Walk on or take a scholarship?

A

ACuriae

500+ Posts
The Drew Allen commitment reminds me of a debate a few of us had at a tailgate before the TCU game last year. A lot of kids grow up as Longhorn fans and dream about playing for Texas. Since Texas gets to carefully pick and choose its new players, that leaves a lot of kids--even highly-talented ones--to take a scholarship somewhere else (and this happens a lot).

Let's say you're a fringe state top 50, maybe as low as state top 150 player, and Texas has told you that they're only signing one at your position this year and tough luck but best wishes, because they've already received a hard commit from the #1 in the state...but if you want to walk-on, you'll be guaranteed a spot without the try-out. You have offers from some D-1 schools, but schools that have a very small chance of being in the national championship hunt (or maybe one contender and the rest with little or no chance).

I have a friend from high school who grew up a Texas fan and was a D-1 caliber athlete, got the walk-on "offer" from Texas (pre-Mack Brown era) and accepted a scholarship offer to Texas Tech. Money to pay for college wasn't an issue. To this day he maintains that if he had it to do over again, he would walk-on at Texas.

So what would you do?
 
If money isn't going to prevent you from going to school then there is no question, I would walk on and earn that scholarship! Mack has shown that he will reward those walk ons that have earned it when the scholarships are available...
 
I think walking on is insanity, but I need to call Randy McEachern and Robert Brewer and get their opinion before I comment.
 
Unfortunately most athletes have to go where they are offered the scholarship due to financial. But if money isn't a factor then yes I would go to UT if I were talented.
 
if money is not an issue you don't worry about a scholarship. You shouldn't take one if they offered it because you don't need it. In that situation, you go to school where you want to and if you're good enough, you'll play, ship or no ship.

But that is fantsyland. If you're Texas top 50, realistically you go where you get the scholarship. And hope every step of the way you can one day make Mack Brown very sorry that he didn't choose you as his no. 1 at your position.
 
Many players would rather start for an average team than ride the bench on a good team. That's one reason some players transfer.
 
Even if money is not a factor i would take the 'ship depending on potential playing time.

For example, if you were a top 50 texas player as a QB (but nowhere near as talent as whats on current roster) i think most would definately look elsewhere. McCoy will be here another year, Chiles is backup and you have Gilbert coming in next year.
On the other hand you have a scholly offer from UTEP, whos starter will have 2 more years, and you are probably thier top recruit coming in and are all but guaranteed the position when the current started leaves.
Most of these non-elite kids are still high level athletes who are ultra competitive and want to play.
 
Walk on at Texas, or take a guaranteed scholarship somewhere else? Unless you're looking at the world through burnt orange glasses, that's a no brainer. If the goal is to get to the NFL, and a player has the talent, he can make it from anywhere. If that player has always wanted to come to Texas, and doesn't get an offer, smart money says he goes where he can get a full ride, unless the family's got enough money to send him to Texas on the chance he can earn a 'ship. Families with that kind of money are few and far between these days. Can't blame Drew Allen for taking the zero-u scholarship offer...and I hope this one doesn't come back to bite Texas.
rolleyes.gif
 
Tell me about the academic quality of the school offering me the full rides.

If it's Stanford, decision made.

If it's Mississippi State, no thanks.
 
Got to agree there. Harvard doesn't offer athletic scholarships, but if they did, it would be a no-brainer. If I have scholarship offers to Stanford or Northwestern (or maybe even Rice, Vanderbilt or Duke), I'm almost certain I take the full ride.

On an unrelated note, interestingly enough, I know two Texas residents who were accepted to Ivy League schools (one at Yale and the other at Princeton) but "wait-listed" at Texas (then later accepted for entry in the spring semester).
 
If you are a high school player and think you have the talent to make it to the NFL someday, I doubt you care much for the Ivy League schools, Rice, Vandy, Northwestern, or Stanford. (Unless one of the last four has an extremely rare run of success on the field.)

Those of us who are Horns fans sometimes have a hard time understanding a kid choosing four years in some outpost like collie station or Norman. Look at it from the player's point of view, and even if you're a lifelong Texas fan, as, for instance, Adrian Peterson was, you will opt for the school that offers you a scholarship. (Or, in the case of Peterson, the school you erroneously believe gives you the best chance of winning a championship.)

It's all about a free ride, a championship, and/or the bling for most high school players today. Very few are willing to gamble on winning a scholarship to Texas by walking on.
 
You're ignoring my hypothetical, coolhorn. My hypothetical was fringe state top 50 to maybe top 150, money for college not an issue, and scholarship offers from non-contenders (or maybe one contender). There aren't many of those kids who realistically think they'll be playing in the NFL, though some eventually do. Hoping and dreaming, maybe, but not realistically thinking.

If I don't get offered by Texas, but get offers from 0U, OSU, Wyoming, Ole Miss and Baylor, I probably go to 0U because there is the opportunity to win a conference, and maybe a national, championship. If I don't get offered by Texas, but get offers from OSU, Wyoming, Ole Miss and Baylor, and Texas asks me to walk on, I might just enroll at Texas if money is not an issue (some confidence in my abilities doesn't hurt either). If I don't get offered by Texas, but get offers from OSU, Wyoming, Ole Miss, Baylor and Stanford and Texas asks me to walk on, I likely take the offer from Stanford with little deliberation.
 
Unless the NCAA rules have changed, tuition is not the only thing that's not free for a walk-on...

Walk-ons are prohibited from eating at the team training table unless they pay for it, and are not allowed to use academic support services for scholarship athletes.
 
Exactly my point too Vine...if you, or your parents, have to pony up for everything, absent a guaranteed scholarship, most kids will take a guaranteed scholarship to just about anywhere over walking on at the college of their choice, Texas or otherwise. There are exceptions, but very few of them.
 
"Families with that kind of money are few and far between these days."

That's just a ******* stupid statement. All pubs can afford to pay their kids way to college without any help. Everyone knows that.
 
Further to Bob, walk ons, with rare exception, are not going to get PT over schollie players. It is a very unique circumstance in most places. I agree with whoever said that if they are good enough players to get schollie offers they will want to play and not be living breathing blocking dummies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Recent Threads

Back
Top