football recruiting

CycloneWarrior · 06-19-2008, 10:55 AM

i was on cyclonereport and i noticed we still have only 1 commit so i started looking at the other big 12 and big 10 schools, they all seem to have a couple or more really good guys committed, why do we always get recruits very slowly, i mean even minnesota has a crap load of guys already, they are garbage, can someone close to the football team do an in depth story on some recruits? that would be great.
not to harp on chizik, cause i think he is great coach and we should be very good in the next couple years, i'm just wondering why it always takes so long to get commits for us

Cystate22 · 06-19-2008, 11:02 AM

I hope this makes you feel a little better, but it only matters who we sign in Feb. It doesn't matter right now who gives us a verbal, as it doesn't mean a thing until they sign in writing in Feb. Brewster at Minnesota has been known to be a good recruiter, and he does have a new stadium to sell to the recruits.

CycloneWarrior · 06-19-2008, 11:06 AM

i know, but it would be a pick up to the fans if chizik could pick up ( no pun intended, i've always wanted to say that) some commits

CyValley · 06-19-2008, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonedefender

i was on cyclonereport and i noticed we still have only 1 commit so i started looking at the other big 12 and big 10 schools, they all seem to have a couple or more really good guys committed, why do we always get recruits very slowly. . . .

I'm not the expert who you're hoping will reply to your question, but I'd like to offer my point of view.

ISU last won a conference football title in 1912, a dearth unmatched by any other Big 12 team, I believe. We don't have a powerful reputation to help sell the program.

Plus, our coach is in only his second year and as a head coach has not yet established his bona fides in the football world at large. Not many weeks ago, Gene said it's a process, the work of building a successful program. We're not there yet by any means.

Until we "arrive," seems reasonable that the process of which Gene speaks will have its disadvantages. After we hit the national scene, it will be interesting to see whether or not we have a number of commitments at this stage of the annual recruiting battle.

At this moment, we've got a weak reputation and unproven football staff, kids are gonna have to be sold hard before they sign up here. But, if they get to know the program as it is today, hard to imagine they can't perceive the opportunities awaiting them here -- hope I don't have my rose-tinted glasses on.

(BTW, I've long thought part of Gene's attraction to the ISU job might be the huge challenge it presents. The ultimate test of his coaching ability, maybe. The opportunity to reach heights that no other coach has achieved and most would not dare dream about when mulling the ISU coaching job.)

JPOP · 06-19-2008, 11:09 AM

You wait and see. Minnesota will have about half there recruits make it to campus. I hear 3 or 4 of there recruits for 2008 season are not going to make it to campus. Good luck with all those jucos. K-State north

CyValley · 06-19-2008, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by JPOP

You wait and see. Minnesota will have about half there recruits make it to campus. I hear 3 or 4 of there recruits for 2008 season are not going to make it to campus. Good luck with all those jucos. K-State north

Did Minny sign a bunch of JUCOs in February? Interesting. . . .

Gene went from 11 (I think it was) in the 2007 class to two in this one (Kennard Banks and Jason Carlson, correct?). I sure like that approach -- build a strong foundation with four-year players.

zdorr40 · 06-19-2008, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by CyValley

Gene went from 11 (I think it was) in the 2007 class to two in this one (Kennard Banks and Jason Carlson, correct?). I sure like that approach -- build a strong foundation with four-year players.

Not only that, but he redshirts the majority of those HS kids. (Or he has thusfar).

bmuff · 06-19-2008, 11:54 AM

OK, here's my view: If you look at the committed recruits, I'm betting that 90+% of them have visited the campus. The FL and TX kids that ISU is after typically can't afford to fly to Iowa on their own dime, so they have to wait for an official visit. ISU COULD have a bunch of in-state commits if they wanted, but the good ones have more options than just ISU (like iowa, Nebraska, KU, etc) and they will want to explore their options. Iowa is not like Nebraska or Minnesota or Wisconsin, we have two BCS schools. So recruits are not usually going to commit on the spot when offered. They are going to wait to see if the other school offers and make an educated decision.

I want the best talent possible, whether they are committed early or late. I assume that Chizik does too. Maybe when they have some proven success, players will commit earlier.

Clone9 · 06-19-2008, 11:58 AM

Not worried about it......

It would be nice to have a few more, but I'm sure we'll do fine.

Swanson10 · 06-19-2008, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by bmuff

OK, here's my view: If you look at the committed recruits, I'm betting that 90+% of them have visited the campus. The FL and TX kids that ISU is after typically can't afford to fly to Iowa on their own dime, so they have to wait for an official visit. ISU COULD have a bunch of in-state commits if they wanted, but the good ones have more options than just ISU (like iowa, Nebraska, KU, etc) and they will want to explore their options. Iowa is not like Nebraska or Minnesota or Wisconsin, we have two BCS schools. So recruits are not usually going to commit on the spot when offered. They are going to wait to see if the other school offers and make an educated decision.

I want the best talent possible, whether they are committed early or late. I assume that Chizik does too. Maybe when they have some proven success, players will commit earlier.

totally agree

CyValley · 06-19-2008, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by zdorr40

Not only that, but he redshirts the majority of those HS kids. (Or he has thusfar).

Oh, yeah, good reminder.

Got to go the route of player development here. Get kids with fine potential, insert them into sound, fundamental system (Coach Shep looms huge here, doesn't he?), and soon we'll have a year-to-year flow (hopefully) where it's the next man in.

Got to think it won't be long before we're relying primarily on upper classmen to get the job done. It's great to have exciting newcomers, but solid veterans win games for you, it seems like.

CyValley · 06-19-2008, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by bmuff

OK, here's my view: If you look at the committed recruits, I'm betting that 90+% of them have visited the campus. The FL and TX kids that ISU is after typically can't afford to fly to Iowa on their own dime, so they have to wait for an official visit.

Profound point, if you don't mind me saying so. Am i mixing sports (football and basketball), or is it the case football student-athletes cannot make official visits prior to the first day of class their senior year of high school?

Originally Posted by bmuff

Iowa is not like Nebraska or Minnesota or Wisconsin, we have two BCS schools. So recruits are not usually going to commit on the spot when offered.

Yeah, another disadvantage neither we or eiu needs, but we got: Iowa, a state with fewer than 3 million people, yet two major conference universities representing the Big 12 and Big 11.

Bobber · 06-19-2008, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by CyValley

Oh, yeah, good reminder.

Got to go the route of player development here. Get kids with fine potential, insert them into sound, fundamental system (Coach Shep looms huge here, doesn't he?), and soon we'll have a year-to-year flow (hopefully) where it's the next man in.

Got to think it won't be long before we're relying primarily on upper classmen to get the job done. It's great to have exciting newcomers, but solid veterans win games for you, it seems like.

Not to open a can of worms, but that was also the philosophy Dan McCarney followed. The problem for him however was he couldn't keep the quality athletes coming in. Also some questionable game day calls...

ISUguy · 06-19-2008, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by JPOP

You wait and see. Minnesota will have about half there recruits make it to campus. I hear 3 or 4 of there recruits for 2008 season are not going to make it to campus. Good luck with all those jucos. K-State north

Actually, according to GopherHole.com, only one commit has yet to be admitted to school - defensive tackle Tim McGee a Juco from Mississippi. The rest of the Jucos are good to go.

There is some question about two other players, but they are both high school kids. Maresh, the 4 star linebacker from Champlin Park recently got diagnosed with a hear ailment and is going to have surgery similar to what Fred Hoiberg had and Johnny Johnson, a two star from Illinois may or may not be admitted yet. Very common name in the databases.

Rip on Brewster's record on the field all you want to, but he can get kids to come to school.

CyValley · 06-19-2008, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bobber

Not to open a can of worms, but that was also the philosophy Dan McCarney followed. The problem for him however was he couldn't keep the quality athletes coming in. Also some questionable game day calls...

No two individuals are the same . . . let's hope our current individual is more capable in key areas than the previous individual (I was a serious Mac supporter until the very end, but it was time . . . some of those game-day calls were hard to digest).