Gilmer Qb, G.j. Kinne, Decommits To Baylor

[gangrene]

This story is particularly interesting to me because I went to school with G.J.'s father. Many of you may recall, Gary Joe Kinne was the head HS football coach at Canton HS a few years ago and was shot by one of his own player's father, after a spring practice. He made a full recovery and led Canton to the playoffs that same year. Gary Joe was a standout linebacker for Baylor University from 87-91, and Baylor hired him as their LB coach in 2005. G.J. (one of 4 QBs featured on the cover of last year's Dave Campbell's Texas Football) committed to Baylor almost immediately after his father accepted the LB coach position.

Does this scenario of hiring an outstanding QB's father to your college football staff seem familiar to anyone?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...rt.333908e.html

Gilmer QB reverses field, commits to UT

11:35 PM CST on Thursday, December 28, 2006

Gilmer quarterback G.J. Kinne, who had been orally committed to Baylor, switched his pledge to Texas on Thursday night, according to Rivals.com.

Oral commitments are nonbinding. The first day a recruit in the Class of 2007 can sign a national letter of intent is Feb. 7.

Kinne's switch comes eight days after top-rated QB John Brantley of Ocala, Fla., told Texas coaches that he was changing his commitment from UT to Florida.

Kinne, whose father Gary Joe is a linebackers coach at Baylor, had been interested in Texas, but the Longhorns never offered a scholarship after flirting with Texarkana Texas High's Ryan Mallett and Brantley.

Kinne (6-2, 207) did not return calls from The News on Thursday.

Todd Wills

[MeanGreenBuzz]

I would say its a little different between LBer coach and Head Coach but still kind of odd. To commit to UT without a scholarship even with Sneed gone and losing their other commit... I have a feeling it was something to do with the offense that Baylor runs and the type of QB that Kinne is probably not the right fit and the Baylor coaches told him that.

[TicketJohn]

I really feel bad for Baylor in all this. I know it just how recruiting goes, but they think they've got their QB of the future...and the kid decides that he'd rather be a backup for the next 3 years at UT, instead of possibly being a 4 yr starter at Baylor.

I'm not really faulting Kinne though, he went where his heart was. It must suck for Baylor to be such a non-factor in the Big XII.

[Eagle1855]

The same thing happened to Texas the last 2 out of 3 years. Its just the way these things go.

I think it has EVERYTHING to do with Snead leaving and Brantley de-committing in favor of Florida.

As to why he would pick Texas over Baylor, well that's pretty easy. Texas will be mentioned in the national title race most of this kid's college career whereas Baylor will be lucky to even get to a bowl game. That's just the unfortunate reality of the situation.

[DeepGreen]

Who cares about Baylor?

[TicketJohn]

Who cares about Baylor?

To me, Baylor's just kind of a sad story football-wise. I really privately root for them when the outcome doesn't effect North Texas. Also, my wife went there, so it's a way of supporting her.

One of our first "dates" was watching Baylor beat Colorado back in 2003. The students tore down the goalpost and walked it across town to then-president Robert Sloan's residence and dropped it in the front yard. Baylor's been a tertiary team that I've followed since then.

Of course when Baylor took down North Texas the next year and Bears players commented on how they knew they could stop the Mean Green running game and talked trash about how NT wasn't very good, I was enraged. My loyalty most certainly falls with the Mean Green.

Make no mistake, I clearly understand why he picked Texas over Baylor. But for Baylor fans, coaches and other players, it's just a further punch to the gut that tells you you aren't anywhere close to where you want or need to be.

[UNTLifer]

See, Baylor should practice stealth recruiting so things like this won't happen. BTW, who cares about Baylor?

[buff64]

Can understand why the kid changed his mind and committment. Feel for Baylor , just has you had to feel for UT when the Brantley kid changed his committment. Baylor will be forced to change its recruiting stratgies at this late date, causing one to think again about an early signing period like basketball and the other sports have. Perhaps, football should have a early signing singing period,say three or four days in late Aug. then the regular period in Feb.

[GreenBat]

From David McNabb's Dallasblog.com HS Report

Texas gets another QB commit/Horns hammered as hypocrites

Gilmer QB G.J. Kinne has switched his commitment to Texas from Baylor, where his dad is a first-year linebackers coach (Gary Joe Kinne). G.J. expressed interest in Texas early but didn't get an offer when John Brantley of Florida committed last summer. There was conroversy of just how many scholarship offers Kinne had when he committed to Baylor.

Kinne (6-2, 200) is a dual-threat quarterback who transferred to Gilmer for his senior year after his dad left Canton to become a Baylor assistant. Gary Joe Kinne is a North Mesquite grad who was a linebacker at Baylor under Grant Teaff. Gary Joe Kinne coached the '05 season in Canton after receiving a nearly fatal gun shot wound from a disgruntled Canton parent now serving his sentence in prison.

National reaction:

Texas is being villified across the country a week after QB John Brantley decommitted from Texas to Florida and Texas fans howled about "recruiting ethics" and "keeping your word."

Sample comment:

Is that really what Texas fans are hoping will dig them out of the hypocrite pile...that Kinne called Texas coaches? Bwaaaahahahahahah!!!

Okay then, why didn't the Texas coaches tell Mr. Kinne, sorry son, you've committed to another school. We don't do that at Texas.

OR

Why don't Texas fans get on Kinne's myspace account and SCREAM and YELL at him, calling him names and all sorts of profanity for switching? That's as apples to apples as you can get with Brantley. They both decommited from schools. Both are bad people, right? Both need to be taught a lesson right? Go get Kinne!!! Go, run, go show the same lack of class you did with Brantley.

From Fort Lauderdale

More comments in dallasblog.com comment section

Posted on Thursday, December 28, 2006 at 05:52PM by dave mcnabb

[pollock]

The most shocking thing to me is that Quoner hasn't made a joke about oral commitments yet.

[Eagle1855]

its not unethical, its the way the recruiting game is played. Yeah, it sucks, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a person on this board that would object to us coming into the recruiting game this late and stealing someone's commits. I think we'd be celebrating it

[forevereagle]

This decision is not final just like the commit to Baylor wasn't. He could still go back to Baylor or even somewhere else. I wouldn't count a chicken until its hatched on Feb. 7.

[MeanGreenBuzz]

its not unethical, its the way the recruiting game is played. Yeah, it sucks, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find a person on this board that would object to us coming into the recruiting game this late and stealing someone's commits. I think we'd be celebrating it

I would be. If a kid switches he switches quit crying.