Rate the 2018 UConn Early Signing Class

[AndOne]

According to Rivals, the RE2.0/Diaco 2017 class was ranked 10th. Last year was ranked 11th. So far this class is ranked 12th. How does Tulsa and ECU have better recruits? Those schools are awful.

 

[JMick]

So far our ceiling isn’t good enough to win games or stop anyone at all. We need a huge upgrade just to be competitive. True, one step at a time, but the World has changed since sleepy Storrs in the 1990’s, even Storrs has dramatically changed.

I dont disagree that we need better players. It's clear that talent is a huge issue. It's just reality that we aren't going to get many plug and play guys. Randy wants kids he can mold, but we don't have 5 (now 3) years. CFB is very much a "what have you done for me lately" business. I wish he would have went for more JUCO guys and transfers in year one to bridge the gap. Instead he dropped the kids out of an airplane and asked them to learn how to parachute.

 

[noeynox]

Check out @CoachDShack’s Tweet:

 

[Dove]

Reminds me of when I was dating. I had to think there was something wrong with any girl who actually wanted to go out with me.

They settled.

 

[Chief00]

I dont disagree that we need better players. It's clear that talent is a huge issue. It's just reality that we aren't going to get many plug and play guys. Randy wants kids he can mold, but we don't have 5 (now 3) years. CFB is very much a "what have you done for me lately" business. I wish he would have went for more JUCO guys and transfers in year one to bridge the gap. Instead he dropped the kids out of an airplane and asked them to learn how to parachute.

I wonder what the average recruiting rankings were of the teams in this year’s Championship playoffs? True, not a perfect science but Chief thinks there’s a correlation. Yes, Randy may find some diamonds in the rough but we are actually in a pretty good football conference and that’s not going to cut it. It’s not the OBE anymore, we are competing with Southern schools from great recruiting areas with EZ/Pass admissions with a smooth path to handing a football player a piece of paper in 5 years, regardless of any academic curiousity or achievement.
#ChiefKeepingItReal

 

[uconndogs]

Check out @CoachDShack’s Tweet:

Wisdom!

 

[huskymedic]

I wonder what the average recruiting rankings were of the teams in this year’s Championship playoffs? True, not a perfect science but Chief thinks there’s a correlation. Yes, Randy may fine some diamonds in the rough but we are actually in a pretty good football conference and that’s not going to cut it. It’s not the OBE anymore, we are competing with Southern schools from great recruiting areas with EZ/Pass admissions with a smooth path to handing a football player a piece of paper in 5 years, regardless of any academic curiousity or achievement.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say... Is it perennial premier college football programs that recruit and get to commit multiple 5 and 4 star players each year end up being very good?

Here's where this year's Final Four recruited from:

 

[Bobol]

...... going by 247, we have 6 3 star players out of 11. That's a start to return to respectability.

On the other hand Rivals reports that we had 12 commits with ratings breaking down as follows:
3 three stars
6 two stars
3 zero stars.

Not good to have as many zero stars and three stars.

 

[huskymedic]

On the other hand Rivals reports that we had 12 commits with ratings breaking down as follows:
3 three stars
6 two stars
3 zero stars.

Not good to have as many zero stars and three stars.

But if you use the average rating for the current UConn commits on Rivals (2.08) and sort by that number -- UConn jumps into the top 100 (actually high 80's I believe). The rating algorithms for each site is a bit different. Once you get past a certain point - I'm not sure there is significant difference in teams once you take all the variables into consideration.

 

[Chief00]

I'm not sure what you are trying to say... Is it perennial premier college football programs that recruit and get to commit multiple 5 and 4 star players each year end up being very good?

Here's where this year's Final Four recruited from:

Correct, teams that are able to recruit 4 and 5 star players generally are higher ranked. Chief knows that’s stating the obvious but I say that because sometimes Chief thinks we romanticize too much about these diamonds in the rough players given the technology svailable now.
Huskymedic thanks for that map - Texas is really impressive with 83, but it also has a large population. Louisiana isn’t the hotbed it once was (23). Katrina displaced a lot of players to the Houston area. South Carolina (61) is extremely well represented given the population as is Alabama (64).
Surprisingly, GA (47), and OK (46) almost have as many players as populated FL (50).

 

[huskymedic]

Correct, teams that are able to recruit 4 and 5 star players generally are higher ranked. Chief knows that’s stating the obvious but I say that because sometimes Chief thinks we romanticize too much about these diamonds in the rough players given the technology svailable now.

Huskymedic thanks for that map - Texas is really impressive with 83, but it also has a large population. Louisiana isn’t the hotbed it once was (23). Katrina displaced a lot of players to the Houston area. South Carolina (61) is extremely well represented given the population as is Alabama (64). Surprisingly, GA (47), and OK (46) almost have as many players as populated FL (50).

UConn has been rutting about South Carolina this year more than I can remember than in previous years.

Here's another view (and to your point about romanticizing about diamonds in the rough players - there is an equal quixotic fantasy w/ UConn being able to get 4 and 5 star players to commit here - we just need to do continually better attracting mid to high 3 stars players because they are more likely to get on campus and in the door).

 

[Chief00]

UConn has been rutting about South Carolina this year more than I can remember than previous years.

Here's another view (and to your point about romanticizing about diamonds in the rough players - there is an equal quixotic fantasy w/ the UConn being able to get 4 and 5 star players to commit here - we just need to do continually better attracting mid to high 3 stars players because they are more likely to get on campus and in the door).

Agree, if we work effectively, 3 star recruits would be pleasing. I brought up the 4 and 5 stars to prove In rankings there’s a rough directional correlation to winning. Not an Earth shattering insight but worth saying.

 

[RSTuthill]

Agree, if we work effectively, 3 star recruits would be pleasing. I brought up the 4 and 5 stars to prove In rankings there’s a rough directional correlation to winning. Not an Earth shattering insight but worth saying.

YOU brought up the 4 and 5 stars recruits? I thought Chieff00 brought them up. No?

 

[Chief00]

YOU brought up the 4 and 5 stars recruits? I thought Chieff00 brought them up. No?

Every coach, at some point, must make a decision about a player, is the cost/benefit calculation there to justify putting more time in to coach up OR have you reached diminishing returns and make the decision the coaching is better directed toward someone else, who can absorb it more productively and get better. The same holds true with Chief coaching up certain posters.

 

[BlueDogs]

My only issue with this “can’t find hidden diamonds” anymore is summed up as follows: Tyler Matakevich (Trumbull, Ct. 6-1 235)...

If you think it’s tough to recruit at UConn, imagine at Temple. Here’s a kid who would have given his left nut to play at UConn, but we were too good for him.

 

[Redding Husky]

Yeah, I've really enjoyed the emails so far but I had the same takeaway. @huskymedic's rolling offer list proves that it's not for lack of trying, but more a result of 8 years of garbage football. Start to turn things around on the field and the recruiting classes will look better.

That's a 'chicken or the egg' conundrum, and it's virtually unsolvable.

You can't recruit better until you play better.

You can't play better until you recruit better.

This is our hellish status in 2018.

 

[uconndogs]

I don’t think these recruiting rankings mean much once you get past the top 30 or so programs. You can become a top 40-50 program by recruiting smart and doing a good job with development. I’m absolutely convinced the recruiting sites gear they’re evaluations to the programs recruiting kids. While that tells you something, it’s far from fool proof. The sites don’t get an accurate read on actual offers and they have limited skills to assess talent.

Years ago Dallas Jackson from TOS was a classic example of the limitations those sites have.

 

[06029]

I think the top 3 in this classs are better than the top 3 last year based solely on what the posted films looked like at the time of signing. The rest are comparable to last year. This is also a thin haul for the early period. I would have hoped for 15+. Even with the non-announced letters, it is still thin.

I hope the majority of these players get the full year to redshirt.

 

[uconndogs]

I think the top 3 in this classs are better than the top 3 last year based solely on what the posted films looked like at the time of signing. The rest are comparable to last year. This is also a thin haul for the early period. I would have hoped for 15+. Even with the non-announced letters, it is still thin.

I hope the majority of these players get the full year to redshirt.

The redshirt point is a very good one. Sustained success for a program like UCONN requires that we get fast kids that need time to physically mature.

 

[UConnRock]

The redshirt point is a very good one. Sustained success for a program like UCONN requires that we get fast kids that need time to physically mature.

That concept was the start of the Diaco downfall. He thought his recruits were better and ready for action as freshmen and burned redshirts too quickly. He was treating UConn recruits like Notre Dame 4 & 5 stars. The 4 game redshirt rule is a difference maker for teams like UConn. This is also where grad transfers can make a tremendous difference. They fill a spot that saves a year of eligibility for a freshman

 

[huskysupporter]

My only issue with this “can’t find hidden diamonds” anymore is summed up as follows: Tyler Matakevich (Trumbull, Ct. 6-1 235)...

If you think it’s tough to recruit at UConn, imagine at Temple. Here’s a kid who would have given his left nut to play at UConn, but we were too good for him.

I always thought it was a grades issue with Tyler.

 

[uconnfan68]

You know Oregon football used to suck? You are quite the pessimist.

Pre-Phil Knight. Who’s our sugar daddy?

 

[weyuo]

They are still ranked dead last in the AAC and in the 130's nation wide. That is not good at all. Unless over half the commits so far are diamonds in the rough(which we won't see for at least two seasons anyways) UConn isn't even treading water. Ranked around #6 in the conference would be treading water.

The last thing the team needs right now is yet another coaching upheaval. What did Edsall or the AD expect Crocker and the other coaches do with a team full of freshmen and sophomores? So now that a lot of those freshmen have a season under their belt they are asked to start all over again with new strength and conditioning and a different defensive scheme. All I can say is the new crew better be damn good recruiters.

 

[Caronimo]

This poll was voted on by homers with blind folds on. This was not a good recruiting class. Horrible and a step backwards.

 

[JMick]

This poll was voted on by homers with blind folds on. This was not a good recruiting class. Horrible and a step backwards.

There is no way in hell that this class is a step backwards compared to last year.

 

[Caronimo]

There is no way in hell that this class is a step backwards compared to last year.

Not last year (coaching change) but I believe the question was the last decade. This is one of our worst classes.

 

[JMick]

Not last year (coaching change) but I believe the question was the last decade. This is one of our worst classes.

Where did you get that idea?

It's also not one of our worst classes. Moore, Bell and Harris alone are talented guys who will push for playing time. Bell and Harris will probably start

 

[huskymedic]

Not last year (coaching change) but I believe the question was the last decade. This is one of our worst classes.

Last year was Edsall (and staff's) first full recruiting class - the coaching change class was the year before (2017)...

 

[Exit 4]

Can't see how this class isnt already better than anything going back to 2013 and we have at least seven more slots to fill, maybe as many as 10.

 

[Adios]

Not last year (coaching change) but I believe the question was the last decade. This is one of our worst classes.

We're getting more 3 stars than when we were getting started in the Big East. What's wrong with some of you?