Cochran v. Boyle v. Lagow

[thatguyed]

I appreciate that and will simply say there are a ton of QB's out there that are 6'2.5" and through the recruiting process they grow to 6'4" or more. Richard stood at 6'6" and started slumping down when measured after a doctor's physical showed him at 6'6.5" because he was afraid programs would think a QB taller than 6'5" could not move. He can scoot and ran a laser timed 4.88 at Under Armour's. His coach this year told him to start running out of bounds and quit lowering his shoulder and taking on guys, he rarely followed that direction. There is one 40 time that stuck with him that he ran at an event three days after being released for activities after a broken ankle his junior season. I told him not to run the forty at the event and he did it anyway and was not close to being ready. It was a mistake and he did not choose to attend many events because he was focused on working to get ready for the season.

From everything that I'm reading - everything - you gotta love this kid. (Excuse me, young man.)

 

[Justwinbaby]

I'm still looking forward to seeing the kid's footwork, but hey - since it's dead time, I'll share a story. There was a discussion a while back around here, about what program that us diehards would like to see UConn match up against, either the for the first, time, or for a rematch.....or maybe it was a discussion about our most memorable game? Yeah, I think that was it - what was the most memorable game I think was the discussion. Or maybe worst loss? Whatever - we were talkign about games......Wait...I remember now - it was a best win/worst loss discussion. My pick was SMU. Worst loss. This was before the whole conference started, and I remember thinking we'd never get a rematch. But that's changed.

As is often the case with me, I don't really remember the wins that much, but losses stick to me like glue. In 1989, we had SMU on the schedule, second week of the season in September. We had a really good team in the late 80's. We were 1-AA then, (having officially gone from small college division 1, to division 1-AA, when it was established in the late 1970s (long, long discussion there.......) but the choice was made, we went 1-AA, and we actually did pretty well under Tom Jackson in the 80s. (Joe Paterno guy).

Matchups with 1-A programs, were very much looked forward to, even if it was SMU, in the first year back after the death penalty. I won't rehash the game. Simple blurb. Up by 30-14 with five minutes to go in the game. Lose 31-30 on the XP with no time on the clock. Huge kick in the nuts. We went on to win our own conference that season, I believe set a record that still stands having played (and won) the longest OT game ever later in the year....yankee conference rules. You'd be surprised some of the football names come out of UConn in the 1980s, both coaches and players.

Now - so you know - this was the same year that UConn basketball rose on the national scene under Jim Calhoun. The Big EAst conference was dominating in basketball, and UConn was part of it. Tate George last second shot over Clemson...HUGE. (there was no Big East football conference yet). Husky Mania - ruled the 3+ million residents of Connecticut. 1-AA football, was important to oh....about 15,000 fans, the players families and girlfriends, the band, and the players themselves. (UConn Football was an afterthought in CT in 1989 - Yale v Harvard was the biggest draw. Times have changed in teh decades since)

So move on to the early 1990s. I'm in florida with my future wife and some of her friends from CT, in 1992 I believe, her friends had gone to small school in NY, other places, and she wanted me to make an impression - you know women. All were "Huskymaniacs". Loved UConn hoops. None of her friends knew me at all. We took in a spring training game in West Palm. Atlanta Braves - when Deion Sanders was playing. Met him - funny guy. Signed autograph with dollar sign for S in Sanders of course. So we're sitting out in the outfield, watching and talking and it turns out the group of people sitting next to us, were from Texas - SMU folks. We get to talking and they find out we're from Connecticut, and I'm from UConn.

They get all happy, and tell all of us how great our team was in 1989, and how psyched they were to beat us, and got all happy about it. THe hair was raising on my neck, but my wife either punched me, or was kicking me and squeezing my hand, and I said nothing. Her friends - now - remember - basketball nuts, not UConn people, were agreeing - happily - yeah it was a great year for US - we did great!! I left things unsaid.

later, after we had left, I think it was final four time, or something, we were watching college basketball at a resturant/bar, and my wife's friends all get to talking about the group we had met at the baseball game, and reminiscing the 1989 uconn b-ball season (it was called the "Dream Season" up here). None of them remembered losing to SMU, or could even remember playing them, and just kind of moved on in the discussion.

I wanted to kick everybody's ass, but my wife kept me quiet. I had to make impressions. To this day, I don't think any of them really know how pissed off I was at them that day.

In the past 24 years, football has changed dramatically at UConn. I don't know if you've personally visited campus yet, but I think, when I read that you say that your son fell in love with UConn, that it's very easy to believe. As for basketball, we've become a three time national champion. We've won multiple national titles in pretty much all the sports we compete. We are no where near, YET, discussions regarding winning national titles in Football, but we're a multiple conference title winner in the last two conferences we've been in, and I'm more than sure we'll be competiting for titles in this new conference that extends into Texas now. We've lined up against the best of the best, and competed, and won. We will continue to do so.

Welcome to UConn Country.

I will see you and raise you..... I grew up with and knew all three of the Selmon brothers and handed out fliers with J.C. watts and to this day Thomas Lott is a friend of mine. I have held a heisman trophy because my step father played at OU and his brother played in the Ice Bowl with the Packers. I moved and grew up with and had several toe to toe fights with Kenneth Davis who is a friend, blocked for Dickerson and James, lost my breath from a tackle by NFL legend safety Green, and managed to get my pro style QB son through a senior season where they won the Texas State 7on7 and then returned for the season and the coach changed to a run based offense. Now, while my life is littered with great players, I was an undersized TE who could throw the ball in a day when everyone ran, my greatest athletic achievement was when I was not an athlete and I managed to hold my tongue while my son suffered through a senior season where ten throws a game was really opening the game up and the only time he was turned loose was when they fell behind. Their banquet was Saturday and I think someone said that they lost three or four games in the last minute by a total combined points of 5 points.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I will see you and raise you..... I grew up with and knew all three of the Selmon brothers and handed out fliers with J.C. watts and to this day Thomas Lott is a friend of mine. I have held a heisman trophy because my step father played at OU and his brother played in the Ice Bowl with the Packers. I moved and grew up with and had several toe to toe fights with Kenneth Davis who is a friend, blocked for Dickerson and James, lost my breath from a tackle by NFL legend safety Green, and managed to get my pro style QB son through a senior season where they won the Texas State 7on7 and then returned for the season and the coach changed to a run based offense. Now, while my life is littered with great players, I was an undersized TE who could throw the ball in a day when everyone ran, my greatest athletic achievement was when I was not an athlete and I managed to hold my tongue while my son suffered through a senior season where ten throws a game was really opening the game up and the only time he was turned loose was when they fell behind. Their banquet was Saturday and I think someone said that they lost three or four games in the last minute by a total combined points of 5 points.

LOL. I'm sure you were tasting some blood from biting your tongue.

What I like best about you so far, is your comments about recruiting back in the pre-NCAA police state, post SMU penalty days. I don't know when or in what discussion you wrote it, but it was short, and it was spot on. TImes are so much different now, than in the past, when it comes to recruiting, but then again, they aren't that much different in other ways, because football players coming out of high school, are still 18 year old numb nuts, and as parents all you can do is hope that you've done the best you can to prepare them to make good choices. FWIW, I also know a little bit about recruiting in those days.

It's still a matter of hours now, until it's official, for your son, and thousands of others players and their parents around the country, but I hope that you ahve a great experience with your son being at UCONN. I'm quite sure, that if the coaching staff has found the kid to have enough of the qualities and characteristics of what UCONN is looking for in a student and an athlete, and are confident in the awarding a full scholarship to participate on teh football team....that you have a lot to be proud about.

 

[Husky25]

Lagow is a more athletic Dan Marino, Cochran is Drew Brees and Boyle hasn't committed to UCONN yet so he is just Boyle, if he commits to UCONN he is Joe Montana.

To be fair, they just as easily compare to Dan McGuire, Todd Marinivich, and Brady Quinn.

 

[Justwinbaby]

To be fair, they just as easily compare to Dan McGuire, Todd Marinivich, and Brad Quinn.

And that is why it is important to make certain that a player ends up in a place where he can grow.

 

[Ronpatz11]

Mr Lagow,

It is early here on the west coast and I haven't had my coffee yet, so please excuse this question.

Am I reading your post correctly that Richard is going to be re-evaluating his options over the next couple weeks? We'd obviously love to have him here so I wanted to confirm. Hope I'm way off!

 

[sportsart]

Three picks were balls that went through the receivers hand and were tipped to the dback, two were end of half 70+ yard heaves, the remainder he owns trying to squeeze in a tight window. At a real 6'6" he sees everything, it is not an exaggerated. He was actually relieved after Uconn got the last commit because he felt loyalty in part because the coaches were calling and he would not talk. Now the coach that recruited him is gone, a new OC is in place, they have a QB that they obviously think can compete or they could have spent that money towards an OL position to protect the QB and perhaps not need as many, and if he wanted to he could think about other options and not feel bad if he moved on. He has an offer from Uconn, they did not tell him he could look around even when they new they had another recruit, he has not been told by other programs they did not have a place for him and so he chose Uconn by default, and he genuinely seemed relieved when he knew there was a new QB and said it made no impact on his decision towards Uconn. I told him he could hang up his cleats and not play and I would have fewer sleepless before night games and he made it very clear that was not an option. But the thing people do not realize is that for 90% of the time these rating companies were not allowed to talk to him and I screened everything and actually told one rating company to keep their reporter away from my son. He might be a little under rated, we will see. He does not need a scholarship to attend the college of his choice and now that Uconn has a QB and the dead time is here I think he is happier because, to put it in a gamblers way, he is the only one at the table who has not placed his cards on the table and he feels he is holding the winning hand.

This is the post that the previous poster is questioning and I thought the same thing.

Are you saying your son might reconsider?

 

[Jimdish255]

This is the post that the previous poster is questioning and I thought the same thing.

Are you saying your son might reconsider?

Just keep him talking on the forum for the next 48 hours and we're good.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

The most telling thing about how the fanbase feels is the reaction to Boyle's commitment. Any other year this place would have erupted to get that highly rated of a QB recruit from CT, but I think most of us have bought in to Lagow's potential so much that this is more just icing on the cake.

 

[Justwinbaby]

Just keep him talking on the forum for the next 48 hours and we're good.

Sounds like a line from a Pink Floyd song.......that probably few readers have ever heard.

He is an 18 year old. The coach that recruited him has left and the staff has offered a place to a player that did not want to be there, was rejected by a school that offered him, and committed to Uconn because he had no other opportunities. And, he did not even take an official visit to Uconn. Now, I only know bits and pieces about Richard's thought process and the fact that he committed early and chose his first visit should indicate I have stayed out of his selection process and him not talking to newly interested colleges. I will tell you that in my opinion the program acted in a manner towards it's best interest and I hope Richard now does the same. Sometimes a bird in the hand really is worth two in the bush.......especially if the one in the hand has been tried and tested. Most of the big school teams around here could beat most juco or d2 programs, it is just a different environment. I told him yesterday that if he did not want to sign or even play I was more than happy with that. It is his call, fortunately we do not need a scholarship for him to go to college.

 

[sportsart]

Sometimes bizzaro world just sneaks up on you. I'm keep the rest of my thoughts to myself until after signing day.

 

[sdhusky]

Sounds like a line from a Pink Floyd song.......that probably few readers have ever heard.

He is an 18 year old. The coach that recruited him has left and the staff has offered a place to a player that did not want to be there, was rejected by a school that offered him, and committed to Uconn because he had no other opportunities. And, he did not even take an official visit to Uconn. Now, I only know bits and pieces about Richard's thought process and the fact that he committed early and chose his first visit should indicate I have stayed out of his selection process and him not talking to newly interested colleges. I will tell you that in my opinion the program acted in a manner towards it's best interest and I hope Richard now does the same. Sometimes a bird in the hand really is worth two in the bush.......especially if the one in the hand has been tried and tested. Most of the big school teams around here could beat most juco or d2 programs, it is just a different environment. I told him yesterday that if he did not want to sign or even play I was more than happy with that. It is his call, fortunately we do not need a scholarship for him to go to college.

Nobody has been tried and tested. Everything has yet to be earned.

 

[thatguyed]

Sounds like a line from a Pink Floyd song.......that probably few readers have ever heard.

He is an 18 year old. The coach that recruited him has left and the staff has offered a place to a player that did not want to be there, was rejected by a school that offered him, and committed to Uconn because he had no other opportunities. And, he did not even take an official visit to Uconn. Now, I only know bits and pieces about Richard's thought process and the fact that he committed early and chose his first visit should indicate I have stayed out of his selection process and him not talking to newly interested colleges. I will tell you that in my opinion the program acted in a manner towards it's best interest and I hope Richard now does the same. Sometimes a bird in the hand really is worth two in the bush.......especially if the one in the hand has been tried and tested. Most of the big school teams around here could beat most juco or d2 programs, it is just a different environment. I told him yesterday that if he did not want to sign or even play I was more than happy with that. It is his call, fortunately we do not need a scholarship for him to go to college.

Mr. Lagow,

This has to be a very weird time for your family. I don't envy that. I do hope that 1)your son becomes a Husky and 2) that, whatever decision is made, it turns out to be a very good one for Richard and all involved.

 

[sdhusky]

Mr. Lagow,

This has to be a very weird time for your family. I don't envy that. I do hope that 1)your son becomes a Husky and 2) that, whatever decision is made, it turns out to be a very good one for Richard and all involved.

I second that.

 

[Justwinbaby]

Nobody has been tried and tested. Everything has yet to be earned.

You should come watch some football on a Friday night against the top team in the State in their new gorgeous 65 million dollar one school stadium with 18,000 fans and a 38 foot high def scoreboard. Then you will understand what I mean by tested. And yes, from the outside looking in it would seem bizarro.

 

[pj]

Sounds like a line from a Pink Floyd song.......that probably few readers have ever heard.

He is an 18 year old. The coach that recruited him has left and the staff has offered a place to a player that did not want to be there, was rejected by a school that offered him, and committed to Uconn because he had no other opportunities. And, he did not even take an official visit to Uconn. Now, I only know bits and pieces about Richard's thought process and the fact that he committed early and chose his first visit should indicate I have stayed out of his selection process and him not talking to newly interested colleges. I will tell you that in my opinion the program acted in a manner towards it's best interest and I hope Richard now does the same. Sometimes a bird in the hand really is worth two in the bush.......especially if the one in the hand has been tried and tested. Most of the big school teams around here could beat most juco or d2 programs, it is just a different environment. I told him yesterday that if he did not want to sign or even play I was more than happy with that. It is his call, fortunately we do not need a scholarship for him to go to college.

All I can say is I think Richard is a special talent and I want more than anything to root for him at UConn. I hope he hasn't been alienated from the coaches or school by the situation. As I've stated before I think depth at all positions is good for the program and good for the players, it's not bad for Richard to have more QBs to help his WRs/TEs/RBs catch passes. The Boyle situation was difficult for all concerned as he was a Connecticut kid from arguably the top program in the state who lost his place due to a coaching change. You know how recruiting works and the desire to keep goodwill with high school coaches, and it's hard to refuse a player when you have scholarships available and lack of depth at his position. A lot of Husky fans will be extremely disappointed if Richard goes elsewhere. Can't tell you how distressing it would be to watch him playing somewhere else.

But, regardless, even if he does go elsewhere we'll root for him. He's been a great ambassador for UConn over the last seven or so months.

 

[sportsart]

You should come watch some football on a Friday night against the top team in the State in their new gorgeous 65 million dollar one school stadium with 18,000 fans and a 38 foot high def scoreboard. Then you will understand what I mean by tested. And yes, from the outside looking in it would seem bizarro.

I lived in Dallas for a year and watched the 5A semi finals with 35k at the old Dallas stadium. I get Texas football. That is not bizzaro to me.

I guess I was surprised that you seem surprised how the recruiting process works.

Schools always look to recruit the best players and then recruit over them. Coaches change schools all the time. Nothing ever stays the same in big time college football.

As for Boyle he still had his BC offer, as far as anyone knows, but BC brought in a new HC with a different offensive philosophy so Boyle looked elsewhere. UConn was always in his top 3.

In hindsight it might not have been in your son's best interest to commit and then talk to no one else. The eggs in a basket thing.

All that being said I think your son has a big advantage over the current QB's at UConn and would have a great career here.

So much for saving my comments.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I think we need to leave this one alone until after Wednesday fellas. I've said repeatedly that I thought Lagow was clearly the best of the bunch and hope the staff doesn't FUBAR this like they've done to almost everything else. Let's see how this plays out, but I do not have a good feeling that we'll be seeing Lagow in Storrs this summer.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Sometimes bizzaro world just sneaks up on you. I'm keep the rest of my thoughts to myself until after signing day.

Recruiting sure is fun huh?

I have no reason to doubt that Mr. Lagow, is Mr. Lagow. But who knows? Crazier things have happened around here. It was a long time, before I was able to convince people that I was NOT Zach Frazer's dad. (i'm not) That said, again, I have no reason to think otherwise, except that it's an internet forum we're all participating in.

Now - will the kid be among those announced for the 2013 class wednesday night? Find out wednesday night.

The truth is that competition on the depth chart makes a program better, and having both Lagow and Boyle, on the depth chart behind Whitmer and Cochran iwould be better for the program, than having just one or the other behind them.

A parent of a recruit, that fits the profile of Mr. Lagow and a recruit that fits the profile of Lagow -at any position, for any program at any level - are most likely going to be less than thrilled with what's happened - and make no mistake, there are hundreds and hundreds of similar parents and recruits around the country right now in the same boat. Long term commitment, with a new arrival in competition showing up at the last minute.

If the fit is right, it will stick. It's that simple. It's been said that the point man on the kid's recruitment is no longer on staff. A quick check of the coaching staff, seems clear that anyone that would be directly dealing with the player on a regular basis is still on staff, and it's likely that they've all met appropriately accordingly to NCAA rules and are comfortable with each other.

I'll be surprised if Lagow is not listed on Wednesday night.

Lastly, as for the quality of the player(s), I'm going to have to go with my gut, and note that the guys that all have recent experience both coaching directly, and studying game film and devising game plans both for and against - guys like Jay Cutler, Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers......those are the guys that decided that both of these players were worthy of being recruited to UCONN.

 

[pj]

I'm still optimistic that Richard will be here. In truth UConn needs him more than probably any other major football program; there just isn't much on the roster ahead of him at his position. I hope Weist makes it clear that he's wanted and needed and can show him why his offense will be a good match for Richard. But, as fans it's out of our hands.

 

[Justwinbaby]

I lived in Dallas for a year and watched the 5A semi finals with 35k at the old Dallas stadium. I get Texas football. That is not bizzaro to me.

I guess I was surprised that you seem surprised how the recruiting process works.

Schools always look to recruit the best players and then recruit over them. Coaches change schools all the time. Nothing ever stays the same in big time college football.

As for Boyle he still had his BC offer, as far as anyone knows, but BC brought in a new HC with a different offensive philosophy so Boyle looked elsewhere. UConn was always in his top 3.

In hindsight it might not have been in your son's best interest to commit and then talk to no one else. The eggs in a basket thing.

All that being said I think your son has a big advantage over the current QB's at UConn and would have a great career here.

So much for saving my comments.

Lol, not much good at not commenting either.......obviously.
The good news for Uconn is that at least two freshmen QB's are in place (one a red shirt), so the program will be just fine. With the exception of SMU, programs go on, players only hold a seat. The good news for my son is that this is the first year for the 25 offer rule and if he wanted to he could wait and see who got left out of the QB shuffle and wanted to make a genuine investment in him. We had kind of hoped he would red shirt his first year and at 6'6" and already at 220 lbs he could start a red shirt freshman year at around 240 lbs. At the end of the day it is hard to find QB's that have the extra height and can carry that much weight with as much upside. He has already been measured at being able to throw over 70 yards (not that anyone gets that much time) and it is hoped that more muscle enables more yardage and more upside.

All that being said, wherever he signs, or if he does not play, we are prepared to back him and his choice in any manner possible. And now it is probably time to sign off for a while. You have all been very gracious, thank you.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I think we need to leave this one alone until after Wednesday fellas. I've said repeatedly that I thought Lagow was clearly the best of the bunch and hope the staff doesn't FUBAR this like they've done to almost everything else. Let's see how this plays out, but I do not have a good feeling that we'll be seeing Lagow in Storrs this summer.

Weak stomach. LOL.

 

[Srqhusky]

Lol, not much good at not commenting either.......obviously.
The good news for Uconn is that at least two freshmen QB's are in place (one a red shirt), so the program will be just fine. With the exception of SMU, programs go on, players only hold a seat. The good news for my son is that this is the first year for the 25 offer rule and if he wanted to he could wait and see who got left out of the QB shuffle and wanted to make a genuine investment in him. We had kind of hoped he would red shirt his first year and at 6'6" and already at 220 lbs he could start a red shirt freshman year at around 240 lbs. At the end of the day it is hard to find QB's that have the extra height and can carry that much weight with as much upside. He has already been measured at being able to throw over 70 yards (not that anyone gets that much time) and it is hoped that more muscle enables more yardage and more upside.

All that being said, wherever he signs, or if he does not play, we are prepared to back him and his choice in any manner possible. And now it is probably time to sign off for a while. You have all been very gracious, thank you.

Mr lagow
The good thing is in this program our coach starts who ever plays the best knows the plays and makes the fewest errors and is healthy. A few years ago a walk on was out starter because he met that criteria over scholarship players. With that being said wether we took one two or three qb this year on scholarship the best is the one going to play. Best of luck to Richard as I am a big fan o his and looking forward to big things

 

[minidarren]

This entire thing makes me somewhat sick to my stomach. Ive followed Richard on Twitter. Never tweeted to him as myself and him have very little in common with the separation in age. But the kid has been an ambassador for the UConn program for some time. I hope that the committment of Boyle does not sway his decision. He really seems to have the attitude of a leader and someone that I was looking forward to seeing come here.

 

[noeynox]

Ugh! My worst nightmare. Staff must not have been clear on this from the beginning or Weist came in with his own ideas. If its latter, I can't blame him, but like Jimmy, I like Lagow the best. Hope he still comes here.