Somewhere, a future star will be watching - waiting for a seed to be planted. Somewhere, a college prospect will draw conclusions about a football program he may never have even heard of before the BCS Championship game on Jan. 8.

Such is the benefit of playing in a national championship game. Ohio State and Florida are the worthy recipients of the priceless coverage of their programs this year. The game is just part of the equation. There's also the hype leading up to the contest generated by national media outlets.

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer has seen the impact that a national title can have on recruiting. As a matter of fact, he said he still benefits from his 1998 championship team.

"It probably - more than anything - matters three or four years down the road because there's eighth-graders and ninth-graders out there that it sticks in they're mind," Fulmer said. "A lot of kids now still say, 'Hey I remember Tee Martin.' or 'I remember the game against Florida State.', not necessarily because we won the championship but because we beat Florida State."

As was the case of beating the Seminoles, making it memorable helps - as long as you win. Take Texas for instance. Last season, Vince Young led a remarkable comeback to win a national championship in an instant classic. This year, Texas has the top-ranked 2007 recruiting class in the nation, as compiled by Rivals and Scout.

Then, there's Southern Cal. The Trojans have received top recruiting honors from either Rivals or Scout five times since winning its first BCS national championship in 2003.

That's the reward. But there's also risk. A humiliating loss on a national stage surely has an impact. Nebraska was pummeled by the Trojans 55-19 for the 2004 crown. Since then, the Cornhuskers have secured only one class deemed worthy of a top-10 ranking. The rest of their recruiting efforts have been ranked from 20th- to 44th-best in the country.

As important as the game is for a football program, it's not the only way the experience helps recruiting.

"They're there," Fulmer said of the Gators and the Buckeyes. "They're going to get the exposure. Whether they win or lose probably doesn't matter tremendously (in recruiting)."

Not every future prospect will be wowed by the winner of the BCS National Championship game. Some might see opportunity in the other locker room.

"It just depends on the guy you're talking to," Fulmer said. "Some guys want to get right into an established program. Some guys want to come in and say, 'Hey, we can help you get there.' "

Despite the championship boost that both teams will receive, Fulmer, of course, isn't ready to concede a single player to the Gators or the Buckeyes.

"There's only so many scholarships that anybody has to give," he said. "The better season you have, the better chance you've got to get on some good players but they're not going to get them all and neither is Ohio State so there's plenty out there for all of us to get."

Blessing in Disguise?: An unforeseen bump in the road has given UT an opportunity to address a serious need in its 2007 class.

There's no question that UT's coaches would have accepted Alonzo Winfield, a safety/linebacker from Carver High School in Winston-Salem, N.C., with open arms. But when Winfield decided to change his commitment to UT and commit to South Carolina this week, a valuable scholarship came open.

The Vols have 23 commitments this year. That means there's only a handful of spots left in the 2007 class. With only two defensive linemen committed, UT's 2007 class could use some more size.

On the other hand, the Vols have seven committed prospects that could end up playing in the defensive backfield.

UT is a much different program in recruiting than it was when it offered Winfield a scholarship. The Vols were an unknown and coming off a 5-6 season. Now, they're in a Jan. 1 bowl, 9-3, and being very selective.

Respect: Maryville High coach George Quarles offered up a strong compliment for Catholic star Harrison Smith, who is considering UT and Notre Dame.

"Harrison Smith is - and I love the guys we have from Maryville - but Harrison Smith is the real deal, I think," Quarles said Friday on the News Sentinel Sport Page radio show. "He's super talented."

Quarles should know talent. He just won his sixth Class 4A state championship in eight years.

Dave Hooker covers football recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knews.com.