Tulsa gets 4* QB Commit

[Uconnalliance]

My head hurts reading this thread!!! Hearing the submarine dive sound in the distance.

 

[Dogged]

Before this thread dies, I'd like to go on record saying I'd rather have a team of healthy 2 stars than a team of 4 stars with lower leg injuries....maybe.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Just watched Tyler Murphy (from CT) play QB for BC in a BOWL game, this after he played QB at Florida. I guess UConn couldn't use him?

Yeah, the reason he was a Gator (and later moved on to BC) was because UConn didn't want him..

 

[huskymedic]

No wonder Boston College was more appealing.

Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that Addazzio recruited him to UF and was his OC would it??

(And he did have a UConn offer coming out of HS in 2010 but UConn staff was looking at him as a safety).

 

[CTBasketball]

I don't understand how people think stars don't matter. Of course they matter, as Dan pointed out, in terms of probability and projecting how good they'll be. Show me an annual and consistent Top 25 program that consistently recruits 2 and 3 stars.

 

[noeynox]

UConn recruited Murphy as a DB and the kid was willing to go FCS to be a quarterback.

I don't understand how people think stars don't matter. Of course they matter, as Dan pointed out, in terms of probability and projecting how good they'll be. Show me an annual and consistent Top 25 program that consistently recruits 2 and 3 stars.

Its not that starts don't matter, but that is a relatively new industry. Before stars were being assigned, Nebraska and Miami were kicking ass, because they were getting the best players.

Furthermore, UConn needs to follow a blue print closer to Boise State's than anyone else, because four stars are not going to start flocking here in droves. We never got them at any significant level when we were in a BCS conference, were certainly not going to start getting them in this conference.

As for Murphy, he wanted to play QB, and was willing to go FCS to do so, we wanted him as a DB. He was right he was a college QB.

 

[CTBasketball]

UConn recruited Murphy as a DB and the kid was willing to go FCS to be a quarterback.

Its not that starts don't matter, but that is a relatively new industry. Before stars were being assigned, Nebraska and Miami were kicking ass, because they were getting the best players.

Furthermore, UConn needs to follow a blue print closer to Boise State's than anyone else, because four stars are not going to start flocking here in droves. We never got them at any significant level when we were in a BCS conference, were certainly not going to start getting them in this conference.

As for Murphy, he wanted to play QB, and was willing to go FCS to do so, we wanted him as a DB. He was right he was a college QB.

Agree - you need to recruit to your team's strengths and overall philosophy. Look at Oregon, they recruit a lot of 3 star and lower-tier 4 star players just because they fit into their up-tempo offense. As for UConn, recruiting anyone of 3 star or higher will result in a better team, regardless of what our style is. Because quite frankly I don't know what our style is - I don't think Diaco knows what he wants to do either.

 

[Gampeltiles]

Schools like Tulsa actually have legitimate shots at 4-star players. Look where they're mainly recruiting from: Texas, Oklahoma, and a few guys from Arkansas. The pickings are much slimmer in our footprint, meaning our margin for error in program perception amongst recruits is non-existent. So as long as the team keeps losing and the media keeps treating us like the butt of the joke, we have no choice but to cross our fingers that our 2-star recruits are 2-stars by virtue of not being scouted rather than being unskilled.

Waiting for Tulsa to the Big12 push.

 

[sub legacy]

Agree - you need to recruit to your team's strengths and overall philosophy. Look at Oregon, they recruit a lot of 3 star and lower-tier 4 star players just because they fit into their up-tempo offense. As for UConn, recruiting anyone of 3 star or higher will result in a better team, regardless of what our style is. Because quite frankly I don't know what our style is - I don't think Diaco knows what he wants to do either.

That appears to be a bigger part of the problem right there's; this programs general inability to forge an identity for itself and stick to it.

 

[uconndogs]

At the risk of repeating myself, the vast majority of 4 and 5 star kids go to the top 15-20 programs. I would argue that those programs drive the ratings of those kids and not the recruiting sites, but regardless, many of those kids are so talented it's a pretty easy call to make that they have a high probability of success in college.

After that, the rest of the programs in the country are trying to assess kids that can play at this level - the 2 and 3 stars if you will. The recruiting sites have neither the resources nor the expertise to assess those kids. Throw in the fact that many are still physically developing and you really have a crapshoot on your hands. Rating those kids and the classes for each program is pure folly. One program is ranked 40 and another 75, please.....

TOS had a writer named Dallas Jackson a few years back. In a true jackass move he publicly posted that he did not think Robbie Frey would be a very good college player. He spoke with much conviction and "expertise". In an exchange online I kindly told him he was full of and to lay off the kid in a public forum. One of his responses was to point out that they had called Vince Young correctly.....you know, 6'5", sub 4.40, rocket arm Vince Young. Tough call that one. Robbie Frey was a terrific college football player and his time from scrimmage was limited as he waited behind two NFL bound running backs. He was also one of the fastest players in college football.

UCONN in the AAC is only going to be successful recruiting much the way Edsall did. Kids largely off the radar of the major programs that are exceptional athletes and can be developed into great football players in a good scheme. There is plenty of talent out there to do this. It's hard work for sure, but it has been done and can be done again.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I don't understand how people think stars don't matter. Of course they matter, as Dan pointed out, in terms of probability and projecting how good they'll be. Show me an annual and consistent Top 25 program that consistently recruits 2 and 3 stars.

Outside of the top 100 or 200 kids stars don't matter. We're not getting in on any of those kids. We're getting 2 and 3 star kids, whatever that means. And it's laughable to think that these analysts, who are way more concerned with offer lists and subscriptions, can accurately rank these kids is beyond dumb. Why anyone would pay for these sites is beyond me.

 

[Kgun7]

At the risk of repeating myself, the vast majority of 4 and 5 star kids go to the top 15-20 programs. I would argue that those programs drive the ratings of those kids and not the recruiting sites, but regardless, many of those kids are so talented it's a pretty easy call to make that they have a high probability of success in college.

After that, the rest of the programs in the country are trying to assess kids that can play at this level - the 2 and 3 stars if you will. The recruiting sites have neither the resources nor the expertise to assess those kids. Throw in the fact that many are still physically developing and you really have a crapshoot on your hands. Rating those kids and the classes for each program is pure folly. One program is ranked 40 and another 75, please.....

TOS had a writer named Dallas Jackson a few years back. In a true jackass move he publicly posted that he did not think Robbie Frey would be a very good college player. He spoke with much conviction and "expertise". In an exchange online I kindly told him he was full of and to lay off the kid in a public forum. One of his responses was to point out that they had called Vince Young correctly.....you know, 6'5", sub 4.40, rocket arm Vince Young. Tough call that one. Robbie Frey was a terrific college football player and his time from scrimmage was limited as he waited behind two NFL bound running backs. He was also one of the fastest players in college football.

UCONN in the AAC is only going to be successful recruiting much the way Edsall did. Kids largely off the radar of the major programs that are exceptional athletes and can be developed into great football players in a good scheme. There is plenty of talent out there to do this. It's hard work for sure, but it has been done and can be done again.

Probably the best description of how UCONN must recruit that I have ever read on this board. FHCRE didn't recruit that way because he wanted to ... it is because he had no other choice. HCBD looks like he may be heading down that same path.

 

[CTBasketball]

Outside of the top 100 or 200 kids stars don't matter. We're not getting in on any of those kids. We're getting 2 and 3 star kids, whatever that means. And it's laughable to think that these analysts, who are way more concerned with offer lists and subscriptions, can accurately rank these kids is beyond dumb. Why anyone would pay for these sites is beyond me.

Exactly. So we have to forge an identity for our team. And target recruits around that. That's what Oregon does, and pretty much every team in the country. And to be honest, I don't know what our identity is/will be.

 

[upstater]

That's what a 4-star QB looks like on ANY team that doesn't have any 4-star OL's. Tulsa may find that fact out very soon. So now you realize what position we should REALLY be recruiting extensively, right?

UConn's last 4 star JUCO was Lorenzen. He played behind a line that had excellent 2 star kids, some of whom ended up in the NFL.

Whitmer's problem was never the offensive line. They started protecting him well end of year, and he was still panicking back there.

 

[uconndogs]

Absolutely agree. Whitmer just never saw the field well and while he played behind some poor OL play, a lot of sacks were on him.

Unfortunately, I see much of the same in Boyle. I really believe (and hope) Diaco is going to move to mobile dual threat QBs and a good dose of read option. My hope is Sherriffs can play. He can't and I think we're in for another miserable season.

 

[BNich]

Exactly. So we have to forge an identity for our team. And target recruits around that. That's what Oregon does, and pretty much every team in the country. And to be honest, I don't know what our identity is/will be.

Diaco has made mention of this. He is looking for Big athletic kids with high character. There is your identity. Look at the size of this class compared to any year past.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn recruited Murphy as a DB and the kid was willing to go FCS to be a quarterback...
...As for Murphy, he wanted to play QB, and was willing to go FCS to do so, we wanted him as a DB. He was right he was a college QB.

Ya lost me w/ the FCS mention - He committed to Golden @ Temple, then Addazzio/Meyer swiped him to Florida?

 

[noeynox]

Ya lost me w/ the FCS mention - He committed to Golden @ Temple, then Addazzio/Meyer swiped him to Florida?

Until Addazio got involved, he was considering Fordham who had offered him as a QB. Addazio got involved due to his CT connection to Murphy's QB coach.

 

[sub legacy]

The star system to me is nothing more than an over-glorified superelative, not a gospel of a players quality or whether or not they'll pan out. There have been too many exceptions in either extreme for it to be looked at as anything more than that.

 

[huskymedic]

Until Addazio got involved, he was considering Fordham who had offered him as a QB. Addazio got involved due to his CT connection to Murphy's QB coach.

Okay got it... Forgot the Fordham piece. Knew he was recruited as QB @ Temple when he committed to Golden and then decommitted when the same Gator pipeline as Jordan Reed came into play.

 

[UConnDan97]

UConn's last 4 star JUCO was Lorenzen. He played behind a line that had excellent 2 star kids, some of whom ended up in the NFL.

Whitmer's problem was never the offensive line. They started protecting him well end of year, and he was still panicking back there.

Go back through this entire thread and read what I have been saying. I've already said that your 2-star guys can be impact guys, but most often require redshirting and maturing into the system prior to being an impact player on the field. The OL that you're referring to did not start anyone younger than a redshirt sophomore (Hicks, Ryan, Green), meaning that those guys had been part of the team for 3 years. The rest of the OL was even older (Thomas, etc.).

Now, contrast that to this year, where we have guys like Knappe and Crozier getting their first burn as a college lineman...ever! With the exception of Mateas, and maybe Samra, the entire line was very green. You don't need to look at Whitmer; just look at our lack of running game production for further proof of that.

So if you wish to compare those two lines and tell me that they were equivalent, be my guest. If you want to talk about the 2007 OLine as proof that 2-stars are equivalent to 4-stars, be my guest. But neither stance is valid...

 

[BNich]

Go back through this entire thread and read what I have been saying. I've already said that your 2-star guys can be impact guys, but most often require redshirting and maturing into the system prior to being an impact player on the field. The OL that you're referring to did not start anyone younger than a redshirt sophomore (Hicks, Ryan, Green), meaning that those guys had been part of the team for 3 years. The rest of the OL was even older (Thomas, etc.).

Now, contrast that to this year, where we have guys like Knappe and Crozier getting their first burn as a college lineman...ever! With the exception of Mateas, and maybe Samra, the entire line was very green. You don't need to look at Whitmer; just look at our lack of running game production for further proof of that.

So if you wish to compare those two lines and tell me that they were equivalent, be my guest. If you want to talk about the 2007 OLine as proof that 2-stars are equivalent to 4-stars, be my guest. But neither stance is valid...

Don't forget Gus Cruz as well. Lost his spot late in the season, but a seasoned vet.

 

[UconnFamily]

Go back through this entire thread and read what I have been saying. I've already said that your 2-star guys can be impact guys, but most often require redshirting and maturing into the system prior to being an impact player on the field. The OL that you're referring to did not start anyone younger than a redshirt sophomore (Hicks, Ryan, Green), meaning that those guys had been part of the team for 3 years. The rest of the OL was even older (Thomas, etc.).

Now, contrast that to this year, where we have guys like Knappe and Crozier getting their first burn as a college lineman...ever! With the exception of Mateas, and maybe Samra, the entire line was very green. You don't need to look at Whitmer; just look at our lack of running game production for further proof of that.

So if you wish to compare those two lines and tell me that they were equivalent, be my guest. If you want to talk about the 2007 OLine as proof that 2-stars are equivalent to 4-stars, be my guest. But neither stance is valid...

It's crazy how some don't understand this great point.... Another point is taking a look at the NFL draft rounds 1-5 most drafted in those rounds were 3, 4, and 5 star athletes. The 2 star athletes drafted in those rounds, which are very few come from football states, such as Texas, Florida, and California. It's a must to recruit 3 and 4 star athletes if we want to compete in a consistent basis with the big boys, not Stony Brook.

 

[UConnDan97]

It's crazy how some don't understand this great point.... Another point is taking a look at the NFL draft rounds 1-5 most drafted in those rounds were 3, 4, and 5 star athletes. The 2 star athletes drafted in those rounds, which are very few come from football states, such as Texas, Florida, and California. It's a must to recruit 3 and 4 star athletes if we want to compete in a consistent basis with the big boys, not Stony Brook.

Don't get me wrong; we are going to have to get a fair share of 2-star prospects that we believe we can mold into impact players. That's just a reality. But we are going to also have to get ourselves in the mix for some of the 3-star and 4-star athletes too (not 5-star, since that would be a waste of time until we sustain multiple quality seasons in a row or unless the kid is in our back yard). We are going to have to win some recruiting battles against the other regional football schools.

The good thing is that we have shown over the years that we can win some of those battles, especially if we get ourselves back on the winning track...

 

[huskymedic]

It's a must to recruit 3 and 4 star athletes if we want to compete in a consistent basis...

I don't think many people are argueing that point... But it's not like you just walk into the local Piggly Wiggly/Wawa and pluck them off the shelf. You can recruit till the cows come home but if a kid doesn't want to come to Storrs to play in the AAC, he's not coming to Storrs. Until it becomes a desirable location again, you build future pipeline relationships and take kids who have promise and desire.

A lot of it is being in the right place @ the right time. OP is prime example - President gets recruited over @ Baylor, doesn't want to get buried on the depth chart and reaches out to the former OC where he committed who is now head coach @ new school and flips. We need some luck like that...