Recruit Signing

[gioff23]

According to the recruiting sites - all of them - our recruiting under P has improved, a lot. None of that matters if we don't start producing on the field. But for someone to criticize the recruiting side sitting from their armchair while eating mac-n-cheese with the "paper" results we have seen over the past 2 years is just so silly.

None of us knows why we have no recruits. I understand the defensive mode the board is in and how it looks everywhere for a glimmer of hope, but there could be one simple answer. If you are local and you want an offer, come in for an in-person review (i.e., camp) - we will make offers to southern kids who cant get to camp based on what we see from them in the spring, but if you are a NE kid, show some interest in us and we'll show some interest in you. Yes, there was a CT RB begging for an offer, but there was no way he was accepting it. He didn't pick BC b/c they offered early; he was NOT picking UConn (and the staff knew it). BTW, he will not end up on Chestnut Hill come LOI day.

I'm frustrated by seeing the results we saw on the field for 2 years, but I clearly am ata loss to understand the shots at the recuriting results we have seen.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I wrote that my thoughts and possibility could just be me being crazy. You guys are like flies on .

My thought process isactually more logical thanwhatever thought process could lead to coming to an internet board as a fan of a program, and pissing all over the recruitment of a an actual student athlete to this program, when the information available about the real people, actually involved in the recruitment is completely contrary.

People call me crazy around here. You guys that all wound up about recruiting right now, wouldn't know crazy if Charles Manson was eating froot loops on your front porch.

I think you all need to go out and focus some energy on getting laid. it's summertime in the northeast, it's only a short window of time when the ladies are out in bikinis around here. WHich reminds me - what the hell am I doing typing on here.

have a nice day all, sun will be back out soon.

 

[gioff23]

Carl, if the staff could have kept Ogundeko, who else who have followed? The staff should be drawn and quarter if they think that getting a jr day commit who is a freaking stud is bad for business. It sucks that he opened it back up, but man what might have been if he stuck, and others took a look at UConn, and said, "whoa, there's excitement there. I want in." That's what we need. Oh, and clock management.

The mindset has to change. Look how quickly kentucky is doing it.

probably the same guys who followed him to ND, Cuse, Ole Miss, Florida, AZ State Clemson.

 

[pj]

This thread reminds of that ESPN commercial that I thought was funny:

"It's June and P doesn't have any recruits yet"

"Is that bad?"

"It's not good!"

Eventually the great recruiters will figure it out.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

According to the recruiting sites - all of them - our recruiting under P has improved, a lot.

Honest question......what do you use to validate this? Because I'm bored on lunch, I looked up the last 10 class rankings on Scout. And there is not this unquestioned improvement in recruiting that I keep hearing about. I'll be honest I don't judge classes until they are 3 years removed from signing the letter, so maybe that's it. But most of P's recruits have yet to see significant playing time. Here's what I found according to Scout in terms of our class ranking:

2013 - 60th
2012 - 65th
2011 - 81st
2010 - 69th
2009 - 76th
2008 - 70th
2007 - 53rd
2006 - 66th
2005 - 59th
2004 - 79th
2003 - 82nd

P only really is responsible for the last 2 years. How is that unquestionably an improvement in recruiting?

 

[Dann]

Honest question......what do you use to validate this? Because I'm bored on lunch, I looked up the last 10 class rankings on Scout. And there is not this unquestioned improvement in recruiting that I keep hearing about. I'll be honest I don't judge classes until they are 3 years removed from signing the letter, so maybe that's it. But most of P's recruits have yet to see significant playing time. Here's what I found according to Scout in terms of our class ranking:

2013 - 60th
2012 - 65th
2011 - 81st
2010 - 69th
2009 - 76th
2008 - 70th
2007 - 53rd
2006 - 66th
2005 - 59th
2004 - 79th
2003 - 82nd

P only really is responsible for the last 2 years. How is that unquestionably an improvement in recruiting?

-the spread of offers has been better then the past. not a huge difference but both years it got better
-the high schools we got commits from were more known for prospects then in the past, we had better connections in power hs's for sure
-ct recruiting was getting way better.
-the stars were not rising much, but the bottom half of classes we used to have a lot of unraked or 2* kids and those were turning into 2/3* mixed rankings with profiles at least filled out.
-there was a uptick in progress. it was a combo of several things. uconns rise in academics, being 10 years old aka playing football when these kids were middle school and older and the bcs bump. there was a combo that bumped us a bit but back to back seasons and p's 90's style have killed that momentum.

 

[whaler11]

Honest question......what do you use to validate this? Because I'm bored on lunch, I looked up the last 10 class rankings on Scout. And there is not this unquestioned improvement in recruiting that I keep hearing about. I'll be honest I don't judge classes until they are 3 years removed from signing the letter, so maybe that's it. But most of P's recruits have yet to see significant playing time. Here's what I found according to Scout in terms of our class ranking:

2013 - 60th
2012 - 65th
2011 - 81st
2010 - 69th
2009 - 76th
2008 - 70th
2007 - 53rd
2006 - 66th
2005 - 59th
2004 - 79th
2003 - 82nd

P only really is responsible for the last 2 years. How is that unquestionably an improvement in recruiting?

Especially since the Edsall classes well outperformed those rankings - why would we put any stock in the numbers?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

-the spread of offers has been better then the past. not a huge difference but both years it got better
-the high schools we got commits from were more known for prospects then in the past, we had better connections in power hs's for sure
-ct recruiting was getting way better.
-the stars were not rising much, but the bottom half of classes we used to have a lot of unraked or 2* kids and those were turning into 2/3* mixed rankings with profiles at least filled out.
-there was a uptick in progress. it was a combo of several things. uconns rise in academics, being 10 years old aka playing football when these kids were middle school and older and the bcs bump. there was a combo that bumped us a bit but back to back seasons and p's 90's style have killed that momentum.

So in other words, it's all subjective. Like when Spackler says that we have a "different level of player" coming to camp at UConn.

 

[whaler11]

So in other words, it's all subjective. Like when Spackler says that we have a "different level of player" coming to camp at UConn.

Too bad we don't have a camp league they could join.

 

[Dann]

So in other words, it's all subjective. Like when Spackler says that we have a "different level of player" coming to camp at UConn.

u want my 2 cents on that?
half of the camps are more group/team/7v7 type gigs so the different level player is not really true. where carl gets that opinion is that P has gotten more good prospects to camp then edsall did. the reason for that is P is telling these kids to come and earn a offer vs most coaches handing out offers if they already know they are d1 talents. P also seems to be doing more team/group camp then RE did so the argument is pure larger numbers to some extent.

one of the things i have argued for is this camps wise:
1) individual camp day @ uconn
2) team camp day @uconn
3) 7v7 camp day @ uconn(if thats not involved with #2)
4) boston camp @ razor-get together with bc, umass, and all other smaller new england schools and hold a huge camp at the razor. every level bcs to d3. make it a boston weekend of camps
5)nyc camp. something has to be done. i don't know if thats doing one in stamford, at iona, at hofstra or something in the city more. im not sure what, but something more....

 

[huskymedic]

we have 2 ct rbs begging for offers who both have bcs offers from elsewhere.

Who are you putting in your category of "begging for offers" - I assume Phillips and ?

 

[Dann]

Who are you putting in your category of "begging for offers" - I assume Phillips and ?

cooper
phillips
dintino
ruther
holmes(speculation is we did offer recently after rutgers and another did...heard bc maybe)
torey
marchi(we offered only after temple did)

off the top of my head

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

No Edsall gets credit for what Edsall did. P will get credit or blame when we see how his players turn out.

So you're saying coaches have no say in player development? You just recruit them and they turn out however? Coaching is nothing but X's and O's?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Honest question......what do you use to validate this? Because I'm bored on lunch, I looked up the last 10 class rankings on Scout. And there is not this unquestioned improvement in recruiting that I keep hearing about. I'll be honest I don't judge classes until they are 3 years removed from signing the letter, so maybe that's it. But most of P's recruits have yet to see significant playing time. Here's what I found according to Scout in terms of our class ranking:

2013 - 60th
2012 - 65th
2011 - 81st
2010 - 69th
2009 - 76th
2008 - 70th
2007 - 53rd
2006 - 66th
2005 - 59th
2004 - 79th
2003 - 82nd

P only really is responsible for the last 2 years. How is that unquestionably an improvement in recruiting?

Jimmy,
in 2007 we had 6 recruits at 3 stars or better at Scout , in 2013 we had 12 i'm guessing yet the overall rank was lower.

 

[gioff23]

Honest question......what do you use to validate this? Because I'm bored on lunch, I looked up the last 10 class rankings on Scout. And there is not this unquestioned improvement in recruiting that I keep hearing about. I'll be honest I don't judge classes until they are 3 years removed from signing the letter, so maybe that's it. But most of P's recruits have yet to see significant playing time. Here's what I found according to Scout in terms of our class ranking:

2013 - 60th
2012 - 65th
2011 - 81st
2010 - 69th
2009 - 76th
2008 - 70th
2007 - 53rd
2006 - 66th
2005 - 59th
2004 - 79th
2003 - 82nd

P only really is responsible for the last 2 years. How is that unquestionably an improvement in recruiting?

My point was as to quality of class based on individual rankings of kids in class. Since you seem to like history, here is a list (source: Rivals) of how many kids we recruited above 2 stars, which is ranking any kid gets w/a FBS offer (i.e., equivalent to score you get for signing your SAT).

2013 - 12
2012 - 9
2011 - 8
2010 - 9
2009 - 4
2008 - 3
2007 - 5

And i would go so far as to giving P credit for holding 11 class together. To me, that is progress/improvement. One smarter than me can argue it smacks of star inflation. The irony was that RE either could not recruit or coach kids rated above 2 stars. He could make a 2 star a 4 star, but rarely got a 3 star to 4 star level and watched is 4 stars fall to 1 star level.

I liked what RE did on Saturdays but I will admit to liking more what P is doing on paper to build a program. Again, if I had to choose, give me the lowest rated class and a bowl bid. I see progress on the recruiting trail. I don't lose sleep that we have ZERO "commitments" 27 months before any of them will see the field.

 

[gioff23]

.... and I agree 100% with you - I prefer to judge classes after the fact.

 

[whaler11]

So you're saying coaches have no say in player development? You just recruit them and they turn out however? Coaching is nothing but X's and O's?

No I'm saying that these specific players were developed more by Edsall's staff than P's. They were all good players before P and co showed up on campus.

For example you may remember how much the contributed to a team that won the conference as underclassmen. They were already established and were all clearly very good players.

 

[gioff23]

cooper
phillips
dintino
ruther
holmes(speculation is we did offer recently after rutgers and another did...heard bc maybe)
torey
marchi(we offered only after temple did)

off the top of my head

But Dan you believe Outlow was begging for an offer, and yet there was NO way he was signing to play here. Let's be honest, watching film of guys playing CT HS football may not be the best gauge of talent. Each year this state produces a handful of talent, so every week any guy you have listed is lining up against kids who have no shot at playing D1 ball, even FCS. In other words, they bettter frigging dominate here. I have no problem wanting to make in person assessments of local talent. And if any of these so called "beggars" does not immediately commit when they get an offer (and some haven't), what is the definition of begging - begging to get 1st offer?

 

[gioff23]

No I'm saying that these specific players were developed more by Edsall's staff than P's. They were all good players before P and co showed up on campus.

For example you may remember how much the contributed to a team that won the conference as underclassmen. They were already established and were all clearly very good players.

You just want to believe that b/c you hate P. But the 4 guys drafted don't say that, and there is no way you can argue they were all top 125 guys 2 years ago. They might have been had RE stayed, but giving him more credit than P is odd. My goodness, RE was yelling at Sio after his dominating performance against WVU. I was a big fan of RE and took a lot of grief for it. But I am NOT giving him credit for getting guys thru their soph year.

 

[rich1122]

I'll just say this about recruiting and PP. The kids that we have signed have certainly garnered more interest than in the Edsall days. We have actually won battles that we would have never even attempted under Edsall. Kids have had multiple offers and we beat out 2 or 3 quality schools. Somebody probably said it best" our bottom half of recruiting is probably where we made the most progress. Rarely do we see the 2 star no offers. We also were very adept at picking up transfers ETC.

How does this translate on the field - we will see against MD.. It's P's big year.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Jimmy,
in 2007 we had 6 recruits at 3 stars or better at Scout , in 2013 we had 12 i'm guessing yet the overall rank was lower.

Yeah. Yet in 2007 we had the 53rd rated class and in 2013 we had the 60th rated class. You almost made the case why we shouldn't put too much stock into these sites.

In 2007 these sites were just starting to take off. Kids would get bumps to drive subscriptions. That is the real story behind the star inflation.

 

[Dann]

But Dan you believe Outlow was begging for an offer, and yet there was NO way he was signing to play here. Let's be honest, watching film of guys playing CT HS football may not be the best gauge of talent. Each year this state produces a handful of talent, so every week any guy you have listed is lining up against kids who have no shot at playing D1 ball, even FCS. In other words, they bettter frigging dominate here. I have no problem wanting to make in person assessments of local talent. And if any of these so called "beggars" does not immediately commit when they get an offer (and some haven't), what is the definition of begging - begging to get 1st offer?

my definition of begging for a offer is kids that are local who deserve a offer and to be recruited earlier then others because they are local.

when outlow runs over defenses for 2 season down the street from your campus and you only offer because bc and 5 others did already and he was deciding in 2 weeks thats extremely weak recruiting wise/strategy wise.

marchi is known. he worked out at uconn a lot. i posted a vid a while back of him at uconn for example. coaches kept telling him camp for the offer. all of a sudden temple discovers him and offers. in a blush and rush uconn then offers him a week before he camps. do u realize how silly that looks saving face? hopefully the kid loves uconn enough it doesnt effect his impression of the school being a local but my god that is a awful strategy and then worse blinking when the fire got warm.

we are stringing dintino along. when cuse or some 1 decides they want a center and offer, just watch the fireworks.

cooper has small offers and a old bc one im not sure if its still good or not

phillips has bcs offers

ruther is a tommy hopkins of this year

holmes got a rutgers offer and maybe another bcs one. all of a sudden we just offer 2 weeks ago(supposedly)

love the strategy. what is it again? can u explain it to me?

 

[huskymedic]

my definition of begging for a offer is kids that are local who deserve a offer and to be recruited earlier then others because they are local.

when outlow runs over defenses for 2 season down the street from your campus and you only offer because bc and 5 others did already and he was deciding in 2 weeks thats extremely weak recruiting wise/strategy wise.

marchi is known. he worked out at uconn a lot. i posted a vid a while back of him at uconn for example. coaches kept telling him camp for the offer. all of a sudden temple discovers him and offers. in a blush and rush uconn then offers him a week before he camps. do u realize how silly that looks saving face? hopefully the kid loves uconn enough it doesnt effect his impression of the school being a local but my god that is a awful strategy and then worse blinking when the fire got warm.

we are stringing dintino along. when cuse or some 1 decides they want a center and offer, just watch the fireworks.

cooper has small offers and a old bc one im not sure if its still good or not

phillips has bcs offers

ruther is a tommy hopkins of this year

holmes got a rutgers offer and maybe another bcs one. all of a sudden we just offer 2 weeks ago(supposedly)

love the strategy. what is it again? can u explain it to me?

It's only an "awful strategy" if that type of thing matters to a specific recruit. It's about knowing your targets and what buttons need to be pushed - it's not a one size fits all approach. If a recruit is an "I need to feel extra special - you better show me the love" kind of kid, than yeah, the coaches need to play to that but some kids also don't want smoke blown up their on a hourly/daily/weekly basis. They are comfortable in the process and trust who is recruiting them. This is not unique to football.

 

[Dann]

It's only an "awful strategy" if that type of thing matters to a specific recruit. It's about knowing your targets and what buttons need to be pushed - it's not a one size fits all approach. If a recruit is an "I need to feel extra special - you better show me the love" kind of kid, than yeah, the coaches need to play to that but some kids also don't want smoke blown up their on a hourly/daily/weekly basis. They are comfortable in the process and trust who is recruiting them. This is not unique to football.

ok then, so far its been a bad strategy for outlow and the rest are up for grabs. lets see how that works out for P. lets also now remember he is getting murdered in mass. but hey, we just offered a kid from pa who is picking next week between 5 other schools. i like it......

 

[whaler11]

You just want to believe that b/c you hate P. But the 4 guys drafted don't say that, and there is no way you can argue they were all top 125 guys 2 years ago. They might have been had RE stayed, but giving him more credit than P is odd. My goodness, RE was yelling at Sio after his dominating performance against WVU. I was a big fan of RE and took a lot of grief for it. But I am NOT giving him credit for getting guys thru their soph year.

I do hate P but I believe it because I believe it.

He developed them all to the point they were major contributors on a conference championship team by their sophomore years - not sure how that doesn't show a lot of development under him but like I said reasonable people can disagree.

 

[huskymedic]

ok then, so far its been a bad strategy for outlow and the rest are up for grabs. lets see how that works out for P. lets also now remember he is getting murdered in mass. but hey, we just offered a kid from pa who is picking next week between 5 other schools. i like it......

... and I'll bet you an Antonio's Grinder that Outlow never actually enrolls @ Chestnut Hill.

 

[gioff23]

Dan,

I'm not in the room, so i don't know what the strategy is. You are connecting the dots after the fact and saying proof positive. You wanted DB to be HC, then said he mailed it in and quit recruiting, and now is apparently recruiting the hell out of the place.

I am not saying we could not do better than we have, I'm not. But are the guys you listed above the #1 ranked guy you have at each position (and no, they are better than what we have is not the answer)? If so, then you should stand by your opinion - my gut tells me the staff has NONE of them at #1 or they would have them in by now.

For all we know the recruits come here, listen to the constant barrage of negativity and say, , I'm going somewhere where the fans are just a bit positive. Who wants to put their body at risk for these "fans".

The point is we don't know, so suggesting there is a well-defined and publicized strategy and you disagree with it, seems silly. You don't understand the strategy, see no "commits" and argue the strategy has failed. Eventually you will take down a windmill ....

 

[Srqhusky]

I do hate P but I believe it because I believe it.

He developed them all to the point they were major contributors on a conference championship team by their sophomore years - not sure how that doesn't show a lot of development under him but like I said reasonable people can disagree.

Are you ware sio moore sai himself coach p improved his game and e credits him For that. His own words. Maybe someone can post the link to the article with dez. He also stated that players that listened to p were Prospering.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

.... and I agree 100% with you - I prefer to judge classes after the fact.

I have a question that I hope doesn't come across as someone trying to be a wise-ass.

That being said, how does a talent evaluator know enough to offer a scholarship to a kid he's only seen on film? I realize that there are certain "can't miss," 5-star level kids that get and accept early offers. But wouldn't the type of kid our coaches can reasonably approach, or have access to, require tire kicking/ test driving type scrutiny? Or is there a part of the process, between film and hands-on evaluation, that I'm missing?

One other thing. Did anyone else wonder about the impact a coaching staff, perceived by many (and sold as such by competing recruiters) as being "lame duck," coupled with the conference situation would have on next year's class? Start early, start late,? Hell, recruiting for 2014 was always going to be a challenge.

 

[whaler11]

Are you ware sio moore sai himself coach p improved his game and e credits him For that. His own words. Maybe someone can post the link to the article with dez. He also stated that players that listened to p were Prospering.

You can save the links. I go by what people do, not what they say. That a college player about to be drafted credits his current coach means nothing. If he didn't the people doing the drafting would question his 'makeup'.