What do Grag Olsen, Chris Olsen, Cooper Rego, Matt Lovechio, and Justin Tratou all have in common? I've said it before and it's now truer than ever, New Jersey recruits are more trouble than their worth.
We know the stories on the Olsens, Rego, and Lovecchio. The jury is out on Trattou until 4 years from now. Who knows? He may be an all-american and the next Dwight Freeney.
Sid What I was trying to convey is that all of these kids although "committed" to ND didn't finish there. Now they left at different times for different reasons but it seems to me that recruiting in NJ is more trouble than it's worth.
Well we've had problems with kids from Caliyfornia as well going home after a few years. But like the Joisey kids we've also had a lot of success. But clearly we need more Texas kids if we are to be successfull!
:lol: After holding the OSU offense to just 82 yards, I expect Meyer, Strong, and Mattison are very disappointed with the current scheme and are "chomping" at the bit to change, as soon as spring practice starts!! I just don't think they are satisfied with a philosophy/attack that ended 2006 ranked #5 against the run, #6 overall, #6 in scoring, and #4 in pass efficiency (#33 pass defense). FWIW, Corley commited to UF some 39-40 weeks ago, in late April 2006. He's been actively looking at other schools since May 2006. He's a talented ball players and I wish him luck at LSU, bama, auburn, fsu, Notre Dame, or wherever he decides to play. As Lawrence Wright stated ..... if you aren't a Gator, your just Gator Bait. BTW, I just hope UF can backfill with John Brown, Cam Heyword, or Allen Bailey. :wink:
Interesting that a St Thomas Acquinas LBer who's been a commit to Iowa since Aug-2006 just received a scholarship offer from Notre Dame and is considering the offer. I thought it was inappropriate to recruit a young man who was already committed to another school.
I don't like it when anybody does it, ND or whoever. I like it better when coaches respect other teams verbals, I don't mind a kid changing his mind and calling another school to check with the coach and see if a spot is open for him, although I think that the kid should think real hard before giving his verbal. There are reasons for this, first and foremost when a kid gives you his word and tells you he is solid. Then the tendency is to let go the other kids who you have been recruiting at his position and when you get a late switch you are frequently unable to get back in with a kid and that position either gets a much worse player or no player. The other thing I don't like is kids making commits so they can shore up a scholarship. Texas recently poached a couple of players who came to Jr day last March but were not offered scholarships, but now things have changed and they were offered scholarships and they both promptly dropped Oklahoma State and Oklahoma to go with Texas. They screwed over OSU and OU (well that's not all bad). I know it happens everywhere, but it's just frosts me that coaches and kids have no honor when it comes to their word.
I don't like it either. Not when Meyer does it. Or Weis. Or anyone else. These guys are sweet talking these kids and getting them to renege on the one thing that they should never compromise.. their word. The whole recruiting process stinks. At what price victory?
Mine is the 74th post on this topic, the 44th by ND fans. Only one of the 74 was critical of Meyer's recruiting of Trattou. That post was early and was neither followed up by the poster nor pursued by anyone else, ND or otherwise. Why the sarcasm?
I can't agree with you guys as far as verbals being off limits. The signing day that counts is still about two weeks off, until that time the kids coming out of high school can still change their minds. I don't see where it's unethical to keep selling your program until the recruit signs on the dotted line. And I feel that way even if the Gators are the ones to lose the recruit, and we have lost our share. I would be in favor of an early signing period, but until the time is up the prospect has the right to change.
Bill that is the reality of situation for sure, but it wasn't that way when I first started following recruiting. I wish that kids wouldn't give a verbal unless they really meant to keep it, but I certainly understand that until they sign it's just that, a nonbinding promise. Terry
Since the internet has brought all this recruiting information into our living rooms, the verbal recantations have become big news and have fomented discussions like the one in this topic. One thing that hasn't changed, however, is the fact that no recruit - none - by himself makes a hill of beans difference in the direction of a college football program during the fall or spring of his senior year in HS. His 15 minutes of fame are up when he sets foot on the college campus. Some will emerge as contributors to their programs' success. Some will not. I've always preferred the wait-and-see approach, but I get a kick out of these types of discussions. Oh yes. One more thing. I don't have a problem with coaches continuing to go after a kid after he's verballed. I don't see it as a coach problem. I see it as a problem with the system that has evolved in this age of hype, where kids feel they must make their intentions known eons before signing day even if in their hearts they are not 100% certain of their decision.
I'm pretty much with you Sid, but I do think these trends to earlier commitments have to some degree been brought about by the NCAA cracking down on some of the perks the recruits got during visits. That to some degree came to a head with Lobster Willie who we all remember keeping a log for the Miami Herald a couple of years ago. Also we do not know what pressures these kids are put under when they take their visits. And like said above no one player will make the difference. But speaking about out of hand, some Gator fans have figured out where to find out the destination of the Athletic Department airplane so now they know what part of the country the coaches are headed to for recruiting a player and thus what player they may be visiting. The internet has sure changed our lives.
Tracking ND planes has also become the way fans find out where Charlie is headed. Bill, I esp dislike it when kids take an offer that they really don't want 100% just to have a backup plan. Then they continue to be open to schools that to them are more attractive. I mentioned the two most recent kids that Texas got. Terry