Thoughts on Edsall and Recruiting

[freescooter]

I have read a number of concerns about whether Edsall will be able to recruit to the AAC like he did to the Big East. To me there are a number of silly assumptions behind these views. First and foremost is the idea that because Diaco didn't recruit well Edsall won't. The problem there of course is that Diaco did lots of things poorly. He was just not a good head coach so just because his recruiting was poor it doesn't follow that Edsalls will be too. In fact in his first stint Edsall recruited pretty well. Not high ranked but better than their tanking talents. Pasaualoni landed a pretty well regarded class in his only true year of recruiting too.

Second is the idea that we aren't in a great recruiting area (although the same folks who say that tend to be the ones who want to land every CT kid) Well ok if you assume that kids from New Jersey Pennsylvania Florida, Washington Baltimore and Virginia and the Carolinas only want to go to college within commuting distance of mommy be daddy that might be a problem. Fortunately it isn't true. Edsall will be looking at all theses areas where we've had success before and likely some new ones too like Chicago and Detroit where we've been active recently. And of course Florida.where he can sell that you'll play near home every year.

Finally it ignores what a solid coach and recruiter can do especially if the program is making progress. Temple and Memphis are great examples. Temple is in PA but it is also in a tough section of Philly and was awful for many years. Almost Rutgersian. Based on the location theory of recruiting Rutgers should be if not Alabama at least Michigan. Instead they lost to Michigan by something like 75.

Bottom line is that much of the concern about recruiting is overblown. The right guy, and based on past performance Edsall seems the right guy, can recruit at UConn.

 

[ktuck911]

I'm not too concerned about Edsall and recruiting... He just needs a good game plan on O, which means get somebody on his staff that can get that thing off and running right away... His defense I'm not worried about. WE all know that was our bread and butter under him.. and I like the pieces that we alredy have, especially at LB in the system that will be run.. I'm looking for a huge year from EJ Leveberry....

 

[Exit 4]

There is recruiting and there is coaching, they are two different things. Many of the P5 coaches are just great recruiters, not great coaches and many G5 are better coaches than recruiters.

I'll take the better coach than recruiter any day. Games are won on the field, not in the offseason.

The question about to be answered is whether or not Edsall is a dynamic coach who can take what he learned with UConn the first time around and with Maryland and successfully build upon both.

Parting shot, watch 2 hours of HUDL tape and see how fine the line is sometimes between 2 star and 3 star kids. It can be pretty narrow or impossible to see sometimes. And what isn't visible in tape is heart, head and where they are physically in their body development. So many three star kids are just 2 star kids with bodies 18 months ahead of their peers in development during their senior HS season.

 

[freescooter]

I agree with that and I also think that evaluating talent is something he did really well. Case in point, Anthony Sherman. He was a 2 star recruit out of Attleborough Mass but almost everyone had him as a linebacker. Edsall recruited him as a fullback where he now plays in the NFL. Very like would have been a mediocre linebacker. That's the kind of thing he is good with.

 

[Huskygamble19]

Randy was at UCONN only when he was recruiting. Now he has had a chance in Maryland and he was with the Lions org. That may or may not, have some incentive for recruits, but i don't see any downside here. He will have mostly diaco recruts to coach up and i am sure he can do a hell of a lot better than Diaco.

 

[RSTuthill]

I agree with that and I also think that evaluating talent is something he did really well. Case in point, Anthony Sherman. He was a 2 star recruit out of Attleborough Mass but almost everyone had him as a linebacker. Edsall recruited him as a fullback where he now plays in the NFL. Very like would have been a mediocre linebacker. That's the kind of thing he is good with.

Who went several rounds higher in the NFL draft than Jordan Toddman. One of the reasons I suggested after the Maine game that we should have a FB in the backfield hitting point of attack with momentum rather than the hybrid backs we had in the slot. USF did this to us, three point stance and all, and it was over in the first half. Their FB hit the line of scrimmage like a Mack truck.