Paul Rhoads Recruiting Lesson

[Aclone]

[FONT=&quot]CPR Recruiting Lesson[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*I took a couple of comments from another thread last night, and will use them to illustrate and correct some misapprehensions on the part of some of the people here. Not to call anyone out, just addressing "concerns". [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One of the major concerns I have is that if these players that we are snatching up are borderline major college football contributors…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Problem one is your underlying assumption. Obviously CPR doesn’t feel that they are “borderline†prospects, or he wouldn’t be offering them by July. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]… that can be coached up by the Cyclone staff, why aren't the mid major schools after them? Why aren't they even hearing from the schools in their own state?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Simple answer, unwittingly provided by another critic:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I'm just saying I have a hard time believe CPR is finding kids that NO ONE else knows about. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Well…that’s your problem, my friend. So, why is that?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I think other coaches know about them, and pass.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Erroneous conclusion, based upon empirical evidence to the contrary. I’ll even give examples below to refute your obvious denial here in a moment.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The only reasonable explanation is CPR is just seeing something in kids that no one else has prioritized. And if that is their recruiting strategy, and if that is successful, then fine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There, you’re finally starting to get it. Why was that so difficult? Of course, this comment also needs to make the last few steps...
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sure, Knott and Klein are examples. Knott is obvious, but Klein wasn’t even offered by his home state UW. Now he’s the reigning B12 Co-Defensive POTY/MVP. But those are hardly the only ones. Just a few others:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tom Farniok:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Starter as a redshirt freshman. Also drew notice so that OU jumped all over his next brother. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Gannon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Not even recruited by hometown UI. Played as a redshirt frosh, listed as starter as a soph.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Shaban Dika:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Aside from injuries, would likely have equaled or perhaps even excelled Gannon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jevohn Miller:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Played as a true freshman, in a position to fill in for Knott should he go down, likely to start as a junior. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]David Irving:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also played as a freshman, also set freshman marks for vertical leap and broad jump that rivaled (or beat) the best for a defensive end at the NFL Combine—both marks by USC grad and Packers #1 pick Nick Perry (who is 3-4" shorter).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Oni Omoile:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Raved over first by CPR for his character, then by Bill Bleil for his athleticism (32†vertical), proceeded to set freshman weightlifting mark. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aaron Horne:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] People complained because he had no other offers, and was “only Jantz’s buddyâ€. Big XII Newcomer of the Year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Albert Gary:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Signed out of nowhere after spending a season redshirting at a JC. Distinctly help win the OSU game. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Henry Simon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also pulled out of nowhere, this time by Bobby Elliott, as a valuable contributor last season despite lack of conditioning and camp time. Should be set for a good senior campaign. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Brandon Jensen[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Pulled out of CPR’s hometown, even I wondered. Played in prime time as a redshirt frosh, looks positioned to take a big step forward this Fall. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I suppose it wouldn’t matter (since some will say these guys aren’t “proven†yet), but guys who fit the same profile from the ’11 class who redshirted would include JaQuarius Daniels, Ken Lynn (KU jumped in late), Sam Richardson(cb), Rob Standard (NU only other claimed offer—and their fans denied it), Tad Ecby, Devin Lemke, Jamison Lalk, Brock Dagel, Quenton Bundrage, Quinton Pomphrey, Darian Cotton, and Jared Brackens. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From the ’12 class, Duaron Williams was distinctly one that was “known about†and “ignored by other coachesâ€, and Pierre Aka only blew up after he committed. There were also the likes of Collin Bevins, Kane Seeley, Mitchell Meyers, Devlyn Cousin (stolen away from that powerhouse So. Miss), T,J, Mutcherson, Charlie Rogers (not offered by hometown UI), Darius White (actually became ranked at LB and got an offer from Miami after committing), Jacob Dunning and Cole Netten. And oh yeah—Dondre Daley was nonexistent on the recruiting scene until his visit—and at age 16, he might be the Irving of this class. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So, what part of “proven track record†don’t people get? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Then there are the current ten guys that people are…â€concerned†about:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Emmanuel Bibbs TE 6-3/245 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Only played four games last fall, now OU is sniffing around. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Tyler Brown RB 5-10/180 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has breakaway speed, perhaps not a ‘feature back’, but looks a lot like ARob or James White—and that’s good enough for me. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Trevor Hodge QB 6-2/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has arm, athleticism and leadership abilities. What’s not to like? [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Homa OL 6-5/260 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Actually ranked at his position, still no other “big time†offers. Yet. He decided not to wait. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Alex Leslie TE 6-5/220 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Long, has hands, and can run. Physically, looks like our best HS tight end recruit since…maybe ever. Who cares about stars?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Kamari Syrie DB 5-10/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The one guy I have a question on. Honest. I’ll buy it with the CPR track record. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nigel Tribune DB 5-11/175 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Transferred from a nowhere high school, we got in on him early. Troy Douglas knows DB’s. People still complain. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]J.D. Waggoner DE 6-2/230 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I doubt he spends a day at end as a Cyclone, much like Meyers a year ago. In this case, he could be another Klein in the middle. That’s why he wants to play as a true frosh—on special teams. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Justin Webster ATH 6-1/217 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plays at a small high school—and may be the best overall athlete thus far in the class. And still people are…“concernedâ€. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]D.A. Williams DB 5-10/170 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Even with three stars, profile hadn’t been updated in a while. So people complained—until current offers were added. Oddly enough, when he was interviewed after committing. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now, to tell you the truth, I can’t blame people who might be “concernedâ€. Simply because they haven’t been completely informed, are ignorant of all of the facts. It’s those who take that “concernâ€, especially when based upon baseless assumptions, and start doing that “Oh, woe is ISU!†thing that bothers me. In spades. Still, being sensitive to your sensibilities, I’ll add this. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It’s not as if CPR isn’t also recruiting those three- and four-star guys, the ones with big name offers, or big offer lists. The simple fact is that none of them have committed. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Yet.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And that’s a simple and salient fact. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Take this one, straight off Rivals front page. His three finalists are USF, WVU, and ISU. How can you complain about that? I’ll toss in a few more…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Rashard-Robinson-135979[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Were in on him early before he blew up...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Cooper-139258[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]No stars--and yet a Notre Dame offer. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Bobby-Leath-138885
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Florida among the final four--along with ISU[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Trevor-Walker-138551[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-James-Clark-140963[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]...and I'd keep going, but I think I've made my point.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Some of these guys are simply waiting to see how ISU comes out of the gate--whether the OSU upset was merely an aberration, a mirage.Just remember--our biggest recruiting weekend last year was in November at Thanksgiving, for cryin' out loud. In the meantime, we have ten commits now, guys that CPR wanted, where last year we only had five or six. Do I really need to map that one out too?
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One last point. Some people dismiss this class simply because these guys are “just the same†as the last three classes. Well, I’ll give you a hint. The vast majority of those last three classes are rising sophomore redshirts—or lower. And those classes are better, top to bottom, than the ones that preceded them, whether Chizik’s or McCarney’s. Better depth. And if CPR can pull off massive upsets with a mixture of Mac’s last petered-out classes and Chizik’s variety-pack signees, why, what makes you think that he’s not going to keep on improving as his own players mature into juniors and seniors? Hello? The heck with hitting a plateau, Paul Rhoads is still marching his way up the hill—and hitting people coming off the bus as he goes! [/FONT]

 

[Tre4ISU]

You don't make a very good case when you list a bunch of guys haven't done anything yet a

 

[flycy]

Best post I have read on this year's recruiting. Well done, very factual. Get a grip people.

 

[klamath632]

You don't make a very good case when you list a bunch of guys haven't done anything yet

If we have to wait until they've "done something" then nobody can say a goddamn thing until they've spent a couple years in our system.

 

[Clones85']

Acting like Paul Rhoads knows about kids in Dallas that others don't know about is insane. Big difference between a kid being looked over in Iowa versus one looked over in Dallas, TX where football is king. Every program in the country is recruiting that area where as very few schools recruit Brooklyn, IA

Tom Farniok: From South Dakota. No surprise he was unrecruited
Jacob Gannon: From Iowa. See above
Shaban Dika: Hasn't played or shown that he can at this point
Jevohn Miller: From Brooklyn, IA. See above
David Irving: Best example you have. Nice find by staff
Oni Omoile: Hasn't played
Aaron Horne: Nice last second add on
Albert Gary: Was not an unknown. He signed at Ole MIss out of HS and was a big time recruit. People didn't think he could play after 1 year of JUCO but he was not an unheard of guy
Brandon Jensen: 3rd string DT who probably won't play much

 

[Messi]

solid read Aclone, lot of work put into it

 

[Aclone]

You don't make a very good case when you list a bunch of guys haven't done anything yet a

Ummm....Hello? that was my point in listing these guys first?

[FONT="]Tom Farniok:[/FONT][FONT="] Starter as a redshirt freshman. Also drew notice so that OU jumped all over his next brother. [/FONT]
[FONT="]Jacob Gannon:[/FONT][FONT="] Not even recruited by hometown UI. Played as a redshirt frosh, listed as starter as a soph.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

The secondary point was that the current class thus far is exactly the same as the last three have been. Not that they have (or haven't) proven anything, .
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]

 

[Senolcyc]

Looks and reads like Ron Maly's blog.

[FONT=&quot]CPR Recruiting Lesson[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*I took a couple of comments from another thread last night, and will use them to illustrate and correct some misapprehensions on the part of some of the people here. Not to call anyone out, just addressing "concerns". [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One of the major concerns I have is that if these players that we are snatching up are borderline major college football contributors…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Problem one is your underlying assumption. Obviously CPR doesn’t feel that they are “borderline†prospects, or he wouldn’t be offering them by July. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]… that can be coached up by the Cyclone staff, why aren't the mid major schools after them? Why aren't they even hearing from the schools in their own state?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Simple answer, unwittingly provided by another critic:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I'm just saying I have a hard time believe CPR is finding kids that NO ONE else knows about. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Well…that’s your problem, my friend. So, why is that?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I think other coaches know about them, and pass.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Erroneous conclusion, based upon empirical evidence to the contrary. I’ll even give examples below to refute your obvious denial here in a moment.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The only reasonable explanation is CPR is just seeing something in kids that no one else has prioritized. And if that is their recruiting strategy, and if that is successful, then fine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There, you’re finally starting to get it. Why was that so difficult? Of course, this comment also needs to make the last few steps...
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sure, Knott and Klein are examples. Knott is obvious, but Klein wasn’t even offered by his home state UW. Now he’s the reigning B12 Co-Defensive POTY/MVP. But those are hardly the only ones. Just a few others:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tom Farniok:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Starter as a redshirt freshman. Also drew notice so that OU jumped all over his next brother. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Gannon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Not even recruited by hometown UI. Played as a redshirt frosh, listed as starter as a soph.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Shaban Dika:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Aside from injuries, would likely have equaled or perhaps even excelled Gannon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jevohn Miller:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Played as a true freshman, in a position to fill in for Knott should he go down, likely to start as a junior. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]David Irving:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also played as a freshman, also set freshman marks for vertical leap and broad jump that rivaled (or beat) the best for a defensive end at the NFL Combine—both marks by USC grad and Packers #1 pick Nick Perry (who is 3-4" shorter).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Oni Omoile:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Raved over first by CPR for his character, then by Bill Bleil for his athleticism (32†vertical), proceeded to set freshman weightlifting mark. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aaron Horne:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] People complained because he had no other offers, and was “only Jantz’s buddyâ€. Big XII Newcomer of the Year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Albert Gary:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Signed out of nowhere after spending a season redshirting at a JC. Distinctly help win the OSU game. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Henry Simon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also pulled out of nowhere, this time by Bobby Elliott, as a valuable contributor last season despite lack of conditioning and camp time. Should be set for a good senior campaign. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Brandon Jensen[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Pulled out of CPR’s hometown, even I wondered. Played in prime time as a redshirt frosh, looks positioned to take a big step forward this Fall. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I suppose it wouldn’t matter (since some will say these guys aren’t “proven†yet), but guys who fit the same profile from the ’11 class who redshirted would include JaQuarius Daniels, Ken Lynn (KU jumped in late), Sam Richardson(cb), Rob Standard (NU only other claimed offer—and their fans denied it), Tad Ecby, Devin Lemke, Jamison Lalk, Brock Dagel, Quenton Bundrage, Quinton Pomphrey, Darian Cotton, and Jared Brackens. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From the ’12 class, Duaron Williams was distinctly one that was “known about†and “ignored by other coachesâ€, and Pierre Aka only blew up after he committed. There were also the likes of Collin Bevins, Kane Seeley, Mitchell Meyers, Devlyn Cousin (stolen away from that powerhouse So. Miss), T,J, Mutcherson, Charlie Rogers (not offered by hometown UI), Darius White (actually became ranked at LB and got an offer from Miami after committing), Jacob Dunning and Cole Netten. And oh yeah—Dondre Daley was nonexistent on the recruiting scene until his visit—and at age 16, he might be the Irving of this class. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So, what part of “proven track record†don’t people get? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Then there are the current ten guys that people are…â€concerned†about:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Emmanuel Bibbs TE 6-3/245 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Only played four games last fall, now OU is sniffing around. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Tyler Brown RB 5-10/180 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has breakaway speed, perhaps not a ‘feature back’, but looks a lot like ARob or James White—and that’s good enough for me. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Trevor Hodge QB 6-2/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has arm, athleticism and leadership abilities. What’s not to like? [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Homa OL 6-5/260 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Actually ranked at his position, still no other “big time†offers. Yet. He decided not to wait. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Alex Leslie TE 6-5/220 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Long, has hands, and can run. Physically, looks like our best HS tight end recruit since…maybe ever. Who cares about stars?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Kamari Syrie DB 5-10/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The one guy I have a question on. Honest. I’ll buy it with the CPR track record. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nigel Tribune DB 5-11/175 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Transferred from a nowhere high school, we got in on him early. Troy Douglas knows DB’s. People still complain. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]J.D. Waggoner DE 6-2/230 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I doubt he spends a day at end as a Cyclone, much like Meyers a year ago. In this case, he could be another Klein in the middle. That’s why he wants to play as a true frosh—on special teams. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Justin Webster ATH 6-1/217 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plays at a small high school—and may be the best overall athlete thus far in the class. And still people are…“concernedâ€. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]D.A. Williams DB 5-10/170 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Even with three stars, profile hadn’t been updated in a while. So people complained—until current offers were added. Oddly enough, when he was interviewed after committing. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now, to tell you the truth, I can’t blame people who might be “concernedâ€. Simply because they haven’t been completely informed, are ignorant of all of the facts. It’s those who take that “concernâ€, especially when based upon baseless assumptions, and start doing that “Oh, woe is ISU!†thing that bothers me. In spades. Still, being sensitive to your sensibilities, I’ll add this. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It’s not as if CPR isn’t also recruiting those three- and four-star guys, the ones with big name offers, or big offer lists. The simple fact is that none of them have committed. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Yet.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And that’s a simple and salient fact. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Take this one, straight off Rivals front page. His three finalists are USF, WVU, and ISU. How can you complain about that? I’ll toss in a few more…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Rashard-Robinson-135979[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Were in on him early before he blew up...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Cooper-139258[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]No stars--and yet a Notre Dame offer. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Bobby-Leath-138885
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Florida among the final four--along with ISU[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Trevor-Walker-138551[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-James-Clark-140963[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]...and I'd keep going, but I think I've made my point.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Some of these guys are simply waiting to see how ISU comes out of the gate--whether the OSU upset was merely an aberration, a mirage.Just remember--our biggest recruiting weekend last year was in November at Thanksgiving, for cryin' out loud. In the meantime, we have ten commits now, guys that CPR wanted, where last year we only had five or six. Do I really need to map that one out too?
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One last point. Some people dismiss this class simply because these guys are “just the same†as the last three classes. Well, I’ll give you a hint. The vast majority of those last three classes are rising sophomore redshirts—or lower. And those classes are better, top to bottom, than the ones that preceded them, whether Chizik’s or McCarney’s. Better depth. And if CPR can pull off massive upsets with a mixture of Mac’s last petered-out classes and Chizik’s variety-pack signees, why, what makes you think that he’s not going to keep on improving as his own players mature into juniors and seniors? Hello? The heck with hitting a plateau, Paul Rhoads is still marching his way up the hill—and hitting people coming off the bus as he goes! [/FONT]

 

[Clones85']

Tom Farniok: Starter as a redshirt freshman. Also drew notice so that OU jumped all over his next brother.

I found this quote funny. What do you mean drew notice? I'm pretty sure OU jumped all over his brother because he is 6'9 320lbs not b/c his older brother went to Iowa State and redshirted his first year

 

[Cy Hard]

But you said no one recruits South Dakota!!! Why would OU ever step foot in such a lowly state?

 

[CykoAGR]

Acting like Paul Rhoads knows about kids in Dallas that others don't know about is insane. Big difference between a kid being looked over in Iowa versus one looked over in Dallas, TX where football is king. Every program in the country is recruiting that area where as very few schools recruit Brooklyn, IA

Tom Farniok: From South Dakota. No surprise he was unrecruited
Jacob Gannon: From Iowa. See above
Shaban Dika: Hasn't played or shown that he can at this point
Jevohn Miller: From Brooklyn, IA. See above
David Irving: Best example you have. Nice find by staff
Oni Omoile: Hasn't played
Aaron Horne: Nice last second add on
Albert Gary: Was not an unknown. He signed at Ole MIss out of HS and was a big time recruit. People didn't think he could play after 1 year of JUCO but he was not an unheard of guy
Brandon Jensen: 3rd string DT who probably won't play much

Dont act like teams dont recruit anywhere but TX, FL and CA. Yes those are high concentration areas.

I still fail to see your point. So CPR is good at identifying talent in areas where no one else recruits but when he crosses the border into highly recruited states he all of a sudden forgets what he was doing?

Doesnt make sense.

Im not arguing that there is no room for concern whatsoever, but at some point we need to trust the staff that is responsible for evaluating talent for THEIR team. I dont see how filling up a roster with kids that cant play (not saying this is what is happening) would help them at all?? Are they just trying to get done early so they can have a week of vacation before camp?

 

[rainbowdolphin]

[FONT=&quot]CPR Recruiting Lesson[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]*I took a couple of comments from another thread last night, and will use them to illustrate and correct some misapprehensions on the part of some of the people here. Not to call anyone out, just addressing "concerns". [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One of the major concerns I have is that if these players that we are snatching up are borderline major college football contributors…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Problem one is your underlying assumption. Obviously CPR doesn’t feel that they are “borderline†prospects, or he wouldn’t be offering them by July. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]… that can be coached up by the Cyclone staff, why aren't the mid major schools after them? Why aren't they even hearing from the schools in their own state?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Simple answer, unwittingly provided by another critic:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I'm just saying I have a hard time believe CPR is finding kids that NO ONE else knows about. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Well…that’s your problem, my friend. So, why is that?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I think other coaches know about them, and pass.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Erroneous conclusion, based upon empirical evidence to the contrary. I’ll even give examples below to refute your obvious denial here in a moment.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The only reasonable explanation is CPR is just seeing something in kids that no one else has prioritized. And if that is their recruiting strategy, and if that is successful, then fine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There, you’re finally starting to get it. Why was that so difficult? Of course, this comment also needs to make the last few steps...
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sure, Knott and Klein are examples. Knott is obvious, but Klein wasn’t even offered by his home state UW. Now he’s the reigning B12 Co-Defensive POTY/MVP. But those are hardly the only ones. Just a few others:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Tom Farniok:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Starter as a redshirt freshman. Also drew notice so that OU jumped all over his next brother. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Gannon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Not even recruited by hometown UI. Played as a redshirt frosh, listed as starter as a soph.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Shaban Dika:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Aside from injuries, would likely have equaled or perhaps even excelled Gannon.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jevohn Miller:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Played as a true freshman, in a position to fill in for Knott should he go down, likely to start as a junior. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]David Irving:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also played as a freshman, also set freshman marks for vertical leap and broad jump that rivaled (or beat) the best for a defensive end at the NFL Combine—both marks by USC grad and Packers #1 pick Nick Perry (who is 3-4" shorter).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Oni Omoile:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Raved over first by CPR for his character, then by Bill Bleil for his athleticism (32†vertical), proceeded to set freshman weightlifting mark. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Aaron Horne:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] People complained because he had no other offers, and was “only Jantz’s buddyâ€. Big XII Newcomer of the Year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Albert Gary:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Signed out of nowhere after spending a season redshirting at a JC. Distinctly help win the OSU game. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Henry Simon:[/FONT][FONT=&quot] Also pulled out of nowhere, this time by Bobby Elliott, as a valuable contributor last season despite lack of conditioning and camp time. Should be set for a good senior campaign. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Brandon Jensen[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Pulled out of CPR’s hometown, even I wondered. Played in prime time as a redshirt frosh, looks positioned to take a big step forward this Fall. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I suppose it wouldn’t matter (since some will say these guys aren’t “proven†yet), but guys who fit the same profile from the ’11 class who redshirted would include JaQuarius Daniels, Ken Lynn (KU jumped in late), Sam Richardson(cb), Rob Standard (NU only other claimed offer—and their fans denied it), Tad Ecby, Devin Lemke, Jamison Lalk, Brock Dagel, Quenton Bundrage, Quinton Pomphrey, Darian Cotton, and Jared Brackens. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From the ’12 class, Duaron Williams was distinctly one that was “known about†and “ignored by other coachesâ€, and Pierre Aka only blew up after he committed. There were also the likes of Collin Bevins, Kane Seeley, Mitchell Meyers, Devlyn Cousin (stolen away from that powerhouse So. Miss), T,J, Mutcherson, Charlie Rogers (not offered by hometown UI), Darius White (actually became ranked at LB and got an offer from Miami after committing), Jacob Dunning and Cole Netten. And oh yeah—Dondre Daley was nonexistent on the recruiting scene until his visit—and at age 16, he might be the Irving of this class. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So, what part of “proven track record†don’t people get? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Then there are the current ten guys that people are…â€concerned†about:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Emmanuel Bibbs TE 6-3/245 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Only played four games last fall, now OU is sniffing around. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Tyler Brown RB 5-10/180 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has breakaway speed, perhaps not a ‘feature back’, but looks a lot like ARob or James White—and that’s good enough for me. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Trevor Hodge QB 6-2/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Has arm, athleticism and leadership abilities. What’s not to like? [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacob Homa OL 6-5/260 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Actually ranked at his position, still no other “big time†offers. Yet. He decided not to wait. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Alex Leslie TE 6-5/220 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Long, has hands, and can run. Physically, looks like our best HS tight end recruit since…maybe ever. Who cares about stars?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Kamari Syrie DB 5-10/190 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The one guy I have a question on. Honest. I’ll buy it with the CPR track record. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nigel Tribune DB 5-11/175 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Transferred from a nowhere high school, we got in on him early. Troy Douglas knows DB’s. People still complain. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]J.D. Waggoner DE 6-2/230 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I doubt he spends a day at end as a Cyclone, much like Meyers a year ago. In this case, he could be another Klein in the middle. That’s why he wants to play as a true frosh—on special teams. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Justin Webster ATH 6-1/217 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Plays at a small high school—and may be the best overall athlete thus far in the class. And still people are…“concernedâ€. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]D.A. Williams DB 5-10/170 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Even with three stars, profile hadn’t been updated in a while. So people complained—until current offers were added. Oddly enough, when he was interviewed after committing. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now, to tell you the truth, I can’t blame people who might be “concernedâ€. Simply because they haven’t been completely informed, are ignorant of all of the facts. It’s those who take that “concernâ€, especially when based upon baseless assumptions, and start doing that “Oh, woe is ISU!†thing that bothers me. In spades. Still, being sensitive to your sensibilities, I’ll add this. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It’s not as if CPR isn’t also recruiting those three- and four-star guys, the ones with big name offers, or big offer lists. The simple fact is that none of them have committed. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Yet.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]And that’s a simple and salient fact. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Take this one, straight off Rivals front page. His three finalists are USF, WVU, and ISU. How can you complain about that? I’ll toss in a few more…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Rashard-Robinson-135979[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Were in on him early before he blew up...[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Cooper-139258[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]No stars--and yet a Notre Dame offer. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Bobby-Leath-138885
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Florida among the final four--along with ISU[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-Trevor-Walker-138551[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]http://rivals.yahoo.com/iowastate/football/recruiting/player-James-Clark-140963[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]...and I'd keep going, but I think I've made my point.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Some of these guys are simply waiting to see how ISU comes out of the gate--whether the OSU upset was merely an aberration, a mirage.Just remember--our biggest recruiting weekend last year was in November at Thanksgiving, for cryin' out loud. In the meantime, we have ten commits now, guys that CPR wanted, where last year we only had five or six. Do I really need to map that one out too?
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]One last point. Some people dismiss this class simply because these guys are “just the same†as the last three classes. Well, I’ll give you a hint. The vast majority of those last three classes are rising sophomore redshirts—or lower. And those classes are better, top to bottom, than the ones that preceded them, whether Chizik’s or McCarney’s. Better depth. And if CPR can pull off massive upsets with a mixture of Mac’s last petered-out classes and Chizik’s variety-pack signees, why, what makes you think that he’s not going to keep on improving as his own players mature into juniors and seniors? Hello? The heck with hitting a plateau, Paul Rhoads is still marching his way up the hill—and hitting people coming off the bus as he goes! [/FONT]

Well Done! If you, like me, felt better after reading his post then give him some Rep

 

[ksclone2]

All of those examples you listed were opinions of people. Your disagreements with them is also an opinion. Neither are proven fact until years down the road.

 

[cyence]

This is the post I have been waiting for, most of the posters really new to settle the **** down, the recruit bashing is incredible and like a runaway train. Like someone else has said, enjoy the ride...

 

[Aclone]

Acting like Paul Rhoads knows about kids in Dallas that others don't know about is insane. Big difference between a kid being looked over in Iowa versus one looked over in Dallas, TX where football is king. Every program in the country is recruiting that area where as very few schools recruit Brooklyn, IA

Fine. Let's address that one single player then. J.D. Waggoner, playing at Dallas Jesuit, in Texas' 5A class--and a very good team. At least five possible BCS level prospects. May well be playing out of position as an undersized end--perhaps because the guy playing his natural position is an OU commit.

While other coaches are focusing on those five, apparently someone nudged the coaching staff to take a closer look at this kid--I'll note that they played Dallas Skyline last year. I seem to remember that we have a player from there.

In any case, CPR and staff take a closer look at Waggoner, who is lost in the crowd. They like what they see, have him visit campus, like the person they meet, and offer him.

Now, eventually, as coaches moved down their lists from focusing on the more "obvious" or "known" players (the ones who have been to big camps or combines), Waggoner may have gotten more offers. Especially as his senior season progressed. That's how these things work. Of course, the odds are that now we'll never know.

Just speculation, of course, based on thirty-odd years of following recruiting. My ties to the program are all long past. And no, I don't have a premium subscription anywhere.

Matter of fact, I'll remind people of one former ISU player who was an overlooked player at one of Dallas' other powerhouse schools, when ISU made him an offer. I think that Ennis Haywood did okay in a Cyclone uniform.

 

[kberyldial]

So to recap - he's finding quality guys that don't necessarily jump out at anyone and then we're coaching them up. If anyone with a historical perspective on this can remember Bruce and Duncan's staffs - there were great coaches. We beat OSU last year largely due to Wally. How do we on paper ever beat Texas down there? People miss the point. The bridge from the recruits we get now to the ones everyone would love to have is a HUGE leap. Not done in a few years - IF EVER. Gilbert Gottfried and Brad Pitt in the same Armani suit still look alittle different. Kids in Florida and Texas don't grow up dreaming of playing for ISU. We have big hurdles to overcome and Rhoads has done nothing but impress. Yet here we are.

 

[Aclone]

All of those examples you listed were opinions of people. Your disagreements with them is also an opinion. Neither are proven fact until years down the road.

So, it's just my opinion that totally unknown recruits like Farniok and Gannon are starters early in their careers???? Seriously????!!!!

 

[ripvdub]

No way JD Waggonner(sp?) ever plays LB. We need DL way too bad, we can bulk up 200 lb kids to LB easier than finding kids with the size to play DE

 

[Aclone]

People miss the point. The bridge from the recruits we get now to the ones everyone would love to have is a HUGE leap.

Great post...I am just going to quibble a bit here.

I've posted this example at other times, this si a good place for it, I think.

A couple of years ago, a prominent coach had all of his LOI's in the barn on NSD (National Signing Day), and headed home. Flipping on the TV to ESPN, he watched their Signing Day coverage. His thought in response to the players they were talking about?

"Oh. Those are the kids everyone knows about."

I think that speaks for itself...doesn't it?

 

[ksclone2]

So, it's just my opinion that totally unknown recruits like Farniok and Gannon are starters early in their careers???? Seriously????!!!!

I meant the examples of people complaining about who we have recruited so far this year. Calm down.