College Football Recruiting

[SCfanatic35]

This dude won't have to try and get a girlfriend the next 4 years.  When I was in junior high I didn't even know what I wanted to do 10 minutes from now, let alone what college I wanted to attend.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/recruiting/football/story/_/id/8989200/alabama-crimson-tide-offer-scholarship-eighth-grader-dylan-moses

[clubchamp]

We will see if he actually attends Bama much like if 7th grader Kiffin offered goes to USC. I'm sure in 8th grade you would never say no to that kind of offer but once he starts getting offers from other big schools I bet he rethinks everything.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

We will see if he actually attends Bama much like if 7th grader Kiffin offered goes to USC. I'm sure in 8th grade you would never say no to that kind of offer but once he starts getting offers from other big schools I bet he rethinks everything.

Heck no I wouldn't say no to any offer if I were in junior high.  I wouldn't say no to an offer if I were a senior in high school. Only the biggest studs get multiple offers.  I just think it's crazy for coaches to go down that far to look for talent.  A lot can happen in that many years.  I'm sure they would pull the offer the first sign of anything negative.  Most of the teams in the SEC over recruit anyways.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

Heck no I wouldn't say no to any offer if I were in junior high.  I wouldn't say no to an offer if I were a senior in high school. Only the biggest studs get multiple offers.  I just think it's crazy for coaches to go down that far to look for talent.  A lot can happen in that many years.  I'm sure they would pull the offer the first sign of anything negative.  Most of the teams in the SEC over recruit anyways.

USC has done this before a few years ago. I don't even remember the guys name, but it is a little stretching for a school to offer a scholarship that young. Makes me wonder if that kid even though about college before Bama approached him.

Also, is that Max Wittek in your avatar?

[LucasBP]

I'm not too surprised to see Bama doing this. Any legal advantage is worth the risk IMO. And the system that Saban and the crew have implemented at the moment is working perfectly so why change it?

I don't think Kiffin will be around at USC in 5 years to see how 8 graders would work out anyhow.

[SCfanatic35]

USC has done this before a few years ago. I don't even remember the guys name, but it is a little stretching for a school to offer a scholarship that young. Makes me wonder if that kid even though about college before Bama approached him. Also, is that Max Wittek in your avatar?

Yes USC offered David Sills of Maryland and he committed in 2010 and he is a sophomore right now in high school. It's nuts, Lane won't be there when this kid graduates anyways so he will probably decommit unless he's just that into SC. Yes that is Max on my avatar. Probably get a Max Browne avatar once he gets playing.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

Yes USC offered David Sills of Maryland and he committed in 2010 and he is a sophomore right now in high school. It's nuts, Lane won't be there when this kid graduates anyways so he will probably decommit unless he's just that into SC.

Yes that is Max on my avatar. Probably get a Max Browne avatar once he gets playing.

Saw some videos of Max Browne and he reminds me of a slightly more mobile Tom Brady. He committed pretty early and glad he decided to stick with SC.

As good a recruiter Lane is, I still think he should've gotten the boot after last season.

[SCfanatic35]

Saw some videos of Max Browne and he reminds me of a slightly more mobile Tom Brady. He committed pretty early and glad he decided to stick with SC.  As good a recruiter Lane is, I still think he should've gotten the boot after last season.

I couldn't agree more. Just getting rid of his dad isn't enough. He can recruit but can't do anything with the talent he gets. I was on his side til this year. He can't manage a game, some guys have it and some don't. If he has 1 more mediocre season he will be gone. They are far enough along in the sanctions to where it won't be a deterrent next year for a new coach. Since so many players decommitted this year they should have a ton of scholarships next year.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

I couldn't agree more. Just getting rid of his dad isn't enough. He can recruit but can't do anything with the talent he gets. I was on his side til this year. He can't manage a game, some guys have it and some don't. If he has 1 more mediocre season he will be gone. They are far enough along in the sanctions to where it won't be a deterrent next year for a new coach. Since so many players decommitted this year they should have a ton of scholarships next year.

I was actually shocked when they hired him I mean I understood the USC ties but he hadn't really done anything to make me think he would be successful. I guess looking at his history he was fortune at the places he was unsuccessful the Raiders (Al Davis was crazy) but freakin Tom Cable won more games than Kiffin with the same team. Tennessee was in a bit of a low and he made them average which I guess looks good but Derek Dooly managed the same record as Kiffin in his first year. I'm not a USC fan by any means but I thought they could have got a much move proven coach with the history of that program. I'm not sure if the sanctions which I'm sure a lot of HC candidates knew were coming turned guys away from the job so Kiffin was the best option which could have been the case.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by clubchamp

I was actually shocked when they hired him I mean I understood the USC ties but he hadn't really done anything to make me think he would be successful. I guess looking at his history he was fortune at the places he was unsuccessful the Raiders (Al Davis was crazy) but freakin Tom Cable won more games than Kiffin with the same team. Tennessee was in a bit of a low and he made them average which I guess looks good but Derek Dooly managed the same record as Kiffin in his first year. I'm not a USC fan by any means but I thought they could have got a much move proven coach with the history of that program. I'm not sure if the sanctions which I'm sure a lot of HC candidates knew were coming turned guys away from the job so Kiffin was the best option which could have been the case.

I think that the sanctions coming down had a lot to do with it when they were trying to replace Carrol.  I think they felt that since Kiffin was part of the great teams that maybe he would restore some of the magic that had left.  I wasn't excited when they hired him but warmed to him after awhile.  After watching this past season it is clear that he is in way over his head.  He is a great recruiter but not so good at head coach.  I think since Haden did not hire him and knows that he would have a hard time finding a great replacement during the sanctions, that he will let him stay until sanctions are over unless he kills the program first.  The problem is that I think that unless they win a lot of games this year he's out.  They already had 7 players decommit this year.  Most of them had issues with the way they were treated by Kiffin and his staff.  If USC isn't careful the next decade could turn into the late 80's and early 90's era, where USC was dominated by UCLA and that other team from Indiana.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

I wasn't excited when they hired him but warmed to him after awhile.  After watching this past season it is clear that he is in way over his head.  He is a great recruiter but not so good at head coach.

I think a good part of Kiffin's success in his first two years is that there was not too much pressure on the team because of the bowl ban. To come out of the ban and be the preseason #1, I can imagine the pressure, which was obviously not handled well by Kiffin. If Kiffin doesn't it make it past next season, I think Lovie Smith is still looking for a job...haha.

[dsc123]

I thought there was a limit on when you could offer scholarships?  Like junior year or something?

[SCfanatic35]

I thought there was a limit on when you could offer scholarships?  Like junior year or something?

not really. just not allowed to discuss recruits til aftet signing day senior year. they have to follow all recruiting rules. Even though the kid has been offered a scholarship it doesnt mean much til he signs his LOI his senior year and the school accepts it.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

not really. just not allowed to discuss recruits til aftet signing day senior year. they have to follow all recruiting rules. Even though the kid has been offered a scholarship it doesnt mean much til he signs his LOI his senior year and the school accepts it.

even then sometimes they jump.  it seems silly to me but i guess that's how it works.  There's probably some value in talking to them early so they have it in their mind that they'll be going to whatever school.

Nice to know they don't even pretend to care what the kid does academically.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by dsc123

even then sometimes they jump.  it seems silly to me but i guess that's how it works.  There's probably some value in talking to them early so they have it in their mind that they'll be going to whatever school.

Nice to know they don't even pretend to care what the kid does academically.

It is very sad about the academics.  That is a sign of a college football these days.  When schools make winning a priority everything else takes a backseat, including academics.  There are still some schools that put academics first, not very many anymore.  They are usually the ones who aren't at the top of the standings, there are some exceptions though.  That is why I don't mind when Stanford is successful because it seems that they won't change their philosophy at their university, academics first.

Kids do jump schools during the recruiting process, whether they do it after they commit or before it still happens.  I love it when coaches get upset when kids do that, but coaches are the one's who are just as guilty.  IMO, athletes should choose a college based on the college and not the coach.  The coaching carousel goes round and round every year.

I think coaches will go to any length to find the next stud to keep their job.  I read a story yesterday about how South Carolina, not sure what year, pulled a kid's scholarship the day before signing day and weren't in any hurry to let the kid know.  So the kid was kinda left with a 4th or 5th choice school because his 2nd and 3rd choice were already full when they told him.  Now Spurrier and his coaches were banned from that high school by the coaches, because they didn't want their kids to be trusting someone who couldn't be.  They felt that is was there responsibility to the player and parents to guide players in the right direction.

[bwdial]

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8551210/ncaa-graduation-rates-improving-football-basketball

Alabama's graduation rate is 75%.  That is roughly ten percent higher than the average for all students in the United States according to the government.  That's also 18% higher than USC's graduation rate.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by bwdial

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8551210/ncaa-graduation-rates-improving-football-basketball

Alabama's graduation rate is 75%.  That is roughly ten percent higher than the average for all students in the United States according to the government.  That's also 18% higher than USC's graduation rate.

You're not telling me anything I don't already know.  I love USC but part of their problem is recruiting of talented guys with no brains, which is a lot of school's problems.  Stats can be used in a lot of different ways.  What I would like to know is what degrees are these guys graduating with?  Some of these football factories have pipelines to Recreation, Leisure Studies, Basket Weaving Majors.  I remember when I was in school, the athletes had to be walked to class by coaches just so that they would get there.  Most of them never showed up to a day of class but somehow managed a passing grade in classes smart people who showed up everyday struggled with.

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

It is very sad about the academics.  That is a sign of a college football these days.  When schools make winning a priority everything else takes a backseat, including academics.  There are still some schools that put academics first, not very many anymore.  They are usually the ones who aren't at the top of the standings, there are some exceptions though.  That is why I don't mind when Stanford is successful because it seems that they won't change their philosophy at their university, academics first.

Kids do jump schools during the recruiting process, whether they do it after they commit or before it still happens.  I love it when coaches get upset when kids do that, but coaches are the one's who are just as guilty.  IMO, athletes should choose a college based on the college and not the coach.  The coaching carousel goes round and round every year.

I think coaches will go to any length to find the next stud to keep their job.  I read a story yesterday about how South Carolina, not sure what year, pulled a kid's scholarship the day before signing day and weren't in any hurry to let the kid know.  So the kid was kinda left with a 4th or 5th choice school because his 2nd and 3rd choice were already full when they told him.  Now Spurrier and his coaches were banned from that high school by the coaches, because they didn't want their kids to be trusting someone who couldn't be.  They felt that is was there responsibility to the player and parents to guide players in the right direction.

According to your list Stanford is at 90%, which is awesome. Something tells me that the guys from Stanford are graduating with real degrees that they could actually use after football.  On the flip side, did you see Oklahoma? Holy Crap! They graduate 47% of their football players.

[clubchamp]

Liberal Arts or General Studies are a stable for college football players and they generally have someone in the athletic department make their schedules. That way a lot of players are all in the same classes and the coaches can check on them easily. I went to a D2 school that was a solid football school for D2 and even there almost every player was a mass communications major. That's the way it is though and with the exception of some universities they all pretty much do the exact same thing which is why it is shocking Oklahoma is low.