Why do kids not want to come to USF?

[thatusfguy]

I was asking around to couple of people and found out that a lot of top recruits in the area are really not interested in USF. I have heard many explanations from facilities, no on campus stadium, lack of fan support, no real tradition and many other things.

Also which kid do u want the most, a side from wilder that is because we have no chance and if u believe we do then it is past the time for you to take your meds.

I would like Keith Lewis from Freedom just watched his film awesome all round player can play LB and NC for us straight out the box and has the speed to cover the deep threat but comes up and puts a hit on the ball carrier.

[SRQ]

USF is still the new kid on the block, and Big 3 have tremendous resume's.  Bulls will get more and more of the top recruits when Skip leads us to BE title/BCS win.  That will lead to sellouts and Bulls will get most of Tampa Bay's best then.  Never get them all;but don't need to.

[Mama_Bull]

I think the biggest drawback for USF football in recruiting top talent is being in the Big East. Very few ESPN top 150 players choose a Big East school. We've had the most recent success by landing Giddins and T-Rex, but IMO we'd have gotten many more such players had we been in the ACC or SEC.

Having said that, we should start to do better by having six players at the NFL combine. Putting many players in the NFL goes a long way with top HS prospects.

Winning the Big East and a BCS bowl game would certainly improve our recruiting to somewhere around #20.

However, the current perception is that the Big East is unstable and weak and that negatively impacts our recruiting to a point that it would be nearly impossible to have a top 10 class.

[Bull Dozer]

There's a myriad of factor but these 2 are the most important:

1.  Name Recognition in the NFL-Mike Jenkins is the best player we have in the league and even though he is good he isn't a household name.  The more successful players you put in the NFL the more players will consider you as an option, this is why Miami recruits the way they do year in and year out. 

2.  Tradition-Very few kids have grown up being USF Fans from the time they can remember and this is probably the biggest factor for instate kids.  Most grow up as a fan of one of the big 3 unless their parents have attended another university and even then when growing up in this state it becomes a choose one of the 3, or even choose one of the 2 (UF FSU) in some areas.  It's hard to compete with a recruits "life long" dream.

Those are really the biggest factors that are holding us down at the moment.  Facilities, OCS, and other things are nice but are usually not the deciding factor for most quality recruits.  If we can get more successful players in the NFL and start to wins some conference titles and BCS bowl games the other stuff will fall into place.  As much as some people would have you believe it's a **** measuring contest about facilities and having a OCS and what not its really all about putting kids at the next level and winning consistently so you can get into a kid's head years before he even has an inkling that he will play college football.   

[zarnozdabull]

Our campus. The whole Cold-War feeling it has going on doesn't help compared to the look of other campuses like FSU.

[Bullpride08]

Our campus. The whole Cold-War feeling it has going on doesn't help compared to the look of other campuses like FSU.

That has nothing to do with it.  In fact, the improvements over the last 5, and the new general athletic facility improvements being built for students will trump facilities at most other schools.

The issue is all about inbred feelings and opinions about football programs, and opportunities.  You're in FL dammit, the three other dominant schools (Big Three) as they're referred to, since 1980 have won 10 of the last 30 National Championships.  It's inbred within this state for everyone to presume that USF is lesser.  Have you been in many of these HC's offices in HS?  I mean some of them are littered with signed helmets, and pictures from players, and coaches that went to, or are at, FSU, UF, Miami, and even UGA.

Trust me there are lots of kids that want to play at USF.  If Skip ran around the state with the intent just to fill up his 25 scholarships he could do it in a week.  I know ten guys that are decent players, none with USF offer or any BCS offers yet but kids in the area that will most likely get a few by signing day, that would LOVE to go to USF.  But that is not how recruiting works.  Like Leavitt did, Skip owes it to his team and program to strategically pursue top elite talent, and decide which ones are viable options for USF right now.  Remember less than 10 years ago USF was a 1-AA sideshow, and these kids (that are juniors and seniors in HS now) were in their formidable years and attending parties with their parents to watch Miami, FSU, and UF compete for a NC and rooting for them.  If you're a parent, or kid, and you're 17, and you've got 30 scholarship offers, it's become obvious you're elite, and it was ingrained in you to believe UF, FSU, and Miami were great and send the kids to the NFL...you give them a heavy look.

The fact is a few of the local kids were never an option for USF before this....why would James Wilder come to USF when he can go ANYWHERE!  Win a NC, and 5-6 BE championships, and become a consistent sellout, get the new facilities built, and more built, and then maybe a Wilder would have a reason-- few Rynne Giddins in the world.  Andre Davis is still a slim option, JaJuan too, and Chickillo was never an option.  But don't forget there are great athletes in the area USF could win with if they get in early locally and show the love...Jorge Posada at Plant, Chris Moore, Charles Lovett, Alex Dixon, Keith Rivers, Andre Gunn...these are quality, quality players that USF has a real shot with right now.  Because on initial sweeps of the area the big boys overlooked them relatively speaking.

[bulldozier1]

Bullpride, well said. Give it few more years. Skip is a very engaging person. He'll win a lots of battles. If he pull out a win at uf and beat miami. And he continue to show his face on national tv. You'll see a jump in recruiting next season. My son is 13, and know all about USF. He played pop warner and college coaches is recruiting him now. I'll make sure he becomes a Bull. 

[flsportsfan83]

Bullpride, well said. Give it few more years. Skip is a very engaging person. He'll win a lots of battles. If he pull out a win at uf and beat miami. And he continue to show his face on national tv. You'll see a jump in recruiting next season. My son is 13, and know all about USF. He played pop warner and college coaches is recruiting him now. I'll make sure he becomes a Bull. 

College Coaches are recruiting your 13 year old son who has only played Pop warner Football? Interesting.

[Dogma]

Sadly enough... yes, it's coming to that.

USC is recruiting a 13 year old QB:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2670515/youngest_college_football_quarterback.html

[bulldozier1]

Yes, we have college coaches at these pop warner games. He was invited to a football camp this summer. Not by a college coach. You better believe these coaches attend those pop warner games in Miami/Dade area.