Incoming...

[BlueMAB]

Nope. Wasn’t making that assumption at all. I’m just merely saying that there’s more to offers than meets the eye.
I will stand by my belief that after watching the tape of our skill kids they all have the potential to develop into really solid players. Will it happen? Time will tell.
But I see the potential.
There are some tapes that I watch and I say the kid flat out sucks. I’m sure you’ve seen a film or two like that. Can you say that about any of our guys? Cause believe me, there’s some terrible film out there

You want to make that argument based on your film review fine. Since I have no idea who you are, I'm going trust the logical assumption that these kids didn't appear on Randy Edsall's radar....and nobody else's. And I stand by my belief that while Edsall will turn some of them into decent players, if we don't start landing recruits that other programs we compete with are after, then we aren't going to start winning more than we lose.

But you made the argument that our class is littered with P5 athletes who simply didn't have the right connections.

That's as silly now as it was when you said it.

Even if their coaches couldn't get Penn State to pick up the phone, fine; they apparently couldn't get in touch with anyone from Tulane, SMU, ECU, Temple, Memphis, Tulsa...

 

[BlueMAB]

But the ones that only have this UConn offer will most likely run through a wall for RE.

a) Some of these kids have other offers. The offers just aren't at our level of competition, so they had choices to make.
b) I like our chances against a wall. We've seen how we do against bigger, stronger, faster, better football players also willing to run through a wall for their coach.

 

[Hornet22]

You want to make that argument based on your film review fine. But you made the argument that our class is littered with P5 athletes who simply didn't have the right connections.

That's as silly now as it was when you said it.

Even if their coaches couldn't get Penn State to pick up the phone, fine; they apparently couldn't get in touch with anyone from Tulane, SMU, ECU, Temple, Memphis, Tulsa...

All I’ve ever said is the guys I see that we’ve signed have speed, length, size and skill. What makes a player P5 is not the film. It’s the school they signed at. Our friend Nico he’s a P5 player but lots will argue that he’s lacking some of the P5 traits. But it doesn’t matter because he’s at Iowa. And God bless him.
So....Maurisseau (sp). He’s faster than Nico for sure and consistently got open on his film. He showed very adequate talent. Track speed. I would say he’s more explosive of an athlete than Nico. But, he’s going to a G5 school.
There’s so much that goes into why a guy gets offered, what the team was looking for and who that player was connected to. That’s why I don’t look at the offer sheet. I simply watch whatever film I can see and make my determination there.
Edsall evaluated Nico and didn’t offer. Iowa did.
So either Edsall is a clown or it’s just not an exact science as to why kids get offered and why they don’t.

 

[Hornet22]

a) Some of these kids have other offers. The offers just aren't at our level of competition, so they had choices to make.
b) I like our chances against a wall. We've seen how we do against bigger, stronger, faster, better football players also willing to run through a wall for their coach.

First thing you need to do is match size and athleticism. We haven’t had that. I believe that’s is changing because clearly RE is recruiting body types by position. Then when you meet a team with similar size and skill and desire to play hard for coach, that’s when you have a game and the X’s and O’s and fans come into play.
But the past years UConn lost the game before the X’s and O’s even came into play.
We need to get even physically and athletically.
Again I ask, when you watch the film of the incoming class, do you see athleticism and good body type?

 

[BlueMAB]

I simply watch whatever film I can see and make my determination there.
Edsall evaluated Nico and didn’t offer. Iowa did.
So either Edsall is a clown or it’s just not an exact science as to why kids get offered and why they don’t.

There's more that goes into offers than film, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that right?

It's possible that UConn reached out, and Nico said he wasn't at all interested in even talking to UConn. It's possible Edsall found something he didn't like in his transcript. In his test scores. Or something he heard from someone around the kid. Like you said, it's not an exact science, and it's certainly not just film.

How many other P5 programs offered Nico? Was it the 20+ you projected for Rudolph?

Nevermind, don't answer.

 

[BlueMAB]

First thing you need to do is match size and athleticism. We haven’t had that. I believe that’s is changing because clearly RE is recruiting boy types by position. Then when you meet a team with similar size and skill and desire to play hard for coach, that’s when you have a game and the X’s and O’s and fans come into play.
But the past years UConn lost the game before the X’s and O’s even came into play.
We need to get even physically and athletically.
Again I ask, when you watch the film of the incoming class, do you see athleticism and good body type?

It doesn't matter what I see. It doesn't matter what you see.

Just like it doesn't matter to Edsall what Iowa saw. Right?

We both agree that we need to get stronger and faster. I hope we're doing that.

 

[Excalibur]

The DBs in the field this season clock fine.

No, they really don’t.

 

[Hornet22]

Fair point. It could have been any of those things.

Seems that Nico was quiet about his Iowa offer. Seems like it happened all in the same day where they offered and he committed so other schools probably didn’t get a chance to do the whole “he just got offered so he must be good so let’s offer” kinda of thing.
If he publicized it and waited until the Feb signing period I surmise he would have gotten others.

My opinion of course.

 

[Hornet22]

It doesn't matter what I see. It doesn't matter what you see.

Just like it doesn't matter to Edsall what Iowa saw. Right?

We both agree that we need to get stronger and faster. I hope we're doing that.

Well yes, it doesn’t matter I guess because we’re not the ones making the decisions. But it’s not hard to see the athleticism of this incoming group and who signed them.

 

[kris1]

 

[huskymedic]

Randy must have been reading the BY

 

[Hornet22]

Randy must have been reading the BY

Lol.
Love it!

 

[Hornet22]

Is why I keep saying if you locate players with proper body type, athleticism and willingness to be coached- add to that a staff that can teach and relate to players, you can create a winning team.
I’m not naïve to think you can do that with 4 ft tall QB’s, 6 ft lineman, 5’8” DB’s and LB’s.

The change is coming. We will be competitive next season and eventually start winning our fair share of games.
Those early signees, as Edsall said in his PC, should have received their UConn workout packets and I presume are hitting it hard now. So by the time they report in June they will already be on the ground running. Which will leave more time to actually teach scheme.

 

[blue93]

Is why I keep saying if you locate players with proper body type, athleticism and willingness to be coached- add to that a staff that can teach and relate to players, you can create a winning team.

Bob Diaco said that too. That's why some of us are concerned.

 

[JMick]

Bob Diaco said that too. That's why some of us are concerned.

Diaco also recruited a team slower than some high schools so I wouldn't really put too much weight behind his words

 

[blue93]

Diaco also recruited a team slower than some high schools so I wouldn't really put too much weight behind his words

Don't get me wrong, I'm much more confident in Edsall & co to develop the guys they're bringing in. They will be able to work with the speed.

With that being said, guys with no other offers have no other offers for a reason, more times than not. Only time will tell.

 

[JMick]

Don't get me wrong, I'm much more confident in Edsall & co to develop the guys they're bringing in. They will be able to work with the speed.

With that being said, guys with no other offers have no other offers for a reason, more times than not. Only time will tell.

I trust Edsalls evaluation of potential and athleticism. Whether or not that ends up translating to a productive football player is a different story.

 

[Hornet22]

Bob Diaco said that too. That's why some of us are concerned.

Got it
But Edsall isn’t Diaco.
Edsall has been there and done that.
Not sure why you guys aren’t accounting for that.
At least believe in his past and his perspective.

 

[BlueMAB]

Because Edsall was still a .500 coach. Yes he won the conference twice, but never outright. Yes we were routinely bowling, but we were able to recruit a higher baseline athlete due to the conference affiliation, and this time around there are more teams in the conference, and it's arguably deeper than the Big East was.

There's no inconsistency in saying I trust Edsall to do a better job developing players nobody else thought they could but we'll still have an easier path to winning with recruits that more coaches at our level think they too, can win with.

 

[The Viking]

Edsall and Diaco are not recruiting the same type of players. Edsall got ripped nationally from pulling a scholly from a Diaco kid because he wasn't a good enough athlete. But Edsall did what he had to do, kept his mouth shut and took the hit for the betterment of the program.

 

[Hornet22]

Because Edsall was still a .500 coach. Yes he won the conference twice, but never outright. Yes we were routinely bowling, but we were able to recruit a higher baseline athlete due to the conference affiliation, and this time around there are more teams in the conference, and it's arguably deeper than the Big East was.

There's no inconsistency in saying I trust Edsall to do a better job developing players nobody else thought they could but we'll still have an easier path to winning with recruits that more coaches at our level think they too, can win with.

I can see the point as you put it that way.
Just hate the thought that we’re doomed before the rebuild even started.
At the center of all this are kids who are coming to this great university to work their tails off and try and give us something to look forward to on Saturdays. I’m happy for them and will cheer on their efforts sans negativity. Because you know why? Because they are going to be the ones sacrificing life and limb, pouring out their blood sweat and tears and if they’re unsuccessful I can imagine it will hurt them a heck of a lot more than me.
Again, I played sport at a competitive level and we didn’t do a whole lot of winning and I know how hard we prepared and what we sacrificed to try and win for ourselves and also for the fans. And it hurt whenever we lost. But it felt damn good the games that we won.
I respect that and will always try and be careful to not be too hard on kids just trying to live out their dreams.
May sound sappy to you but that’s me.
I’m much more harsh on professional teams for obvious reasons.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Because Edsall was still a .500 coach.

Acknowledging Edsall's first few UConn seasons with 1-AA recruits, a smaller 1-AA roster (#s and size alike), literally operating "out of trailers" , transitioning to bigger, faster, and deeper 1-A opposition, etc. and last season's Disastro challenges, perhaps his overall .500ish Huskies' record is worthy of some benefit of the doubt. Similar Disastro challenges will remain this upcoming season, but that benefit of the doubt will certainly go out-the-window as HCRE & company recruit, enhance, and coach their own recruits for a few years.