Recruiting Under Diaco By The Numbers

[huskymedic]

My purpose in doing this was sorting players into three groups: players whose best offers were P5 level, players whose best offers were G5 level, and players with only UConn on the FBS level. If a player is already in the "has P5 offers" group, I didn't find it relevant to list offers from lower tiers.

Okay - you may need to re- jiggle the totals. I'll change tomorrow.

 

[whaler11]

When you have a roster that needs an overhaul - I guess it's good to lock down a long snapper. Sure almost every FBS team in the country can fill the long snapper position without signing a player who can only do that - but when you fake so many kicks maybe it's super critical.

 

[noeynox]

When you have a roster that needs an overhaul - I guess it's good to lock down a long snapper. Sure almost every FBS team in the country can fill the long snapper position without signing a player who can only do that - but when you fake so many kicks maybe it's super critical.

My only point, is I've seen Diaco get credit for signing a significant contributor at...long snapper. If you that up, awarding a scholarship, good lord just quit coaching altogether. Or at least coaching where you award scholarships.

 

[whaler11]

My only point, is I've seen Diaco get credit for signing a significant contributor at...long snapper. If you that up, awarding a scholarship, good lord just quit coaching altogether. Or at least coaching where you award scholarships.

I was being sarcastic. Almost no one burns a scholarship on a long snapper - because there are multiple players on a normal roster who can long snap.

Little commented on during the second half of the year because things were so bad. They pretty much stopped making kicks.

 

[SubbaBub]

You have to discount the UCONN only offers if you are going to be fair. Expecially, if these were early commits. Nothing wrong with locking up a quality guy before anyone else gets in on him.

Assuming these guys pan out, I'd consider that a positive. Certainly better than guys who decommissioned from P5 programs because they know they won't see the field.

There is no good barometer other than actual play. Like judging which seed will produce the best tomato plant. It's great to beat out P5 teams and AAC teams, but those can be hollow victories.

 

[gioff23]

Let's be honest, at this point, we have to accept that this staff will not get good recruits to come here. Would you send your kid here to this staff with this mess?

Having said that, a few things in BDs defense:

1. as was said earlier, the first class doesn't count - he scrambled to find guys at last minute;
2. I thought last year's class was a good one. we won't know for awhile, but we started to add speed and some line depth with guys that had P5 offers
3. the biggest problem with this analysis is that once a non-4/5 star kid commits, he falls off the radar. we all know kids who committed here over last 2 years were made offers after they committed, but none of the services tracked that info.

Now, the real question is whether we have a team capable of generating 7/8 wins next year? Nothing I saw tells me we do, but then again, I am told it was a Molotov cocktail stuffed inside a fish cake that created the kind of CONFLict no one cares about.

 

[BlueandOG]

Nice work finding all of this!

 

[Exit 4]

2. I thought last year's class was a good one. we won't know for awhile, but we started to add speed and some line depth with guys that had P5 offers
.

On paper last year's class in very promising. Our spring and summer will be all about the buzz regarding Vickers, Hopkins, Herring, Coyle, Skanes, Dixon, etc - who all displayed some real speed in their game. If Diaco is here for 2017, his future will be riding on this promising group.

 

[Exit 4]

Great quotes here about how 32 teams missing on drafting Romeo Okwara on the Giants.

NFL Draft: How did 32 teams miss on Giants’ DE Romeo Okwara?

 

[gioff23]

On paper last year's class in very promising. Our spring and summer will be all about the buzz regarding Vickers, Hopkins, Herring, Coyle, Skanes, Dixon, etc - who all displayed some real speed in their game. If Diaco is here for 2017, his future will be riding on this promising group.

and throw in Tre Bell at CB. The problem is that we really need some of these kids to stop developing and start performing - now

 

[Pudge]

It is not a fair level depiction if you throw the kids that commit in May & June in with all the others.

 

[freescooter]

I actually remember Edsall signing a long snapper, forget who, but he was signed long after signing day and Randy made a particular point about how important it was not to have to worry about that position for the next 4 years. Our special teams play improved markedly the next season though that could have been just luck.

 

[Sky ball]

My purpose in doing this was sorting players into three groups: players whose best offers were P5 level, players whose best offers were G5 level, and players with only UConn on the FBS level. If a player is already in the "has P5 offers" group, I didn't find it relevant to list offers from lower tiers.

Thanks for putting this together and the time spent. Interesting stuff. What would be even more interesting is a comparison of the Edsall years to your compilation. That would be telling. Did Edsall have better players or was he (and staff) better coaches? Both?

 

[BlueMAB]

I actually remember Edsall signing a long snapper, forget who, but he was signed long after signing day and Randy made a particular point about how important it was not to have to worry about that position for the next 4 years. Our special teams play improved markedly the next season though that could have been just luck.

Wasn't it the kid from Burlington, Derek Chard(?)

IIRC he nearly made a team in the league as a long snapper.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

These numbers highlight the point I've making about recruiting. We have way too many kids with UConn as their only FBS offer. You cannot build a roster like that. I have no idea how much our ridiculous admissions standards come into play here but I have a feeling that's a problem as well.

 

[UConnDan97]

Must have been a he'll of mess when the players you recruit can't push those guys off the field.

BINGO!

I've always said that PP could recruit well, even if he was not a good head coach. Well, this clown can't do either one...

 

[Excalibur]

That is actually the biggest indictment. When you are getting blown out every week and the underclassmen haven't forced themselves onto the field....

I can excuse the 2016 class which, in terms of other offers, was as good as any we've had. But the almost complete lack of contributors coming from the 14 and 15 classes on a bad team is telling.

 

[Excalibur]

BINGO!

I've always said that PP could recruit well, even if he was not a good head coach. Well, this clown can't do either one...

PP being a good recruiter is a myth. If he was, the teams would have been better. The fact that the 2014 and 2015 classes have been awful does not mean that any of P's classes were good. Again, if you're looking at winning recruiting battles (i.e. getting guys with other FBS and P5 offers) the 2016 class was better than anything that P ever put together by a wide margin.

 

[Pudge]

PP being a good recruiter is a myth. If he was, the teams would have been better. The fact that the 2014 and 2015 classes have been awful does not mean that any of P's classes were good. Again, if you're looking at winning recruiting battles (i.e. getting guys with other FBS and P5 offers) the 2016 class was better than anything that P ever put together by a wide margin.

Bingo

Look at the play on the field. Not the HS rankings nor offers not notoriety. PP production was less than stellar

 

[CTMike]

Bingo

Look at the play on the field. Not the HS rankings nor offers not notoriety. PP production was less than stellar

PP was an awful coach.

But his recruits are why we went bowling last year.

 

[Pudge]

PP was an awful coach.

But his recruits are why we went bowling last year.

Well ... We are heading towards grading on a curve now.

The "flavor of the moment guys" seem to be promoting that we can SELL 3/4 star highly desired recruits over Maryland, BC, Pitt, Rutgers and/or Syracuse ... and others.

First? Randy Edsall rarely won those type of recruits. Second ? Many of those kids (poster child Tim Boyle) never rose at UConn to stellar college careers. Shamar Stephen, Kendall Reyes, Scott Lutrus, Sio Moore, Jordan Todman, Marcus Easley, Andrew Adams, Byron Jones, Geremy Davis, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Ryan Griffin, Dwayne Gratz, Moe Petrus, Ryan Crozier, Obi Melonfonwu, Etc ... None of these kids are this category.

We can win with the thoughtful harvesting of kids LIKE Edsall. Great evaluation skills. Good closing with key Assistants that know PA, NE, FL, GA, NJ, MD.

It would be great to win more battles with the P5 universities in our core. But that's not ultimately why we won in the past 10 years.

There seems to be a strain of boneyard guys that are reduced to "Give up Football" if we don't play the 3/4 Star 5 offers win. We aren't trashing $200m investment in big football. Think reboot a different way.

 

[Excalibur]

PP was an awful coach.

But his recruits are why we went bowling last year.

This year's team was mostly P recruits. You can't have it both ways.

 

[Husky25]

PP was an awful coach.

But his recruits are why we went bowling last year.

Then why didn't they succeed this past season? If I'm doing the math right, 4 of the 6 players that departed the Defense were recruited by Edsall and redshirted in 2011 (Campenni, Adams, Vann, and Adeyemi) and one was a transfer (Stewart). Samra was a Pasqualoni recruit and before the season, I would have counted him as addition by subtraction.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

These numbers highlight the point I've making about recruiting. We have way too many kids with UConn as their only FBS offer. You cannot build a roster like that. I have no idea how much our ridiculous admissions standards come into play here but I have a feeling that's a problem as well.

Finally!

• When people complain that we should be competing with Houston, Memphis, USF and UCF for the same kids, I always wonder how many of each school's recruiting class would make it past UConn's admission process. It seems like Revenge of Nerds as pay back for JC's bullying attempts to get his kids.

 

[Pudge]

Then why didn't they succeed this past season? If I'm doing the math right, 4 of the 6 players that departed the Defense were recruited by Edsall and redshirted in 2011 (Campenni, Adams, Vann, and Adeyemi) and one was a transfer (Stewart). Samra was a Pasqualoni recruit and before the season, I would have counted him as addition by subtraction.

This was a "good" year - everyone rising to compete with plenty of depth.

Hence ... Some of us thought 7 or 8 wins was justifiable expectation. Then, Diaco hugely crapped out on a season that should have been far more productive - with A Melifonwu & Noel Thomas. Nobody should consider this 4th year as anything but a 2-3 win season. It's unconscionable to believe he would get to a bowl. UConn admin knows this. So ... we have this awful situation. And someone needs to pay.