Sounds good to me: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/stewart_mandel/02/06/florida.recruiting/index.html
No doubt Urban really got it rolling in Gainesville. I was reading a similar article on ESPN.com about his success. I didn't realize how many players you were losing off your championship team, 9 of 11 starters on defense. Plus according to Meyer you guys don't have a lot in between the Sr. and Fr. classes, so I can see why he can sell early playing time to this years recruits. One of the things that has amazed me about USC recruiting is that even now with tons of talent on campus, Pete Carroll has been able to sell the concept that you can play early if you come to USC. Last year he sold that to 5 highly rated RB's and while so far the USC class is small it's has incredible talent, all of the players are either 5 star or 4 star recruits. If Urban can continue to do that at Fla, then Tenn and Georgia are in a heap of trouble. Terry
That has to be seen <t>tis the season for bold declarations but USC keeps cranking out big winning seasons year after year... and I hate to tell people this, but unlike that UF team that just won the NC, this past year's USC team WAS young and still competing for the NC.<br/> <br/> I think Meyer has done a fine job winning with Zook's kids, but he's gotta way to go before you can make the comparison to the evil nation.</t>
Well next year UF will be very young with not a lot (according to the ESPN Article) of Jr's and Sr's. So if he can win the SEC next year with the youth he'll be playing with then he'll be real close to USC.
Hey... <t>Corey, the hated Trojans also add the stud back from Louisiana as well. I cease to be amazed at them.</t>
And earlier this week, Carroll picked off the best player in Michigan from Muskegon who had been in the Wolverines grasp for over two years.
Corey, I'm curious about one thing; what was Pete Carroll's record his first two years with the other guys recruits?
I'll tell you what I'm curious about. When these HS kids are interviwed they all give you the same rap about what they are looking for in a school. They want a good education at a good university, they want to feel welcomed and they want an opportunity to get on the field right away. Well, for a very large percentage of these kids the first reason is complete BS. Feeling welcome could mean a lot of things, most of which undoubtedly have nothing to do with either football or school work. Its the playing time thing that I can't figure. USC and now Florida stack up 4 and 5 star prospects like cord wood. How do they keep these kids satisfied (legally)? Don't tell me that winning is the thing because these guys generally don't care about anything but a future payday in the NFL. So how do you keep these stars happy sitting on the bench? These are all the best of the best and now they are content as role players? Special teamers? Bench warmers? I can't connect the dots.
George I think there are a couple of things you are missing or not discussing. First the Gators are winners right now, second on defense we lose 9 starters so a bunch of thes 4 anf 5 star players are on defense and many will get a shot for playing time early. Third Meyer plays a lot of players and spreads the ball around on offense. I think these players coming in for the Gators will get a lot of opportunity to play, will be on tv and get a lot of exposure and our program has a lot to offer right now. With your term legally, I certainly hope you are not insuating anything as I think that would be out of line.
I agree Bill, I'm sure Urban plays hardball but with they way things are he doesn't need a bagman. I can understand how people wonder about Zook at Illinois, esp since Illinois is a past offender in the payolla for athletes. But the Gators don't really need that. I will relate a story I have heard, but of course don't know if is true. G.J.Kinne was a Baylor recruit who after Brantley decommited from Texas called Mack and asked if Texas was interested in him. Mack supposedly told him that he wouldn't talk with him until he called Coach Morris at Baylor and told him that he was looking around. Of course after he did that he happily took him away from Baylor. I like Macks way. Terry
Terry, I have to say that Mack handled that well. I also enjoyed the happily taking them from another team! :lol:
that <t>is not a valid comparison Bill.<br/> <br/> Florida was coming off its greatest era in the history of it's program, and even during the 'down' Zook years, he was a recruiting machine. Urban Meyer inherited a loaded program.<br/> <br/> USC had been down for years and years. The talent base in Los Angeles had become the harvest fields for the Big12, Big10, SEC and Miami.<br/> <br/> <br/> Pete Carroll had a much, MUCH greater hill to climb.<br/> <br/> We do know that Pete Carroll has proven something that Urban has yet to do at any program, form his own talent base and win with his own kids.</t>
more numbers <t>In 10 years prior to Carroll at USC (his first year was 6-6, his 2nd year was 11-2) USC was:<br/> <br/> 2000: 5-7<br/> 1999:6-6<br/> 1998: 8-5<br/> 1997: 6-5<br/> 1996: 6-6<br/> 1995: 9-2-1<br/> 1994: 8-3-1<br/> 1993: 8-5<br/> 1992: 6-5-1<br/> 1991: 3-8<br/> <br/> Since Petey they are 6-6, 11-2, 12-1, 13-0, 12-1, and 11-2 with 4 blowout BCS bowl wins.<br/> <br/> Florida's got a ways to go but check the prior 10 to Urbie's run at Florida<br/> <br/> 2004: 7-5<br/> 2003: 8-5<br/> 2002: 8-5<br/> 2001: 10-2<br/> 2000: 10-3<br/> 1999: 9-4<br/> 1998: 10-2<br/> 1997: 10-2<br/> 1996: 12-1<br/> 1995: 12-1<br/> (and prior to that)<br/> 1994: 10-2-1<br/> 1993: 11-2<br/> 1992: 9-4<br/> 1991: 10-2<br/> <br/> Florida was winning and winning and winning, prior to UM. All he's shown is that he can do what he's done at all his previous stops. Build upon someone else's base while throwing in his own wrinkles. I'm not ripping the guy, but like I said, he's got a long way to go.</t>
Bill, I am not making any specific allegations but I am naturally skeptical of any program that can attract and hold star players in droves like USC and Florida. These are kids that are used to getting the ball every play, being the star of the game. You can only play 11 at a time. No one really has taken a serious attempt at answering my question. How do you keep superstars happy on the bench?
I agree. Winning a national championship is a great, great accomplishment, and UM deserves all the credit in the world. But sainthood must wait until his career has ended, which is a long, long time from now. I don't blame the FL folks for their giddiness. I'm sure if we ND folks were in the same position, we'd be nominating Charlie for sainthood. But it's a season-by-season thing in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. On to next season.
The ... <t>Best thing Florida has going for it is the fact UM can flat out coach. He has a great system that worked at Utah and now that he can load up with primo players. IMO Florida will win several titles under UM.</t>
Meyer really can coach and he builds character and toughness more importantly. These two qualities were seriously lacking in the Zook years even if the talent level was not and his record showed it. Meyer is 2-0 in bowl games and Zook won no bowl games. That's coaching.... On USC's pre-Carroll record: 2000: 5-7 1999:6-6 1998: 8-5 1997: 6-5 1996: 6-6 1995: 9-2-1 1994: 8-3-1 1993: 8-5 1992: 6-5-1 1991: 3-8 That may have been their record those years but I know they had to be one of the toughest teams in America to play because ND played 'em every year.....so that alone made 'em a tough opponent. :wink:
Regarding the stockpliling of superstars and how the elite schools are able to keep them happy on the sidelines, a mystery that none of us can apparently explain, we now have this ..... Is Mitch Mustain headed West? The former Arkansas quarterback plans to visit USC in the next two weeks with the idea of transferring in the fall, reports Scott Wolf of the L.A. Daily News. If Mustain were to become a Trojan, he would join former teammate Damian Williams, who transferred to USC last month. Williams was a teammate of Mustain's at Springdale High and both players signed with Arkansas last February after their prep coach, Gus Malzahn, was hired as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator. The Malzahn-Springdale-Mustain-Williams marriage with Arkansas eventually went sour, and Malzahn left after the end of the season for Tulsa. This left Mustain behind, and it appears he could be ready to join Williams.