in the 80's and 90's with Sutton and Nolan.  You have kids playing basketball that should be playing football.

It's a theory, not sure if I buy it.

[The Whyte Boar]

I've seen the argument that we're a basketball state.  Started in the 80's and 90's with Sutton and Nolan.  You have kids playing basketball that should be playing football.

It's a theory, not sure if I buy it.

Lot and lots of small towns in Arkansas don't have football and basically haven't in a hundred years.   In those towns basketball was king. With consolidation and all, probably not as big a deal as it once was, but basketball is an afterthought in most places in Texas.  Not so in Arkansas. 

[egregious]

With consolidation and all, probably not as big a deal as it once was, but basketball is an afterthought in most places in Texas. 

True but they have a couple of metros where it isn't and they are both twice as big as all of Arkansas

[The Whyte Boar]

True but they have a couple of metros where it isn't and they are both twice as big as all of Arkansas

That has little to do with whether or not Arkansas is a basketball state.  It is.

[DirkPiggler]

Demographics, brother. Demographics.

As of 2020, our population is slightly higher (3.1MM vs 2.9MM), but the mix of white to black is a different story.  Mississippi is 56% white alone, 37% black alone versus 71% white/15% black in Arkansas. 

[The Whyte Boar]

As of 2020, our population is slightly higher (3.1MM vs 2.9MM), but the mix of white to black is a different story.  Mississippi is 56% white alone, 37% black alone versus 71% white/15% black in Arkansas. 

Arkansas has a triangle from Little Rock to Fort Smith and then from Little Rock to say...DeQueen where there are virtually no black people at all.  I would be surprised if there are ten black people living between DeQueen and Fort Smith.  And if there are, I'll bet they are pretty recent.

And I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well. 

[DirkPiggler]

Arkansas has a triangle from Little Rock to Fort Smith and then from Little Rock to say...DeQueen where there are virtually no black people at all.  I would be surprised if there are ten black people living between DeQueen and Fort Smith.  And if there are, I'll bet they are pretty recent.

And I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well. 

You can draw a line at US-67/ I-30 diagonally across the state, angling straight across along US-70 or thereabouts and that 15% probably goes to more like 1.5%, excluding Fort Smith and Hot Springs to some degree.

The other part of the state should be producing 10-15 D-1 football players per year at a minimum.  It hasn't in a long time, and probably never will again.

[Too Big Pig]

But the part of the state with those demographics has no money. So they have poorly funded schools with bad facilities and underpaid coaches.

So even though there may be some natural talent, they are never getting developed.

[hit_that_line]

But the part of the state with those demographics has no money. So they have poorly funded schools with bad facilities and underpaid coaches.

So even though there may be some natural talent, they are never getting developed.

The Mississippi schools have money?

[CardHog]

And I guess thinking about it, you could say the same for pretty much everything north of Conway from Fayetteville to Jonesboro as well. 

Newport gets in your way but yeah.

[The Whyte Boar]

Newport gets in your way but yeah.

I have only a sort of vague understanding of the geography of that part of the state. lol

[obijuana]

So..is it the X's and the O's, or the Jimmy's and the Joe's (or De'Quan's and Shaqidarius's?