Look, here's what I think I can say somewhat definitively when it comes to "The Coach Who Shall Not Be Named" (I don't want to be accused of getting on my knees); I think that he certainly demonstrated the ability to recruit the Maryland / Eastern-Central Pennsylvania area, even when he was here. It doesn't shock me that he is getting highly-rated in-state or DC kids to go to State U. He recruited numerous players from those areas for us for almost a decade. If I can be so bold as to credit the guy from Glen Rock, PA, with the recruitment of players in the aforementioned areas, here are some notables that he got to come to UConn (either good UConn careers or somewhat highly rated recruits):
2002
Terry Caulley (Lusby, MD)
MJ Estep (Mechanicsville, MD)
Ernest Cole (Hyattsville, MD)
2003
Afa Anoai (Bethlehem, PA)
Brandon Dillon (Pittston, PA)
Danny Lansanah (Harrisburg, PA)
Gary Mack (Kingston, PA)
Harold Stanback (Forestville, MD)
2004
Will Beatty (York, PA)
2005
Joe Akers (Parkton, MD)
2006
Robert McClain (Lusby, MD)
Alex Polito (Reading, PA)
Gary Bardzak (Pottsville, PA)
Robbie Frey (Lehighton, PA)
Mike Ryan (Tamaqua, PA)
2007
Jerome Junior (Baltimore, MD)
Adam Masters (Bethesda, MD)
2009
Chad Christen (Lewisberry, PA)
2010
Jonathan Louis (Kingston, PA)
Notice that I am not going to assign him credit for western PA recruits, although....whatever (Endres, Kanuch, Ty-meer Brown, etc.). I'm also not going to assign him anyone in Jersey, even if it was southern Jersey. But let's give credit where I think credit is due. I think the guy understands that area, and I don't think anyone should be shocked that he is getting those kids. Let's hope PP grabs the bigger and better recruits, and let's hope that PP kicks his this year and puts his job in jeopardy. How's that for "getting on your knees"...
That's all well and good, but none of those guys were as highly recruited as these guys that Maryland has landed. Not even close.
Stefon Diggs had offers from everybody. He's a top 10 recruit nationally.
Derwin Gray is a top 100 recruit who had offers from Florida, FSU, Penn State, Auburn, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson, Nebraska, and Tennessee, among others.
Yannick Ngakoue had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a top 250 recruit.
Wes Brown had offers from Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others. He was a top 250 recruit as well.
The guys you named didn't have offers that were even close to those. A majority of those guys you named were two stars. Jimmy Bennett was probably the most highly recruited guy that Edsall ever landed at UConn as a 5.7 3 star. He had a few very good offers.
When Locksley was at Illinois, they signed 19 four stars and 3 5 stars in the four years that he was there. Yes, Ron Zook has shown to be a good recruiter as well, but Locksley is known as being one of the best in the game.
In one year with Edsall, they didn't land a single four star or higher from that area and then in the six months that Locksley is on the job they have landed 4 of them. And that is coming off of a disastrous 2-10 season with a litany of bad press.
