Recruiting Concerns

[Velcro]

Aren't high enough for whom?  We should always go after the recruits that we want... which we are.  We shouldn't go after someone just based on stars.  You have a skewed view of how things "Should" be.

[Supersurch]

Look at Boise State's recruiting vs Oklahoma's over the last several years.  I'm sure Okie has out recuited them, yet BS beat them in a bowl game.  

One game doesn't define a team.

How about 13?

[ProfessaBull]

Instead of making vague references to some perceived recruiting deficiency, be specific so we can discuss it in a reasonable manner.  There are way too many posters in this forum that allude to some doomsday forecast and want to know what can be done about it without pinpointing the problem.  Help us see what you are having a problem with.

Normal

Nobody could have said this any better.  The "glass half-emptiers" on this board provides nothing concrete, just their "my right to an opinion" attitude.  

Measuring USF's program to the Jones does nothing.  There are so many variables to consider before an accurate comparison can be made.  Otherwise, you're just stirring up bad chili.    

You are WAY off. I'm a "HALF-FULL" kinda' guy. I've got a tremendous amount of hope and respect for my school. I'll be the first to defend and promote USF. Don't base you comments off one post.

[Guest r_to_the_izzo]

Professabull, the rankings (scout) have us at #44, ahead of schools like FSU and Louisville to name a few. Do you not see the improvments from years past?

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Some of you should think this quote over. This is going to be what our 3rd class that we would label as "BCS"? And we have already gone from mostly 2 and 3 stars (who by the way only have taken us to two bowl games and won one) to getting mostl 3 stars with the 4 and 5 sprinkled in.

[usfgrad84]

Once again it doesn't seem WE stack up well when it comes to this facit of the college game. UF will have the best recruiting class in the nation when all is said and done. That is to be expected, however, my concern lies in the fact that with MIAMI & FSU having "down" years WE have not capitalized. A couple questions...

1. Why or How does this happen?

2. What needs to be done to improve it?

3. Is this a CJL issue?

4. If not CJL where do you point the finger?

Who says we haven't capitalized?  Smazza?  If you are basing any of your arguement on his views on recruiting, that is your fatal flaw.

We are having our best year ever... isn't the goal to improve every year?  Your entire post is way off base.

I agree with this.  We just picked up our first 5 star recruit.  That wouldn't and didn't happen a couple of years ago.

We keep moving ahead and we keep improving.  I never undrstand the mentality that people have that about us automatically being able to rival Miami, FSU and UF after 2 years of being a BCS school.  There is no switch that got turned on.  We will continue to grow and continue to build.  If we have a year like Rutgers had this past year then we will really be on the map.  Right now I believe a lot of the kids are still up in the air about how we will really turn out.  1 good year maybe opens some eyes.  A great year to follow up really turns some heads, but make a statement on the national scene for a 3rd straight year and they will start to believe that we are going to be around and in the limelight for a while.

I believe we capitalized nicely on our success so far.  It could always be better, but that will continue to take time.

[Ruger7mmmag]

People have to see the big picture.  This recruiting class is the best we've seen in our program's history, but with that being said, we don't have much of a history!  Teams like Bama have won more championships than we've been in existence!  Think about that!  That's what you're going up against in this recruiting is the mystique these programs have over ours.  We had a great season, yeah, but our gear isn't being worn all over the country by folks repping USF like places such as USC, Bama, FSU.  These programs have folks like Deion Sanders, Matt Lienart, etc. giving recruits a call to follow in their footsteps.  Who do we have that can even compare?  

For our track record, it's actually quite amazing we've been able to put together this class.  We're going to have to recruite "dreamers" who want to be part of the dream of building the program; "homers"-great players who don't want to go far from home and "projects"-guys like Ford who were studs but had serious problems keeping them from going to top flight programs.

Unfortunately, you can only hit on so many "diamonds" in the rough to be a contender in college football year in and year out.  We may have had a great year this past season, but if we go .500 this year and lose more big games than we win, then we're back at square one trying to bring guys in.

Unlike at places like Miami and FSU where they can have a "down year", but everyone in the country knows that the next year with a tweak here and there they can win the whole thing and get the attention to play in the Senior Bowl, East/West Game and get invited to combines etc.

You may say FSU had a down year, but they just hired Jimbo Fisher and Trickett to go along with Bowden who has won more games than ANYONE in the game!  You can wear the same jerseys as STARS and HOUSEHOLD NAMES like Deion Sanders, Warrick Dunn, Derrick Brooks etc.

In recruiting, this is what we're going against not to mention most of the kids we're recruiting grew up wearing FSU, UF and UM gear all their lives bc USF wasn't even an option!

To even be sniffing the top 25 in this short a time is remarkable so I think Leavitt is doing a much better job than some are giving him credit for and his coaching job has been even better.

We're doing big things with way less than other programs and it will take 100% support to keep this thing moving forward or we'll lose Leavitt and asst. coaches as you never want to stop supporting a good thing to where they'll eventually ask, "Is this worth it?"  Because the chances of pulling in someone just as good is not great in a young program like this one.

The key is patience and after we start pulling a few consecutive years in the top 25 you'll see the big name recruites start to come.  Bc don't kid yourself, stars might not mean anything, but look at the names at the top of the recruiting charts and you'll see they are the same ones who finish in the top 25 EVERY YEAR in most cases.  We'll be there, but it will take time.  Enjoy the ride though bc we're having some great seasons programs this young never have had in the past of the biggest programs.  FSU pre-Bowden (when my parents went there) didn't win a game hardly ever.  So we're luckier than some of you will ever realize.

[ProfessaBull]

Aren't high enough for whom?  [highlight]We should always go after the recruits that we want... which we are[/highlight].  We shouldn't go after someone just based on stars.  You have a skewed view of how things "Should" be.

You are right, I think it should be that way too but more often than not we lose that kid. WHY?

It's not a skewed view, it's based on fact. To ME it has nothing to do with starts but you guys want tangible evidence so I guess I'll have to start providing it.

[Velcro]

I don't agree... at all.

More often than not, we lose the kid?  We get 25ish recruits each year.  Do you think every team good team gets every player they are after?  no one does... not even the "great" schools.  We might lose one or two big names that we are after, like this year Marve... or a couple years ago Ricky Jean Fracois, or last year, Javarris James... but that is 1 player each year, out of 50-100 prospects... how is it "MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE LOSE THAT KID".

We have a roster full of kids we wanted!

[ProfessaBull]

Professabull, the rankings (scout) have us at #44, ahead of schools like FSU and Louisville to name a few. Do you not see the improvments from years past?

"Rome wasn't built in a day." Some of you should think this quote over. This is going to be what our 3rd class that we would label as "BCS"? And we have already gone from mostly 2 and 3 stars (who by the way only have taken us to two bowl games and won one) to getting mostl 3 stars with the 4 and 5 sprinkled in.

is rivals up to date?

[Mama_Bull]

Yes, we lose some of the recruits we go after.

Yes, we have the best recruiting class we've had thus far.

Yes, we still have a long way to go (after all we are only 11 years in existence)

Yes, UF is ranked #1 in the recruiting game.

But, the recruits we get fit in the program well.  This year will be telling, but 2008, when the new recruits are ready to play will be the big key.

And, last but not least, the star ranking system is BULLCRAP.