Recruiting 101

mean green d · May 13, 2009

Anyone agree with the observation that maybe the next class in recruiting may be stronger, as it has taken some time for Dodge and company to get to know some of the coaches out there a bit more and build some ties in the region? What do you think?

GMG

eulessismore · May 13, 2009

Anyone agree with the observation that maybe the next class in recruiting may be stronger, as it has taken some time for Dodge and company to get to know some of the coaches out there a bit more and build some ties in the region? What do you think?
GMG

Well, I'd like to think so; however, the recruit I personally think has a big future at UNT is Tyler Washington, of Cedar Hill. His defensive coach (who has left that position since): Ron Mendoza. The others I'm really high on are transfers from JUCO programs that are not in Texas. I guess I'd have to go back and look at the entire class before having any real thoughts. I just gave my initial reactions to your question. On the other hand, I actually believe we need to recruit from a larger area than what we started with in 2007, perhaps out of a sense that kids just out of HS want to see new places.

NT03 · May 13, 2009

Anyone agree with the observation that maybe the next class in recruiting may be stronger, as it has taken some time for Dodge and company to get to know some of the coaches out there a bit more and build some ties in the region? What do you think?
GMG

Dodge already had the strongest TX coaching ties than anyone of whom we could have hired at the time. I think he ( I hope he ) is just learning how to recruit.

LoveMG · May 13, 2009

Dodge already had the strongest TX coaching ties than anyone of whom we could have hired at the time. I think he ( I hope he ) is just learning how to recruit.

the problem is not who is doing the selling but what he is selling. we offer extremes. play on the worst team in the worst stadium in the worst 1-a confernce. but you have a chance to play as a freshman, close to home, at the top level of college football, in a potential new stadium and can be the big turnaroudn hero the program needs to win. all equals soft verbals until something better comes along. such is our current existence.

gangrene · May 13, 2009

the problem is not who is doing the selling but what he is selling. we offer extremes. play on the worst team in the worst stadium in the worst 1-a confernce. but you have a chance to play as a freshman, close to home, at the top level of college football, in a potential new stadium and can be the big turnaroudn hero the program needs to win. all equals soft verbals until something better comes along. such is our current existence.

You forgot to mention the #1 selling point: the opportunity to get beat by a top 5 team each year.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · May 13, 2009

the problem is not who is doing the selling but what he is selling. we offer extremes. play on the worst team in the worst stadium in the worst 1-a confernce. but you have a chance to play as a freshman, close to home, at the top level of college football, in a potential new stadium and can be the big turnaroudn hero the program needs to win. all equals soft verbals until something better comes along. such is our current existence.

Excellent point. I discussed this with someone in the athletic department last week. It was a point I brought up specifically. After being told again about what other UNT teams were doing, I made the point that it didn't matter because the biggest thing any FBS school has to sell is football - with very, very few exceptions (i.e., Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse).

I'm to the point now where I think the athletic department understands the importance of the 2009 season to the selling of the program to kids (and donors) in 2010 and beyond.

We really have come to a crossroads here. The failure of Dodge may not be the final nail in a coffin that keeps us down (or send us back down to SFA and SHSU-level). But, if he does fail miserably this year again, the next hire must be pure gold. And, what I discussed was a complete Tulsa 2003-type gamble where they called an NFL QB coach named Steve Kragthorpe and asked him to guide their crappy, little program with a rotting high school stadium and about dozen consecutive losing seasons to sell recruits.

(Guys, seriously...Tulsa hadn't had a winning season since Gus Frerotte was fighting off teradactyles to and from class there at 11th and Yale. They were playing in the same stadium were my mom led cheers for her high school...back in the late 50s and early 60s!)

These two verbals are a good example, though, of what we need. Due to what's happening at SMU, Houston, Rice, Tulsa, and Baylor, we've got to have this kind of news around our program as well. I don't even care that the offensive lineman only weighs 240. Texas has a OL commit that lists at 265 right now. OU had a center who played in the 280s that started for four years and signed a free agent NFL contract last week. Look at OU's linebacker recruits last year and Texas' this year - they're look more like TCU's, light and fast.

The point is, we need positives any and everywhere. If other regional schools had continued to built up early recruits and we were silent, what would that say to other recruits about us? I could care less if the Hall kid stays or QB or ends up somewhere else. The point is, kids out there are interested despite the losing...and, that's what we need!

Go Mean Green!

Edited May 13, 2009 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

GrandGreen · May 13, 2009

Anyone agree with the observation that maybe the next class in recruiting may be stronger, as it has taken some time for Dodge and company to get to know some of the coaches out there a bit more and build some ties in the region? What do you think?
GMG

No way, will recruiting improve unless the product on the field improves. TD has certainly not enhanced his status with recruits by fielding the worst team in the nation last year. Any bounce he got from his great high school reputation is long gone, and the only way he can recover is to start winning big.

The allure of a poor team and the vision of playing early just does not sell. If it did there would be a lot more equity in college sports.

The Fake Lonnie Finch · May 13, 2009

No way, will recruiting improve unless the product on the field improves. TD has certainly not enhanced his status with recruits by fielding the worst team in the nation last year. Any bounce he got from his great high school reputation is long gone, and the only way he can recover is to start winning big.
The allure of a poor team and the vision of playing early just does not sell. If it did there would be a lot more equity in college sports.

Well, one thing's for sure - you don't have to sell me on the downside of Todd Dodge.

However, I am more encouraged this week than last week on the recruiting front. I saw what Steve Kragthorpe did with Keith Burns' ragtag roster in one season at Tulsa. Even if Dodge tanks again this year, I'm convinced that the right hire after him would be able to turn this thing around posthaste.

gangrene · May 13, 2009

I'm in favor of implementing an NCAA college football draft for the FBS schools. Just imagine...we'd have at least two 5-star players on our team already.

Question for everyone - if we had a legitimate chance to sign just ONE 4 or 5-star stud, which position would you choose? I'd probably have to choose DE or left T.