As bad as the AAC is..

[whaler11]

Accepting that the AAC is painfully bad.... Can someone please explain to me how UConn beats their conference mates when they are recruiting against teams in the CAA.

How does the staff get a pass when they lose every recruiting battle?

Rome is burning but everyone looks away. Is it an inferiority
complex? We don't deserve to recruit like awful SMU or Houston or Tulane?

 

[Jerry27]

Or ask yourself this; How is our recruiting now any different from the last 12 years? Few FBS, FCS, or no offers have been the norm for a long time. Just wouldn't make sense if you could find something positive to say about a situation because it wouldn't fit your narrative, sad really.
Maybe you could extend your expert recruiting abilities to these no nothing hacks who continue this downward spiral and fall short of your expectations.

 

[Confident Carl]

Looking at the bright side... Not P5 but some think moving in the right direction...

"I definitely think it's full of turnaround teams that have really made a name for themselves," said Morris, former offensive coordinator for Clemson. "And now you add Navy to the mix . . . it's really only gonna grow our conference and make it stronger in addition to the new coaches and I think our conference is headed in the right direction."

SMU Head Football Coach Chad Morris

 

[whaler11]

It's 4 bad seasons in a row with 5-19 in the last 24.

It's an 8 figure coach who is supposed to be a salesguy who can't recruit at an FBS level.

Kill the messenger and call it a narrative if you like.

 

[coachcap]

Whaler, at the risk of sounding redundant, your constant complaining is wearing thin. Can you at least wait to see how this kid performs in training camp (over a year away) instead of his prescience in choosing OUR great University to continue his education & athletic career?

 

[whaler11]

Whaler, at the risk of sounding redundant, your constant complaining is wearing thin. Can you at least wait to see how this kid performs in training camp (over a year away) instead of his prescience in choosing OUR great University to continue his education & athletic career?

It has nothing to do with how any single player turns out. I get that so many of you don't get that point.

 

[Jerry27]

How many guys have you seen play that HCBD recruited? A handful maybe? At best. So how is it you know he can or can't recruit? Oh, because of the offer lists right. Don't use your own eyes.

Move a long folks just another tantrum in process, nothing to see here!

 

[noeynox]

@Jerry27 is right. If you accept that Edsall years were the glory years, at least acknowledge the recruiting looks,no,different on paper and it is happening in a much worse conference situation.

Recruiting has never taken the next step here on paper. The kids with multiple fbs offers seldom choose us. It has concerned me for 10 years that I don't think we ever finished anywhere other than last in the rankings of tje conference we are in.

 

[whaler11]

How many guys have you seen play that HCBD recruited? A handful maybe? At best. So how is it you know he can or can't recruit? Oh, because of the offer lists right. Don't use your own eyes.

Move a long folks just another tantrum in process, nothing to see here!

Keep killing the messenger.

 

[Forte]

Why beat a dead horse, what possible change or upside is that going to bring at this point? IMO a 3 star QB/ freak athlete out of Virginia who runs a 4.5 40 is very encouraging. It's obvious UConn isn't in a position to win recruiting battles right now. The only thing Diaco's staff can do is sell recruits on the chance to resurrect a dumpster fire. I see the recruits that are coming to the program Tyler Davis, Ron Johnson, Arkel, Summers, Diggs, and so forth and then I look at our recruit's sizes like 6ft 3, 6ft 4, 6ft 5 and 6ft 6 WR's out of programs from the south paired with their athleticism. Would it be more comforting if we "put a fence up" around CT and New England?

 

[pepband99]

It has nothing to do with how any single player turns out. I get that so many of you don't get that point.

So, you just magically happened to whine (again) the same day we flip a kid from JMU?

Your comparison to Houston, Tulane, and SMU is interesting. All in football hotbeds. We're obviously not. Combine that with recent performance, and you don't have a winning formula for any coach, really. Your "8 figure coach" line sounds downright Jacobs-ian, too. Wait, and your handle is whaler?

Kids, I think the angry one is amongst us!

 

[whaler11]

Why beat a dead horse, what possible change or upside is that going to bring at this point? IMO a 3 star QB/ freak athlete out of Virginia who runs a 4.5 40 is very encouraging. It's obvious UConn isn't in a position to win recruiting battles right now. The only thing Diaco's staff can do is sell recruits on the chance to resurrect a dumpster fire. I see the recruits that are coming to the program Tyler Davis, Ron Johnson, Arkel, Summers, Diggs, and so forth and then I look at our recruit's sizes like 6ft 3, 6ft 4, 6ft 5 and 6ft 6 WR's out of programs from the south paired with their athleticism. Would it be more comforting if we "put a fence up" around CT and New England?

Ok guy who gives up on games down 7-0. When is it time to win recruiting battles? Did the other schools in the league get the memo?

 

[gioff23]

Maybe when the "messenger" says, can someone explain and then doesn't listen, well maybe the messenger doesn't want anyone to explain he simply wants to continue his rant. Maybe? Then again, that expression is applied in situations where a messenger (not the author) delivers a message made by someone else - you can't claim to be the messenger of your own message. But I digress.

Did you not think some of the best players on the field last year were true frosh? Did Ron Johnson, a Louisville commit, not look pretty good? How about the 2 OL? How about the DE/LBs or corners? How about seeing the new kids before complaining about them? Do you like the transfer QB? Are you excited to see the LB from FSU? Do they even count?

What many learned about last year's class, is that they were/are incredibly tight and shut down their recruiting once they committed, despite getting offers, from P5 programs. Murphy, Okanum (sp.?), Freeborn, Mayala, and others were all pressed by P5 programs. They committed to each other and didn't play the look at me, I got another offer game.

If you didn't see hope for the future amongst the youngsters last year, well I would simply disagree. If you don't like the incoming kids and their approach, I would again disagree, respectfully.

All that matters are results on the field, and all of us are looking forward to seeing what the 15 edition brings to the table. I prefer to do it thinking the glass is half-full. You prefer to do it thinking its empty. If I shot you, so be it, but next time, send a messenger.

 

[jayfromfla]

I find some here who think they are decendents of Lombardi and others who could find a million dollars and complain it is in 50s and not 100s dollar bills. Hope for the best and cheer on UCONN. They need the support. It reminds me of the early 80s BC ( before Calhoun) support is what the team needs.

 

[06029]

While I agree with the premise of the opening post, and while I am a BD skeptic, the majority of the team is made up of PP recruits, most of whom had legitimate D1/FBS offers. The results speak for themselves.

Flipping FCS kids to build an entire roster will not work. But flipping a skill kid, that committed very early to an FCS school, I can live with that. A lot of FCS QB's, WR's and RB's don't have the measurables in camps and don't get the early FBS offers, but they can be solid FBS players.

The one area you need to have kids with FBS measurables is in the trenches along both lines. You need size that can add good weight, you need to have kids with good basic technique and a solid first step. Added bonus if they play with a mean streak. As much as anything, the PP and continued lack of progress by BD in this area is why predicting a huge turnaround is difficult for me.

In terms of Uconn not being in a FB hotbed, please look at the 2016 recruiting thread. There is a lot of local/CT/MA,NY/NJ talent that is committing to FBS within and outside the region. Especially big lineman. BD, who was sold to the fans as being a solid recruiter and master motivator, needs to start winning some of those battles.

 

[Confident Carl]

It's 4 bad seasons in a row with 5-19 in the last 24.

It's an 8 figure coach who is supposed to be a salesguy who can't recruit at an FBS level.

Kill the messenger and call it a narrative if you like.

Question - Why would schools bother to pay top coaching talent 7 figure salaries in a totally league with no potential? Buck it, everybody go back to FCS.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

It has nothing to do with how any single player turns out. I get that so many of you don't get that point.

No, many are just waiting on the Villanova game before they pickup their pitchforks.

 

[PolisHusky]

It's 4 bad seasons in a row with 5-19 in the last 24.

It's an 8 figure coach who is supposed to be a salesguy who can't recruit at an FBS level.

Kill the messenger and call it a narrative if you like.

Since when do we have a $10,000,000+ (count it...8 figures) coach?

 

[UCFBfan]

Can you at least wait to see how this kid performs in training camp (over a year away) instead of his prescience in choosing OUR great University to continue his education & athletic career?

This...Whaler, I get your complaint and it may be valid. However, until these kids have had a year or two to perform, how can you sit and trash them or the recruiting? For all you know, these kids may turn out to be quality players or just the right type of player needed to fit the system. Sometimes you don't need a bunch of superstars to succeed. Sometimes, and I hate using this, you just need RKG players who come together to create a TEAM that can win and excel. Until these kids have had two years or so, the constant complaining needs to be put on hold.

 

[Husky25]

Football, more than any other sport, is a prime example of the whole team being greater than the sum of its parts.

 

[SubbaBub]

I wouldn't expect CT to draw much more than the odd recruit with multiple P5 offers from the south and maybe a few more with local ties. No, we are in the development business and would be regardless of what conference we are in. The ACC would open a few more doors and the B1G more still. But expecting us to out recruit the southern AAC schools based on the magazines, isn't right.

If temple is besting us for those kids that's a problem.

 

[freescooter]

You can be successful recruiting in more than 1 way. Edsall built a program by identifying kids who were athletic and coaching the heck out of them. We had a number of very good players who were real athletic but considered too raw by bigger name programs. Lansanah, the fullback from Attleboro are good examples. When O'Bien was at BC he built lines that way and Edsall more or less followed that model on the o-line. Johnson is taking a similar approach at GTech. He gets guys who fit his profile mostly not highly rated. Admittedly his system has some different needs but his approach is similar. The only worry is that at some point you might hit a ceiling as many think Exsall did. It is a bit early with Diaco. But if you take that route you absolutely need to be able to coach kids up. P could not/would not. Edsall was excellent at it. Diaco, we don't know yet on either end.

 

[Bonehead]

Hoping Whaler is taking a day off from the board -

 

[Marty Jackson]

He's busy delivering other messages... I do like how he equates his daily diatribe as 'the message'. As if it's coming from a reliable source...

 

[Confident Carl]

American from Navy's perspective..

http://www.navysports.com/ot/american-athletic-conference.html