How great is this?

emmitt01 · January 29, 2014

As we draw near the end of the recruiting cycle and signing day looms how nice is it to be in the position we are in compared to years past?

ANY other season for the past 15-20 years if I had told you we got commitments from Willie Ivery, Fonzale Davis, Tee Goree, Rutherford, Anthony Wallace or Brandon Garner who wouldn't have been excited to see just ONE of them headlining our class? That they are on board and names like Caleb Chumley, Xavier Washington and Cedric Johnson are still there for the taking is amazing! Most years we'd be waiting it out to see if we could pull a major coup and steal a player the caliber of those who are already on board. This year we're squabbling over which cherry we'll be able to put atop the sundae.

We came into the class desperate for D-linemen. We have four committed already and are trying to close the deal on two more high caliber guys.

Add this to the VERY interesting QB battle we'll have this Spring and Fall between some talented young men, the walk-on program that is paying dividends AGAIN and the influx of quality transfers looking for a new home and you have a recipe for a lot more moments like that HOD victory.

Yes, Rick, it is indeed "all green and all good".

BillySee58 · January 29, 2014

I love the fact that most of our "cherries on top" have been popping since back in the summer. Getting guys on board like Fonzale, Garner early and guys like the Carthage boys, Andrew Jones, and Ivery during the football season has been great for class cohesion. Plus we didn't have to wait until recently to see we had a good class going.

I hope going forward that we continue to get quality guys on board earlier and earlier. Signing day will be shortly followed by Junior Day on February 8th and we will continue to reap the benefits of our momentum on the field and in recruiting in the impending months.

With events like Talon Talent and the Friday Night Lights camp I believe that the summer of 2014 is something we can all look forward to.

DeepGreen · January 29, 2014

As we draw near the end of the recruiting cycle and signing day looms how nice is it to be in the position we are in compared to years past?

ANY other season for the past 15-20 years if I had told you we got commitments from Willie Ivery, Fonzale Davis, Tee Goree, Rutherford, Anthony Wallace or Brandon Garner who wouldn't have been excited to see just ONE of them headlining our class? That they are on board and names like Caleb Chumley, Xavier Washington and Cedric Johnson are still there for the taking is amazing! Most years we'd be waiting it out to see if we could pull a major coup and steal a player the caliber of those who are already on board. This year we're squabbling over which cherry we'll be able to put atop the sundae.

We came into the class desperate for D-linemen. We have four committed already and are trying to close the deal on two more high caliber guys.

Add this to the VERY interesting QB battle we'll have this Spring and Fall between some talented young men, the walk-on program that is paying dividends AGAIN and the influx of quality transfers looking for a new home and you have a recipe for a lot more moments like that HOD victory.

Yes, Rick, it is indeed "all green and all good".

The question is, in the event we sign those top players already committed to UNT, plus Washington, Chumbley, and Johnson, will you post a picture of yourself in your "Pimp E" green outfit?! Right here on this board!

emmitt01 · January 30, 2014

The question is, in the event we sign those top players already committed to UNT, plus Washington, Chumbley, and Johnson, will you post a picture of yourself in your "Pimp E" green outfit?! Right here on this board!

I'll do you one better. If just Xavier gets on board I'll post the picture.

Ben Gooding · January 30, 2014

It's great. Build, build, build.

PlummMeanGreen · January 30, 2014

As we draw near the end of the recruiting cycle and signing day looms how nice is it to be in the position we are in compared to years past?

ANY other season for the past 15-20 years if I had told you we got commitments from Willie Ivery, Fonzale Davis, Tee Goree, Rutherford, Anthony Wallace or Brandon Garner who wouldn't have been excited to see just ONE of them headlining our class? That they are on board and names like Caleb Chumley, Xavier Washington and Cedric Johnson are still there for the taking is amazing! Most years we'd be waiting it out to see if we could pull a major coup and steal a player the caliber of those who are already on board. This year we're squabbling over which cherry we'll be able to put atop the sundae.

We came into the class desperate for D-linemen. We have four committed already and are trying to close the deal on two more high caliber guys.

Add this to the VERY interesting QB battle we'll have this Spring and Fall between some talented young men, the walk-on program that is paying dividends AGAIN and the influx of quality transfers looking for a new home and you have a recipe for a lot more moments like that HOD victory.

Yes, Rick, it is indeed "all green and all good".

My exact thoughts, E01, but since you've already posted them I can't really repeat them w/o being accused of cyber-plagarism?

Yes! :thumbsu: "All Green & All Good!"

DeepGreen · January 30, 2014

I'll do you one better. If just Xavier gets on board I'll post the picture.

Ha, ha! That's the Mean Green spirit!

Cooley · January 30, 2014

Don't know if we have to go back 10-15 years. The 2010 signing class was not bad.

In fact, I'd trade this class (2014) for that class of HS seniors right now.

Richard Abbe

Aaron Bellazin

Brandin Byrd

Brelan Chancellor

Antonio Johnson

Zach Olen

Derrick Teagarden

Mason Y'barro

Will Wright

Chris Byrnes

Jamize Olawale

Blake Dunham

What was so amazing is that had Dodge not felt the pressure to win right away he probably wouldn't have recruited 10 Juco's; that mostly didn't pan out. He also probably would have had an even stronger class if he were recruiting kids to play in a new Apogee Stadium in CUSA.

Green P1 · January 30, 2014

Very solid sports point.

Censored by Laurie · January 30, 2014

I love the fact that most of our "cherries on top" have been popping since back in the summer.

I'm not entirely comfortable with this verbage.

UNTLifer · January 30, 2014

Very solid sports point.

I think that would be a football recruiting point.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 30, 2014

Don't know if we have to go back 10-15 years. The 2010 signing class was not bad.

In fact, I'd trade this class (2014) for that class of HS seniors right now.

Richard Abbe

Aaron Bellazin

Brandin Byrd

Brelan Chancellor

Antonio Johnson

Zach Olen

Derrick Teagarden

Mason Y'barro

Will Wright

Chris Byrnes

Jamize Olawale

Blake Dunham

What was so amazing is that had Dodge not felt the pressure to win right away he probably wouldn't have recruited 10 Juco's; that mostly didn't pan out. He also probably would have had an even stronger class if he were recruiting kids to play in a new Apogee Stadium in CUSA.

I'm not sure how you left Zach Orr off that list.

Cooley · January 30, 2014

Sorry! I did see him on the list also. Just an omit on my part while typing. Thank you sir!

Coach Mac should back off the talk about how pathetic things were when he took over!

The 2014 class can only hope to equal 2010. All the more reason to totally blowoff away ratings and stars. Though Orr was our highest rated recruit (2010) we really stop the star madness.

GreenFlag · January 30, 2014

Things were pathetic when he took over. I still remember thinking just how bad we looked physically in Mac's first spring game.

That being said I also remember being excited about the 2010 class. I remember thinking how amazing a job Dodge recruited given the shroud of negativity around the program. The fact is he did have the juco busts and for whatever reason could never reach the scholy limit.

I agree about the stars garbage but there is no question Mac recruits more kids other programs want and they are sticking around.

GreenFlag · January 30, 2014

And...I'm more excited about this class than I was about that one. We shall see in five years.

Ben Gooding · January 30, 2014

Uhh...2018? More like 2015 or 2016 at the latest. See how they perform on the field once they touch it. I don't need to wait until 2018-2019 to evaluate this signing class.

UNTLifer · January 31, 2014

Uhh...2018? More like 2015 or 2016 at the latest. See how they perform on the field once they touch it. I don't need to wait until 2018-2019 to evaluate this signing class.

Really? What if we have a Wright, or Abbe, or Bellazin come on late in this class like they did in the class above? Weren't you also touting Berglund as our saviour at QB last year? Kids develop at different rates for different reasons. Rating a class b3fore they complete their careers is premature.

Ben Gooding · January 31, 2014

No, I have never said anything about Berglund, ever. All I'm saying is that it's not going to take 5-6 years to see how this signing class stacks up. That's crazy.

Cooley · January 31, 2014

So my question remain. Why even bother following this star stuff when history clearly shows, year after year, that it is 50-50? No one sees all these kids anyway. Many kids peak and many others develop later.

Milton Collins was our biggest recruit in the past 35 years. The next Earl Campbell and sure fire NFL back. Milton came to us already with the NFL body but couldn't find the field behind Bernard Jackson, Bobby Daniels and others. Malcolm Jones was a lightly recruited back out of Carter @ 5-8, 160 and became our all-time leader at the time. Of course Rivals wasn't around but Macolm would not have had any stars and Milton would have been a 5.

Nothing has changed over the years.

BillySee58 · January 31, 2014

No, I have never said anything about Berglund, ever. All I'm saying is that it's not going to take 5-6 years to see how this signing class stacks up. That's crazy.

Nobody said 5-6 years. 97and03 said 4-5 years, which is how long these guys play here. And as Lifer said, saying all you need to judge this class is seeing how they do when they first touch the field is just absurd. Guys improve throughout their careers, which is stating what should be the obvious.

BillySee58 · January 31, 2014

So my question remain. Why even bother following this star stuff when history clearly shows, year after year, that it is 50-50? No one sees all these kids anyway. Many kids peak and many others develop later.

Milton Collins was our biggest recruit in the past 35 years. The next Earl Campbell and sure fire NFL back. Milton came to us already with the NFL body but couldn't find the field behind Bernard Jackson, Bobby Daniels and others. Malcolm Jones was a lightly recruited back out of Carter @ 5-8, 160 and became our all-time leader at the time. Of course Rivals wasn't around but Macolm would not have had any stars and Milton would have been a 5.

Nothing has changed over the years.

How much stock you put into stars is entirely up to you. But if you follow recruiting you will always see how many stars are tied to each prospect. It's just a measuring stick so prospects from all areas of the country and who play different positions can be compared.

17 of the 32 first round picks in last year's NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars on Rivals. 12 more were 3 stars, most of which were borderline 4 stars. Over 50% of the first round picks in the NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars, but only about 8% of FBS players in college football were 4 or 5 stars. So the stars were generally right.

People like to point at the exceptions and outliers, but the star system is good. It's flawed by nature and there's no way around it, but there is plenty of validity to it. Also have to take into account that they're judging almost solely on athletic potential, which is far from all you need to be a successful D1 football player and make it to the NFL.

We see first hand guys who were unranked and guys who were overrated. My rule of thumb if I'm just looking at stars and not offer lists and film (both of which I value higher than stars) is to never write off a kid because he doesn't have a lot of stars and never assume a kid will be a stud because he has a lot of stars. Stars are not always reliable with kids individually, but as a whole it's a little different story.

Ben Gooding · January 31, 2014

2018-19, counting the '14 season that is 5-6 years. And I wasn't talking about RIGHT when they touch the field. When they start getting significant playing time after a couple years in the program is what I was referring to. People on this board are too analytical. Chill.

PlummMeanGreen · January 31, 2014

How much stock you put into stars is entirely up to you. But if you follow recruiting you will always see how many stars are tied to each prospect. It's just a measuring stick so prospects from all areas of the country and who play different positions can be compared.
17 of the 32 first round picks in last year's NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars on Rivals. 12 more were 3 stars, most of which were borderline 4 stars. Over 50% of the first round picks in the NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars, but only about 8% of FBS players in college football were 4 or 5 stars. So the stars were generally right.
People like to point at the exceptions and outliers, but the star system is good. It's flawed by nature and there's no way around it, but there is plenty of validity to it. Also have to take into account that they're judging almost solely on athletic potential, which is far from all you need to be a successful D1 football player and make it to the NFL.
We see first hand guys who were unranked and guys who were overrated. My rule of thumb if I'm just looking at stars and not offer lists and film (both of which I value higher than stars) is to never write off a kid because he doesn't have a lot of stars and never assume a kid will be a stud because he has a lot of stars. Stars are not always reliable with kids individually, but as a whole it's a little different story.

:thumbsu:

Cooley · January 31, 2014

How much stock you put into stars is entirely up to you. But if you follow recruiting you will always see how many stars are tied to each prospect. It's just a measuring stick so prospects from all areas of the country and who play different positions can be compared.
17 of the 32 first round picks in last year's NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars on Rivals. 12 more were 3 stars, most of which were borderline 4 stars. Over 50% of the first round picks in the NFL draft were 4 or 5 stars, but only about 8% of FBS players in college football were 4 or 5 stars. So the stars were generally right.
People like to point at the exceptions and outliers, but the star system is good. It's flawed by nature and there's no way around it, but there is plenty of validity to it. Also have to take into account that they're judging almost solely on athletic potential, which is far from all you need to be a successful D1 football player and make it to the NFL.
We see first hand guys who were unranked and guys who were overrated. My rule of thumb if I'm just looking at stars and not offer lists and film (both of which I value higher than stars) is to never write off a kid because he doesn't have a lot of stars and never assume a kid will be a stud because he has a lot of stars. Stars are not always reliable with kids individually, but as a whole it's a little different story.

Billiy more power to you with the star system man! I'm not criticizing as much as I still haven't seen or understand the benefit. We all can quickly identify the stud recruit by their measurable. A 6-3, 230 lb RB that runs a 4.4 will likely get a 4-5 and probably make the league, The majority of kids, however, will fall somewhere between 2-3. In my opinion, this is like a box of chocolates. The smaller range is so tight, you never know what you're going to get.

I don't go to the horse races a much as I did but I rarely tried to handicap a race personally. I let the experts waste their time. When the odds are posted I can clearly see where to place my bets; based on where the money went. If big money was waged on a certain horse, he became the favorite.

Determining how recruiting is going is very similar. If most schools recruit a kid, he becomes a the top prospect. A smaller pool of schools would mean a lesser recruit and so on and so on. I don't know If this makes any damn sense. (lol) so forgive me, its late. .

Billy, let me also congratulate you and thank you taking the recruiting season from the start to the end zone. Outstanding job! Hope you take a breather on next Wednesday but get your ass back at next Thursday for the 2015 class. (Where I need a summary of my boys in the 2015 class of Dallas SOC)

BillySee58 · January 31, 2014

Nor am I criticizing you for not putting much stock into it. The horse race analogy, while I don't go to the races, is actually a really good analogy. For each individual player, the stars they get mean nothing in the end.

Thank you very much. I am very excited about the 2015 class and SOC is a school that we need to absolutely make a priority here. This is not the SOC from when I was playing in high school a few years ago. Hopefully we get plenty of those guys at our junior day on February 8th.