Drainthefecesswamp wrote:
You know what is most significant about this? All those "Hi, I ran 4:30/2:05 in high school, can I run D1?" threads now have a specific example of a D1 school that will apparently take relatively slow walk ons.
Sort of, but this is different. Most 2:05/4:30 guys chirping in a D1 coaches ear have been running since MS and followed a pretty standard progress curve to get to those times. In other words, their trajectory is easier to nail down and their upside is would be harder to bet on. But... I'd say most D1 programs not in the top 10-20 nationally would let a kid walk on and train with the team for some amount of time to see if they shake into a 25min 8k freshman with some training.
The difference with this kid and why he's getting the nod is that he DOESN'T have the history and step-by-step progression that some might see as a limiting factor for long-term upside. Post-Wheating, I'm sure coaches are more keen to give a chance to a tall, athletic guy who has shown raw speed - 51s 400m with limited training. That's not inherently scholarship material, but as this guy has proved now at U20, the raw basics show a massive potential with applied training.