How will recruiting go?

[fingerdisco]

Can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic. I won’t be surprised at all if we don’t pull any four star guys from instate. Those guys have been hearing for years that they’re way too good for little ole Wazzu.

If the WA kids want to think they’re too good for Wazzu, so be it; what that earns them is a free ride to somewhere other than the NFL. Most of the pros right now come from Florida, California, and Texas. Washington is right up there with “outside the U.S.” locales for players in the NFL (I won’t link the competitor’s article but it’s easily findable) . If I’m Rolovich, I’m not putting my emphasis on Wa, I’m going to California.

edit--I should pay more attention, it was a Rivals article:
https://n.rivals.com/news/building-the-roster-the-states-that-produce-the-most-and-least-nfl-players

 

[dgibbons]

If the WA kids want to think they’re too good for Wazzu, so be it; what that earns them is a free ride to somewhere other than the NFL. Most of the pros right now come from Florida, California, and Texas. Washington is right up there with “outside the U.S.” locales for players in the NFL (I won’t link the competitor’s article but it’s easily findable) . If I’m Rolovich, I’m not putting my emphasis on Wa, I’m going to California.

edit--I should pay more attention, it was a Rivals article:
https://n.rivals.com/news/building-the-roster-the-states-that-produce-the-most-and-least-nfl-players

California, Hawaii and Samoa.

 

[fingerdisco]

California, Hawaii and Samoa.

For sure...I should clarify to say that you don't turn down talent wherever you may find it, but to say we're going to focus on WA is kind of silly if you ask me.

 

[BiggsCoug]

The NW just doesn't produce enough kids to justify having more than 1 coach make 1 trip through.

You have to fish where the fish are. That's SoCal. NorCal is an interesting area. Both the local PAC 12 schools are pretty high academics. A kid may want to stay close to home but if Stanford and Cal don't offer... and SC and UCLA pass... if they wanna play in the PAC 12 they're leaving.

If it were me running WSU recruiting... I send the entire staff to an area all at once. All 10 guys hit the NW in a day. See everyone there is to see. Then get on a plane to NorCal... 10 guys hit 4 schools each per day... You've seen anyone you wanna see in a week. The next two weeks are in SoCal.... After that, Vegas, Phoenix and any stragglers. The idea that you're gonna have 1 guy cover an entire area just isn't gonna work. It's too much ground.

The Texas kids don't wanna leave Texas. They have plenty of options there. The same could be said for Florida kids. Sure, you might pick off a guy here or there. You're not getting a top flight guy. You're getting a guy that was overlooked, maybe played in a bad scheme for his talents, etc. You've really gotta project kids.

 

[425cougfan]

Can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic. I won’t be surprised at all if we don’t pull any four star guys from instate. Those guys have been hearing for years that they’re way too good for little ole Wazzu.

I'm a little disappointed you don't know I'm being sarcastic, man ... come on, you don't have encyclopedic knowledge of the posting histories of everyone on Brand X and here?

Completely sarcastic. I've been right there with you, pretty much, regarding the debate over whether to focus in-state or not. The one potentially distinguishing factor is that I'm OK with dedicating a moderate amount of resources on visible efforts to have more of a "presence" in-state and to try to get some relationships with high school coaches, with the hope of picking up some recruits. (That's only if it doesn't materially detract from efforts in more fruitful areas ... any efforts, of course, by definition are taking away from what you can do elsewhere.) The new staff purportedly is hungry and willing to hit the bricks, and even though I don't think it will pan out in a significant way, it will placate various interests in a way that seems necessary at this time and, we can hope, maybe will let us grab a recruit here and there who UW or other Pac-12 programs can't simply swoop in on when the guys higher on their list don't pan out. (Note the reference to hope, not an expectation ... I know the history and don't expect it to change.)

Largely, I think the next couple years will validate Leach's approach. The further you get from Seattle--and even Spokane--the more WSU is a pretty good state school with an above-average Power 5 football program in a nice, safe college town that provides a great experience. The closer you get to Seattle ... well, you know.

 

[spongeworthy12]

Finally an admission you’re a waste of time.

The state is in lockdown in case you haven’t heard, so I have time on my hands. Besides, this could be considered a public service.

You've always had time on your hands to tug on the pants leg of Ed and Biggs dibbons.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

I understand the "swarm them" approach that Biggs advocates. That actually has some appeal for those high schools that you can schedule that way. There is still a question of which guy does the follow up if you swarm them that way, but there are a couple of ways it could be handled. That is not contradictory, however, to having a person or two with primary responsibility for in state "swarm scheduling" and then follow up after the swarm. Presumably we have a much higher % of in state HS coaches who have WSU ties than we would have out of state. If we ever maintained consistency in our primary person(s) for the state and formed some relationships with the coaches in the area we would be miles ahead. We had that with Levy in Tacoma, and even though he did not work his fingers to the bone at recruiting we consistently had some good kids from there. I'm not aware that we've ever done anything serious from a consistent recruiting standpoint north of Tacoma. Ultimately, those of you who say it doesn't matter where we recruit, so long as we get a good class, are right. But if we handled it properly, our odds of success would be much higher in state than out of state, and though there are fewer in state kids, the dramatically higher success rate would make it worthwhile. The fact that recent coaches botched the strategy for the in state effort doesn't mean that the in state effort is not worthwhile. And the relationship piece is critical. Our most consistently successful SoCal recruiters have been guys who had history there, and after they left us they still recruited SoCal for their next staff. It doesn't matter what you are selling...if it is to the same customers over and over (the HS coaches), then building relationships is what eases your intro to the relevant kids, and makes you credible for the first couple of conversations.

 

[dgibbons]

You've always had time on your hands to tug on the pants leg of Ed and Biggs dibbons.

Are you mad that I didn't say you were a waste of time too?

 

[etowncoug]

I understand the "swarm them" approach that Biggs advocates. That actually has some appeal for those high schools that you can schedule that way. There is still a question of which guy does the follow up if you swarm them that way, but there are a couple of ways it could be handled. That is not contradictory, however, to having a person or two with primary responsibility for in state "swarm scheduling" and then follow up after the swarm. Presumably we have a much higher % of in state HS coaches who have WSU ties than we would have out of state. If we ever maintained consistency in our primary person(s) for the state and formed some relationships with the coaches in the area we would be miles ahead. We had that with Levy in Tacoma, and even though he did not work his fingers to the bone at recruiting we consistently had some good kids from there. I'm not aware that we've ever done anything serious from a consistent recruiting standpoint north of Tacoma. Ultimately, those of you who say it doesn't matter where we recruit, so long as we get a good class, are right. But if we handled it properly, our odds of success would be much higher in state than out of state, and though there are fewer in state kids, the dramatically higher success rate would make it worthwhile. The fact that recent coaches botched the strategy for the in state effort doesn't mean that the in state effort is not worthwhile. And the relationship piece is critical. Our most consistently successful SoCal recruiters have been guys who had history there, and after they left us they still recruited SoCal for their next staff. It doesn't matter what you are selling...if it is to the same customers over and over (the HS coaches), then building relationships is what eases your intro to the relevant kids, and makes you credible for the first couple of conversations.

Agreed that relationships make things easier. But it's a matter of time management. There are maybe 20 power 5 guys in the state of WA in a banner year for the state. Of that 20, some don't fit our schemes. Once you eliminate the kids who dream of playing for UW (and get that offer) you are left with a small pool of players.

I thought Mele did a great job recruiting the west side. He pulled 4 kids out of Snohomish County: Josh Watson (Cascade), Abe Lucas (Archbishop Murphy), Fifita (Glacier Peak), and Kylany (Lake Stevens). Only Lake Stevens and Archbishop Murphy produce D1 talent regularly so he clearly was doing the work of uncovering talent. One coach can easily hit the west side of the state because there are are so few schools you need to visit each year. Hit all the powerhouse programs yearly and spot recruit the other places when they get D1 talent.

The sheer quantity of kids in SoCal makes this area a priority. Even if competition is more intense, pulling in 5-10 from Socal each year with another 5-10 from from Central and Northern CA shouldn't be tough if attack the trail.

 

[spongeworthy12]

Are you mad that I didn't say you were a waste of time too?

To that I would say you are projecting.

If you aren't aware of what projecting is, look it up.

 

[dgibbons]

I understand the "swarm them" approach that Biggs advocates. That actually has some appeal for those high schools that you can schedule that way. There is still a question of which guy does the follow up if you swarm them that way, but there are a couple of ways it could be handled. That is not contradictory, however, to having a person or two with primary responsibility for in state "swarm scheduling" and then follow up after the swarm. Presumably we have a much higher % of in state HS coaches who have WSU ties than we would have out of state. If we ever maintained consistency in our primary person(s) for the state and formed some relationships with the coaches in the area we would be miles ahead. We had that with Levy in Tacoma, and even though he did not work his fingers to the bone at recruiting we consistently had some good kids from there. I'm not aware that we've ever done anything serious from a consistent recruiting standpoint north of Tacoma. Ultimately, those of you who say it doesn't matter where we recruit, so long as we get a good class, are right. But if we handled it properly, our odds of success would be much higher in state than out of state, and though there are fewer in state kids, the dramatically higher success rate would make it worthwhile. The fact that recent coaches botched the strategy for the in state effort doesn't mean that the in state effort is not worthwhile. And the relationship piece is critical. Our most consistently successful SoCal recruiters have been guys who had history there, and after they left us they still recruited SoCal for their next staff. It doesn't matter what you are selling...if it is to the same customers over and over (the HS coaches), then building relationships is what eases your intro to the relevant kids, and makes you credible for the first couple of conversations.

Assuming it doesn't violate any NCAA rules, no reason not to do it. Standing out seems to make a difference, or at least keep you in social media mentions for a while. Why not have all the assistants hit the same area at the same time. Maybe get some free pub from the recruiting websites. After the swarm the area recruiters do their job.

Mele was the Washington recruiter for several years (after Yost left, which was 2015 I think). I don't think the strategy was botched. You allocate resources to get the most bang for the buck. People just can't come to grips with the fact that instate recruits see WSU in a poor light, and that every single guy will wait forever for a uw offer. There's about 100 years of history showing that. After all, no self-respecting four star recruit from the state of Washington would ever lower himself to measly Wazzu, the safety school. It makes no sense at all, but it's true. WSU has been going to bowls, putting guys in the NFL, breaking all kinds of records, producing All-Americans, graduating players, etc.

 

[dgibbons]

To that I would say you are projecting.

If you aren't aware of what projecting is, look it up.

• 

 

[CougEd]

Finally an admission you’re a waste of time.

The state is in lockdown in case you haven’t heard, so I have time on my hands. Besides, this could be considered a public service.

Ahh...the public servant in you. I think most have zero problem with dealing with me and letting me know their feelings. Surprised you feel the motherly need to take care of their interests.

The state is on lock down 12 months of the year? Holy crap, I didn't know that. Now that is your public service for the day.

And I do get your point, Price was simply better at identifying top tier talent that caused the highs, and he also had little depth that caused the lows.

 

[dgibbons]

Ahh...the public servant in you. I think most have zero problem with dealing with me and letting me know their feelings. Surprised you feel the motherly need to take care of their interests.

The state is on lock down 12 months of the year? Holy crap, I didn't know that. Now that is your public service for the day.

And I do get your point, Price was simply better at identifying top tier talent that caused the highs, and he also had little depth that caused the lows.

So, that wouldn't mean what you said there.

And your "talent identification" mindlessness is beyond stale. Every coach can spot the top talent. It's not difficult. It's not a superpower like you pretend. If Price had some mystical ability, he wouldn't have had the peaks and valleys.

 

[etowncoug]

So, that wouldn't mean what you said there.

And your "talent identification" mindlessness is beyond stale. Every coach can spot the top talent. It's not difficult. It's not a superpower like you pretend. If Price had some mystical ability, he wouldn't have had the peaks and valleys.

Price used to brag about being able to get talented kids who other schools wouldn't touch (due to grades or character) and getting them on the right path. That's not a superpower, it's a necessity when you are under resourced. As times changed this was no longer viable.

 

[dgibbons]

Price used to brag about being able to get talented kids who other schools wouldn't touch (due to grades or character) and getting them on the right path. That's not a superpower, it's a necessity when you are under resourced. As times changed this was no longer viable.

Prop 48 went away and the APR was on its way. He also quit taking as many risks after the 1998 Rose Bowl. The 1999 and 2000 classes were better academically.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I understand the "swarm them" approach that Biggs advocates. That actually has some appeal for those high schools that you can schedule that way. There is still a question of which guy does the follow up if you swarm them that way, but there are a couple of ways it could be handled. That is not contradictory, however, to having a person or two with primary responsibility for in state "swarm scheduling" and then follow up after the swarm. Presumably we have a much higher % of in state HS coaches who have WSU ties than we would have out of state. If we ever maintained consistency in our primary person(s) for the state and formed some relationships with the coaches in the area we would be miles ahead. We had that with Levy in Tacoma, and even though he did not work his fingers to the bone at recruiting we consistently had some good kids from there. I'm not aware that we've ever done anything serious from a consistent recruiting standpoint north of Tacoma. Ultimately, those of you who say it doesn't matter where we recruit, so long as we get a good class, are right. But if we handled it properly, our odds of success would be much higher in state than out of state, and though there are fewer in state kids, the dramatically higher success rate would make it worthwhile. The fact that recent coaches botched the strategy for the in state effort doesn't mean that the in state effort is not worthwhile. And the relationship piece is critical. Our most consistently successful SoCal recruiters have been guys who had history there, and after they left us they still recruited SoCal for their next staff. It doesn't matter what you are selling...if it is to the same customers over and over (the HS coaches), then building relationships is what eases your intro to the relevant kids, and makes you credible for the first couple of conversations.

You can schedule all of California that way. The head man makes millions. Rent a big house on the beach and bring the entire staff down. Have staff meetings at night. Clinic with high school coaches. Do whatever needs done. You have everyone there.

Fly wives and kids down on the weekends. Make it a work week and a family weekend away.

Every coach at WSU will eventually leave. Not everyone is gonna retire from WSU. As a professional you will need to have worked and met all the California coaches. You can't spend 3-5 years at WSU coaching and walk away without having met the big time SoCal high school coaches or the JUCO coaches. You have to develop those relationships otherwise what was the point?

If there were 50 high school kids that were BCS lookin' guys in the NW that seems like it would be a lot. WSU needs to be in SoCal.

The in state kids have made it clear they don't want to go to WSU. Hell, WSU can't even get them to step foot on campus let alone go to school. Now I dunno how great a job Leach did at building relationships. If the rumors are true, he wasn't even in town for half the year. Neither of those things are gonna help. Let's hope that Rolo can generate some interest. Otherwise, offer the kids from California that are looking for a PAC 12 team to go to.

 

[95coug]

Agreed that relationships make things easier. But it's a matter of time management. There are maybe 20 power 5 guys in the state of WA in a banner year for the state. Of that 20, some don't fit our schemes. Once you eliminate the kids who dream of playing for UW (and get that offer) you are left with a small pool of players.

I thought Mele did a great job recruiting the west side. He pulled 4 kids out of Snohomish County: Josh Watson (Cascade), Abe Lucas (Archbishop Murphy), Fifita (Glacier Peak), and Kylany (Lake Stevens). Only Lake Stevens and Archbishop Murphy produce D1 talent regularly so he clearly was doing the work of uncovering talent. One coach can easily hit the west side of the state because there are are so few schools you need to visit each year. Hit all the powerhouse programs yearly and spot recruit the other places when they get D1 talent.

The sheer quantity of kids in SoCal makes this area a priority. Even if competition is more intense, pulling in 5-10 from Socal each year with another 5-10 from from Central and Northern CA shouldn't be tough if attack the trail.

I like Bigg's swarm approach to develop initial contacts and make a list of who's worth further contact. Once you've got that list, you have to adjust from the swarm just to maintain some contact and continue to show the flag. I don't think you necessarily assign regions though, I think there's some value to rotating staff through. Additional benefit of that is, if you're always sending your DB coach to scout in an area, how well are you scouting DL/OL there? Send a different set of eyes, maybe you see something new.

 

[dgibbons]

I like Bigg's swarm approach to develop initial contacts and make a list of who's worth further contact. Once you've got that list, you have to adjust from the swarm just to maintain some contact and continue to show the flag. I don't think you necessarily assign regions though, I think there's some value to rotating staff through. Additional benefit of that is, if you're always sending your DB coach to scout in an area, how well are you scouting DL/OL there? Send a different set of eyes, maybe you see something new.

It's a group approach on whether a guy gets an offer or not- the area recruiter, position coach, coordinator and HC all have to green light it. So, the area recruiter is not the sole person evaluating an OL recruit. The area recruiter's job is to keep in contact with guys in his area.

 

[etowncoug]

It's a group approach on whether a guy gets an offer or not- the area recruiter, position coach, coordinator and HC all have to green light it. So, the area recruiter is not the sole person evaluating an OL recruit. The area recruiter's job is to keep in contact with guys in his area.

In the spring evaluation period a staff gets 168 days for the staff. A week swarm in Washington would take 50 of those days. It's a major commitment. If you are going to all out blitz an area, you need to do that in SoCal.

 

[dgibbons]

In the spring evaluation period a staff gets 168 days for the staff. A week swarm in Washington would take 50 of those days. It's a major commitment. If you are going to all out blitz an area, you need to do that in SoCal.

I didn't know the exact numbers. But it's not a big surprise since someone would have come up with the swarm idea long before Biggs did.

One "day" is what? One coach for 8 hours something like that? The idea being that if you could have all 10 assistants hit Pierce, King and Snohomish in an 8 hour day, you'd utilize 10 hours?

 

[PeteTheChop]

After all, no self-respecting four star recruit from the state of Washington would ever lower himself to measly Wazzu, the safety school.

D.Gibbons, you're one of the elite posters at CougZone but with all due respect that's not true from what I gathered:

2020: Alphonso Oywak, DB, Kentwood = 4 stars
2019: Patrick Utchinski, OL, Wa-Hi = 4 stars
2018: Rodrick Jackson-Fisher, WR, Spokane East Valley = 4 stars
2017: Abraham Lucas, OL, Everett Murphy Catholic = 4 stars

I think Cade Beresford, Dontay Powell and Thomas Toki were all considered 4-stars by at least one of the most recognized talent scouting sites and they all picked WSU. The Smalls kid was rated a 5-star last year and had WSU in his finalists and he's from Seattle.

 

[spongeworthy12]

D.Gibbons, you're one of the elite posters at CougZone but with all due respect that's not true from what I gathered:

2020: Alphonso Oywak, DB, Kentwood = 4 stars
2019: Patrick Utchinski, OL, Wa-Hi = 4 stars
2018: Rodrick Jackson-Fisher, WR, Spokane East Valley = 4 stars
2017: Abraham Lucas, OL, Everett Murphy Catholic = 4 stars

I think Cade Beresford, Dontay Powell and Thomas Toki were all considered 4-stars by at least one of the most recognized talent scouting sites and they all picked WSU. The Smalls kid was rated a 5-star last year and had WSU in his finalists and he's from Seattle.

I agree that he's not one of the elite posters on Cougzone.

 

[PeteTheChop]

I agree that he's not one of the elite posters on Cougzone.

Not elite?

He is in the CougZone Hall of Fame.

 

[spongeworthy12]

Not elite?

He is in the CougZone Hall of Fame.

Lol well I guess that makes it official then.

Sorry Pete, but just because someone posts here all day-every day
doesn't make them elite.

 

[dgibbons]

D.Gibbons, you're one of the elite posters at CougZone but with all due respect that's not true from what I gathered:

2020: Alphonso Oywak, DB, Kentwood = 4 stars
2019: Patrick Utchinski, OL, Wa-Hi = 4 stars
2018: Rodrick Jackson-Fisher, WR, Spokane East Valley = 4 stars
2017: Abraham Lucas, OL, Everett Murphy Catholic = 4 stars

I think Cade Beresford, Dontay Powell and Thomas Toki were all considered 4-stars by at least one of the most recognized talent scouting sites and they all picked WSU. The Smalls kid was rated a 5-star last year and had WSU in his finalists and he's from Seattle.

Sarcasm.

 

[dgibbons]

Not elite?

He is in the CougZone Hall of Fame.

And sponge’s 800th alias just made varsity.

 

[spongeworthy12]

And sponge’s 800th alias just made varsity.

 

[dgibbons]

Sponge on his way to Ed’s house.

 

[CougEd]

So, that wouldn't mean what you said there.

And your "talent identification" mindlessness is beyond stale. Every coach can spot the top talent. It's not difficult. It's not a superpower like you pretend. If Price had some mystical ability, he wouldn't have had the peaks and valleys.

Personally at the time of recruitment, I didn't know Hunter, Long, Childs, Holmes, Moore McWashington, Leaf, and others were top recruits. Erickson wanted Leaf as a frickin TE.

And maybe you are right, it isn't all that hard to do. Maybe Leach just never wanted anything to do with top recruits and settled for guys who could go 6-6 to 9-3 (except this year) and come in as runners up to UW.

You are correct in one aspect, 4 and 5 star kids jump off the screen. I guy like Kupp needs a little more of a trained eye.

I know it is quarantine time, and I get you seem to be bored, but you sure spend a lot of time even though you seem to have a lot of it worrying about my mindless and stale discussions. Look at Mik, he rants on, do I really care what he has to say other than his kid was sick? Nope. do I care he goes on and on? Not at all.

 

[CougEd]

Price used to brag about being able to get talented kids who other schools wouldn't touch (due to grades or character) and getting them on the right path. That's not a superpower, it's a necessity when you are under resourced. As times changed this was no longer viable.

Are you saying Leach was either under resourced or using a not viable strategy when he went after Toki and Price the olinemen? He went after lineman that were grade risks and hoped they would work out.

 

[dgibbons]

Personally at the time of recruitment, I didn't know Hunter, Long, Childs, Holmes, Moore McWashington, Leaf, and others were top recruits. Erickson wanted Leaf as a frickin TE.

And maybe you are right, it isn't all that hard to do. Maybe Leach just never wanted anything to do with top recruits and settled for guys who could go 6-6 to 9-3 (except this year) and come in as runners up to UW.

You are correct in one aspect, 4 and 5 star kids jump off the screen. I guy like Kupp needs a little more of a trained eye.

I know it is quarantine time, and I get you seem to be bored, but you sure spend a lot of time even though you seem to have a lot of it worrying about my mindless and stale discussions. Look at Mik, he rants on, do I really care what he has to say other than his kid was sick? Nope. do I care he goes on and on? Not at all.

McWashington was a walk-on, so Price wasn’t even offering a scholarship.

The magic eye for talent is a myth. Taking the best guys you can get that are too small, too slow or whatever every year is what happens when you get beat out. You keep acting like Price didn’t want the blue chippers, and his magic eye for talent guided him to Rien Long and Marcus Trufant. News flash from 21 years ago- Lambright got canned in after the 1998 season. uw’s recruiting suffered and guys like Long and Trufant who were waiting for a uw offer never got one.

You’re no victim. You don’t have to post here. You can use the ignore function. I’ll respond to your lies when I feel like it.

 

[mikalalas]

If the WA kids want to think they’re too good for Wazzu, so be it; what that earns them is a free ride to somewhere other than the NFL. Most of the pros right now come from Florida, California, and Texas. Washington is right up there with “outside the U.S.” locales for players in the NFL (I won’t link the competitor’s article but it’s easily findable) . If I’m Rolovich, I’m not putting my emphasis on Wa, I’m going to California.

edit--I should pay more attention, it was a Rivals article:
https://n.rivals.com/news/building-the-roster-the-states-that-produce-the-most-and-least-nfl-players

I agree with you, except that becauae of covid, its going to be harder to recruit outside of WA in CA, because USC, UCLA, CAL, Stanford, etc, are going to get them because kids stay close to home, because of covid.

Now maybe etown is right that maybe Rolo could convince CA, that WSU is a safe place to send their kids during covid.

But the problem with that is:

Rolo wants to make recruiting WA a priority, focus.

Now normally because of covid the thinking would be that WA kids stay at home because of covid and goto a safe place like WSU.

But McCarron, who should have been a Slam Dunk, shows how errant that thinking is.

And so what may happen is that if the 10 to 15 to 20 of WA's top 3 stars, 4 star dont choose WSU/Rolo, then Rolo/WSU might get stuck with a Paul Wulf class of 1 star, 1.5 star, 2 star, NR, whitworth, idaho, big sky, mountain west class.

Now there is hope, because if WSU/Rolo gets that 25th best in country, high end 3 star QB, that might be a catalyst to getting 1,2,3 of WA's 3,4 stars that would form the nucleus of a good class.

And even if WSU/Rolo get stuck with a Paul Wulf class, there is the hope that Rolo hss the magic eye for diamond in the rough, under the radar, Will Derting, talent that he could develop.

I agree with you, that I would love it if Rolo dropped WA, and recruited CA, where even high end 2.5 stars in CA are the equivalent of 3, 3.5, 4 stars in WA.

But Rolo is probably not going to do what we want in recruiting CA, and not recruiting WA as much, so Rolo might have to learn the way, if Rolo is not successful in recruiting WA.

 

[etowncoug]

Are you saying Leach was either under resourced or using a not viable strategy when he went after Toki and Price the olinemen? He went after lineman that were grade risks and hoped they would work out.

Leach took about one flyer per year and cut bait on plenty of kids if they didn't appear to be able to qualify. Jyden King got dropped this year for what I can only assume is that reason. If you look at the number of kids Leach brought in with Ivy league or service academy offers, it's clear Leach wasn't relying on kids with borderline grades to build his classes. Leach had more kids who were able academically play at that level in 8 years than Price did in 14. By a lot.

We can all agree the days of the pre-fall camp articles lamenting the loss of 3-5 of the most talented recruits are a thing of the past.

 

[etowncoug]

McWashington was a walk-on, so Price wasn’t even offering a scholarship.

The magic eye for talent is a myth. Taking the best guys you can get that are too small, too slow or whatever every year is what happens when you get beat out. You keep acting like Price didn’t want the blue chippers, and his magic eye for talent guided him to Rien Long and Marcus Trufant. News flash from 21 years ago- Lambright got canned in after the 1998 season. uw’s recruiting suffered and guys like Long and Trufant who were waiting for a uw offer never got one.

You’re no victim. You don’t have to post here. You can use the ignore function. I’ll respond to your lies when I feel like it.

He says top recruits to mislead. You said top talents. Big difference. Had film been available of these guys on the internet, we would have been pumped about them. These guys came in and held their own in the Pac-10 from day one.

Historically when we've landed Uber talents there is usually a reason for it. We usually aren't going toe to toe with top programs for guys we land. So you have to either find kids no one knows about (almost impossible now, though we found a few on the islands), find kids who fall through the cracks for whatever reason (Hunter Dale, Luke Falk, Tay Martin), grade risks (James Williams), and players with a flaw but fit your system. The magic eye for talent is a myth.

 

[Coug1990]

He says top recruits to mislead. You said top talents. Big difference. Had film been available of these guys on the internet, we would have been pumped about them. These guys came in and held their own in the Pac-10 from day one.

Historically when we've landed Uber talents there is usually a reason for it. We usually aren't going toe to toe with top programs for guys we land. So you have to either find kids no one knows about (almost impossible now, though we found a few on the islands), find kids who fall through the cracks for whatever reason (Hunter Dale, Luke Falk, Tay Martin), grade risks (James Williams), and players with a flaw but fit your system. The magic eye for talent is a myth.

Williams was more of an injury risk. He blew out his knee and other teams dropped off. The Cougars were the one major program that didn't.

 

[etowncoug]

Williams was more of an injury risk. He blew out his knee and other teams dropped off. The Cougars were the one major program that didn't.

He was also a huge grade risk. Needed a 4.0 his last quarter to academically qualify.

 

[dgibbons]

He says top recruits to mislead. You said top talents. Big difference. Had film been available of these guys on the internet, we would have been pumped about them. These guys came in and held their own in the Pac-10 from day one.

Historically when we've landed Uber talents there is usually a reason for it. We usually aren't going toe to toe with top programs for guys we land. So you have to either find kids no one knows about (almost impossible now, though we found a few on the islands), find kids who fall through the cracks for whatever reason (Hunter Dale, Luke Falk, Tay Martin), grade risks (James Williams), and players with a flaw but fit your system. The magic eye for talent is a myth.

Not surprisingly, Ed's magic eye for talent debate is an old and tired one. Certain coaches have the mystical magic eye for talent. Price had it. Wulff had it. And apparently Leach did not despite building his career on doing more with less. The big lie that Ed fosters is that the secret object of Price's desires were the underrated two star guys, and not the blue chips that he recruited but couldn't land. Of course Wes Rainwater, Aaron Joseph and the Raymond brothers are omitted from the conversation, as is Price's peak and valley cycles.

 

[etowncoug]

Not surprisingly, Ed's magic eye for talent debate is an old and tired one. Certain coaches have the mystical magic eye for talent. Price had it. Wulff had it. And apparently Leach did not despite building his career on doing more with less. The big lie that Ed fosters is that the secret object of Price's desires were the underrated two star guys, and not the blue chips that he recruited but couldn't land. Of course Wes Rainwater, Aaron Joseph and the Raymond brothers are omitted from the conversation, as is Price's peak and valley cycles.

Did you know Leach recruited more consensus all Americans in 9 years than Price did 14 years?

 

[dgibbons]

Did you know Leach recruited more consensus all Americans in 9 years than Price did 14 years?

Don't tell Ed.