Kirk Herbstreit issues fierce recruiting warning to coaches after Fiesta Bowl

The college football metamorphosis has come to a head this season. The negative aspects of the new era are impossible to ignore, as Washington quarterback Demond Williams just attempted to leave town after signing a contract with the team days earlier. But there is undoubtedly a big positive amid all the change. The pathway to winning a national championship is seemingly as accessible as ever.

Miami was the last squad inserted into the College Football Playoff, and now it will be competing for a title in Hard Rock Stadium following a 31-27 victory in the Fiesta Bowl. Ole Miss, just like the Hurricanes, had never even appeared in the CFP before this season. The Rebels survived a late-year coaching change after Lane Kiffin’s controversial defection and nearly vanquished Miami on Thursday night.

Indiana had nine wins combined in the three years leading up to Curt Cignetti’s arrival and never won the Big Ten Championship or Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers are now the No. 1-ranked team in the country and will advance to their first national title game if they beat Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Friday night. Swift turnarounds and drought-ending campaigns have become welcome elements of modern college football.

The blueprint for building a contender is no longer just about recruiting the top prospects. Talent is essential, to be clear, but it will only take a program so far if a squad lacks structure and an identity. ESPN analyst/color commentator Kirk Herbstreit believes that coaches should look to the classic Fiesta Bowl contested between Miami and Ole Miss as a guideline for how to assemble their rosters moving forward.

Herbstreit offers his thoughts on NIL

“If you just chase 5-stars, you’re never going to be here on that stage,” he said, per On3 Sports’ Justin Hokanson. “You better stop chasing this craziness. You better step back and say if those are your demands, get out of here. We’re going to find guys who want to be a part of this and want to play. … You gotta do the portal. … I’m not saying you don’t play that game. You have to. … Build a team if you want to get here.”

Herbstreit is concerned about the power that players and agents are wielding in what has become a super-charged form of free agency. Coaches are forced to renegotiate contracts and acquiesce to lofty demands out of fear that they will lose their prized prospect to a rival school. Strong financial support is required for success, but teams still need the right leader to properly allocate those resources.

Investing in quality athletes who also fit the culture a coach is building is a crucial objective that programs like Indiana, Miami and Ole Miss must achieve if they are going to genuinely compete for a championship. The sport is submerged in chaos, but there are still those who are able to find balance in such a hectic environment. Perhaps their efforts will reshape how business is conducted in the near future.

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