Candle/Toledo recruiting region

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

No surprise, Candle’s Toledo teams have been predominantly comprised of Ohio and nearby MW players. Scanning the Rockets’ current roster, roughly 20 players from FL, a few each from GA and PA, 1 IIRC from VA, zero other DMV, zero Carolinas, couple each from New England and NY, zero from Joisey, maybe 1 TX …

Similarly, most of Candle’s assistants are from Ohio. Acknowledging NIL recruiting matters at least as much or likely more than high school recruiting now, wondering whether Candle looks to add some assistants with solid recruiting backgrounds in FL, GA, DMV, Joisey, PA, the Carolinas, New England (prep?)?

 

[LBird33]

Yes he reached out to me to be a scout. I have the Barbour Street area of Hartford. He’s looking to tighten up the defense

 

[UCFBfan]

I’m sure part of what he looks for in his assistants will be recruiting connections in different regions. I feel like that’s almost a requirement with a job.

 

[Samoo]

In the interview posted the Toledo reporter talks about a strong Florida presence I believe in the Tampa St. Pete area

 

[SwingDog]

In the interview posted the Toledo reporter talks about a strong Florida presence I believe in the Tampa St. Pete area

Yes, it was mentioned in the Connecticut Scoreboard podcast by guest Kyle Rowland as well.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is where I want to start in terms of recruiting areas (were are allowed eleven active recruiters):

1 - New York State; New England
2 - New Jersey; Delaware
3 - Pennsylvania
4 - Ohio
5 - Virginia; Maryland
6 - Georgia; North Carolina; South Carolina
7 - Florida
8 - Texas

We can also spend some time in the remainder of the south, midwest, west, but the above covers areas where we have had past success with recruits.

Having a presence in Ohio and reestablishing Florida can be extremely beneficial to the program.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

In the interview posted the Toledo reporter talks about a strong Florida presence I believe in the Tampa St. Pete area

Of approximately upper teens to about 20 Floridians on Toledo’s 2025 roster, about 5 appear to be from Tampa-St Pete (loosely including Sarasota).

Most players appear to be from areas generally east of Orlando to Daytona Beach latitude south, 1 IIRC from Miami, and 1 from Naples.

 

[HuskyNan]

Posted this in another thread but since this one is about recruiting-

 

[Hoophound]

This is where I want to start in terms of recruiting areas (were are allowed eleven active recruiters):

1 - New York State; New England
2 - New Jersey; Delaware
3 - Pennsylvania
4 - Ohio
5 - Virginia; Maryland
6 - Georgia; North Carolina; South Carolina
7 - Florida
8 - Texas

We can also spend some time in the remainder of the south, midwest, west, but the above covers areas where we have had past success with recruits.

Having a presence in Ohio and reestablishing Florida can be extremely beneficial to the program.

Florida should be higher on the list. We’ve done well there.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Florida should be higher on the list. We’ve done well there.

That isn't in order of importance, it's starting here, then moving south and west.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

This is where I want to start in terms of recruiting areas (were are allowed eleven active recruiters):

1 - New York State; New England
2 - New Jersey; Delaware
3 - Pennsylvania
4 - Ohio
5 - Virginia; Maryland
6 - Georgia; North Carolina; South Carolina
7 - Florida
8 - Texas

We can also spend some time in the remainder of the south, midwest, west, but the above covers areas where we have had past success with recruits.

Having a presence in Ohio and reestablishing Florida can be extremely beneficial to the program.

Might want to flip that list.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Might want to flip that list.

Again, it's not in order of priority, it's starting here, then moving south and west.

Considering there are seven states and an exceptionally large population base in the recruiting area is telling. There's not a lot of talent, especially concentrated talent compared to other regions.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Posted this in another thread but since this one is about recruiting-

Im not saying it, but im saying it.

 

[uconnbill]

Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, the NY metro, which includes parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, and NYC. I would like to see some more Midwest recruiting, as they have a lot of blue-collar players, aka linemen, on both sides of the ball.

 

[zmart]

The Toledo roster has 17 players from Michigan. Toledo being on the Michigan border.

 

[Hoophound]

If he’s as good of a recruiter as they say he is, he’s going to do real well selling the UConn experience over Toledo. The facilities, brand and swag are just a massive upgrade. I’ve got my fingers crossed that he makes recruiting a solid team by our standards look like shooting fish in a barrel. I think he’s going to. People seem to love this guy—kind of like people love Jom Mora. It’s a nice thing to have working for you when everyone has fantastic things to say about you.

 

[Nameless]

Im not saying it, but im saying it.

I checked last night and Polston is slightly ahead of Carter Emmanuel in the 247 composite rankings, who I think many here were high on.

Would probably prefer the current freshman QB on Toledo's roster but if we can get both then gravy. Like others I'm also really curious to see who we get/how much we spend on a QB in the portal.

 

[Slick]

In the interview posted the Toledo reporter talks about a strong Florida presence I believe in the Tampa St. Pete area

Also has players from south Florida, Fort Lauderdale Miami area

 

[RSTuthill]

I would like to ask a question about this thread. Are you talking about classic recruiting out of HS or recruiting out of the portal? Or pre-portal recruiting, aka poaching? The three are all very different. And classic recruiting seems so much less important now for those teams not getting four and five star recruits.

 

[AllHusky]

I would imagine contacts are contacts. If you have a contact(s) in the Pittsburgh area, they are just as likely to tell you about a HS Jr, as a kid who is a sophomore at Pitt or Penn St that wants to leave.

I also think the geographic contacts thing is overblown. When UConn is in the house, the Coaches, Kids and Families all do their research in a New York minute. A good recruiter will make contacts in their assigned area in the first recruiting cycle.

Look at how important Paul Pasqualoni's CT contacts were.

 

[HuskyNan]

If he’s as good of a recruiter as they say he is, he’s going to do real well selling the UConn experience over Toledo. The facilities, brand and swag are just a massive upgrade.

Dan Orlovsky, Ray Allen, and other NBA players have been known to drop in around the time recruits are scheduled to be on campus

 

[Bongo Fury]

If he’s as good of a recruiter as they say he is, he’s going to do real well selling the UConn experience over Toledo. The facilities, brand and swag are just a massive upgrade. I’ve got my fingers crossed that he makes recruiting a solid team by our standards look like shooting fish in a barrel. I think he’s going to. People seem to love this guy—kind of like people love Jom Mora. It’s a nice thing to have working for you when everyone has fantastic things to say about you.

For those recruits in the OH/MI region, Toledo’s location likely was a benefit for some.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I would like to ask a question about this thread. Are you talking about classic recruiting out of HS or recruiting out of the portal? Or pre-portal recruiting, aka poaching? The three are all very different. And classic recruiting seems so much less important now for those teams not getting four and five star recruits.

Potentially, all. Even if unsuccessful in signing a high school athlete today, relationships created may potentially enable later NIL recruits. Clearly, no guarantees, yet examples exist on UConn’s current roster, e.g., Louis Hansen, St Sebastian’s > Michigan > UConn.

 

[ThabeetDown]

In the interview posted the Toledo reporter talks about a strong Florida presence I believe in the Tampa St. Pete area

One of their OCs is a Tampa guy, so if he comes with that’s going to be great for that pipeline.