ESPN obviously does a very thorough job covering college football recruiting. Led by Tom Luginbill, ESPN.com has evaluations of players, schools, and conferences. Yesterday, they updated the conference rankings for football recruiting. The results may be surprising:
Just scanning the Charlotte Observer website and came across this tidbit: Charlotte West Mecklenburg Junior QB Jalan McClendon has commited to the Wolfpack. Here’s the link:
http://prepinsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/west-meck-qb-jalen-mcclendon-commits-to.html
Two things here interest me greatly; Jalan’s coach states that the Pack intends “to build a program around him”, and the fact that he was recruited by both Miami and UNC, two conference rivals including the in-state one that usually snaps up everybody locally.
Of course it will be some time before McClendon actually puts on red and white, so there is plenty of time for him to change his mind. But for now this looks like at least a minor recruiting coup for Dave Doeren and his staff.
If any readers went to West Meck, please let me know more about this kid. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has seen him first-hand.
The Blue Ribbon panel appointed by Johns Hopkins University to evaluate the pros and cons of joining a conference for lacrosse as an associate member has issued its report. The report recommends pursuing a conference affiliation. The Confidential believes that the ACC should add Johns Hopkins as an associate member for lacrosse only.
First, the ACC needs a sixth team. Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia, and it was going to be Maryland. The loss of Maryland means the loss of the 6th program.
Second, in Johns Hopkins, the ACC gets a huge name in lacrosse, as well as solidifying the Maryland region. The rivalries are there.
Third, this would be the premier conference in the history of… ever. Imagine if Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia left the SEC and joined a conference with Florida State and Miami. Regional and dominant! Or a basketball conference with Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and Michigan State. You get the picture. If you are going six, go all the way.
Fourth, Johns Hopkins has a TV deal with ESPNU that it wants to keep. The ACC’s rights are owned by–wait for it–ESPN. This part of it works. How would Johns Hopkins mesh with the Big Ten Network? Not as easily.
Fifth, Notre Dame set the precedent here with a partial membership. Not really breaking any new ground. And other conferences have allowed members for just one sport under similar arrangements.
Finally, the Big 10 wants them too. Perhaps. Maybe. Why be in a conference with Rutgers lacrosse, when you can be in a conference with 5 of the biggest names in, well, ever. Johns Hopkins looks a lot more like Duke and Syracuse and Notre Dame, than it does a boring flagship state university with 50,000 members.
So there it is. Everything works for this. We just need the ACC to beat the Big 10 to the punch.
Today is the day that teenagers–at least the slow-to-decide or overly-dramatic ones–decide which college football franchise they will be associated with for the next 4-5 years. There are lots of battles to watch today–will Clemson overcome Florida State in the recruiting rankings? Can Louisville or Miami make a run at them? Can the new coaching staffs at North Carolina State, Boston College, and Syracuse close strong? Will Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Virginia keep themselves close to the upper echelon, despite disappointing seasons? Is Notre Dame back? How about the rest of tobacco road–will Duke, North Carolina, and Wake Forest show that they are not just places for hoops recruits? And does anyone, anywhere really give a crap about Maryland?
Well, we know the answer to the last question–no! Even the Big 10 shrugs with a “meh,” and refers to maps and markets. But everything else is unanswered. Tune in here and elsewhere for recruiting information on this huge day.
Think back to when you were 17 or 18 years old. Like me, I’m sure you had no clue where your life was headed. Now, magnify the stakes. High school football players are thinking years ahead and their chances of getting into the NFL. Millions of dollars are potentially on the line. Indecision sets in. Every school you visit has solid coaches, tradition, and facilities. Some offer immediate playing time. Maybe your family roots for the home-town school, but you have your eyes set on a school hours away. Making this decision is hard enough.
Apparently, four star Denver Kirkland was taking too long to decide. On Thursday, rumors began spreading and confusion was rampant. The move seems almost inconceivable. You recruit a player for over a year. He’s a 4-star offensive lineman, the teammate of a recruit you are coveting, and from one of the most powerful high school programs in a state rich with talent (Booker T. Washington High School). But it happened. On January 31st, Al Golden and the Miami Hurricanes pulled his scholarship because he wasn’t ready to commit. Pundits and recruiting analysts were split. Some couldn’t believe you’d pull an offer for a kid you just spent so much time recruiting. Others side with the school, noting that you have only so many scholarships and you can’t run the risk of not filling your needs. In this case, Miami is desperate for defensive lineman. However, the repercussions and shock-waves set in quickly. Kirkland’s coach, Ice Harris, took to twitter to blast the school. He went on the radio the next day to criticize how Al Golden and UM handled the situation. Miami may have just burnt a crucial bridge and recruiting pipeline.
The Denver Kirkland saga unfolding in Miami is a text-book example of the crazy, zany world of recruiting. On various message boards, rumors (read: unsubstantiated and nothing publicly reported on) have spread that UM invited Denver Kirkland and his family on campus to talk things over. If you believe the rumor, UM re-offered Denver Kirkland and the recruiting bridge has not been burned. The Miami Herald reported on February 2nd that Kirkland said “thanks, but no thanks.” We really won’t know for sure until Wednesday. Was it a misunderstanding? How did UM find a new scholarship for Kirkland after it didn’t exist on Thursday? What could you possibly say to smooth things over? One thing is obvious: whoever gets Kirkland is getting a talent. I think he always wanted to be a Cane, but his trust may have been too damaged to reconcile. I think he signs at 9:20 AM on Wednesday donning the Florida State hat. The combination of Ira Denson and Denver Kirkland may just be the answer to the Seminoles woes at offensive line. Chop em.
National Signing Day is mere days away. For all intents and purposes, this is college footballs “free agency and draft” all rolled into one. Your roster is set, the foundation for the next few seasons has been laid. For an elite program, a few missed recruits can mean the difference between playing for crystal and playing for sugar or oranges… or worse, tires [take your pick of the lot of subpar bowl games].
If you believe what you read on FSU message boards, the sky is falling and football may not be played in September. That may only be a half-truth; the sky seems to be falling but football will certainly be played at Doak Campbell Stadium come September.
So, why’s the sky falling in Tallahassee? Florida State is on the verge of a recruiting misstep; one that might cost Jimbo Fisher his job. According to the major recruiting services, FSU has finished with top 10 classes in the past few cycles. However, when you look a bit deeper you notice a glaring issue. Sure, there are five and four star skill players abound, but where are the offensive lineman? Of the offensive lineman Florida State recruited last year, neither of them are on the team. Granted, both were junior college transfers, but that means that Jimbo and Co. are playing with fire. Not having depth at any position can cost you, but not having depth at offensive line can severely limit your potency on offense. Many Florida State insiders refer to the loss against North Carolina State as an example of this; our NFL-bound right tackle, Menelik Watson, missed that game. It turned out to be the Seminoles worst offensive performance of the year – the offense looked pedestrian at times and failed to convert on many third and shorts that could have clinched the game for the Seminoles.
Going back several years, recruiting offensive line has been an issue at Florida State. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense. Florida State has all of the other pieces on offense: a great offensive mind in Jimbo Fisher and blue chip quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers. A strong offensive line should be part of that equation but it has truly been anything but. The rumor is that five and four star offensive linemen aren’t terribly receptive to Rick Trickett’s allegedly abusive coaching style. So, maybe he thrives on “project” type players that are willing to work a little harder and be subjected to his coaching style. However, it’s not just the quality of recruits, but the quantity. Remember, Florida State did not retain either of the lineman it recruited last year. During this year’s cycle, while much is expected to occur between now and Wednesday, Florida State has 2 confirmed offensive line commitments and one tight end that will likely transition to tackle. What may hurt the most is that a long-time offensive line commitment, Austin Golson, decommitted just barely a week before signing day.
Of course, the irony of the situation is that the first string quarterback is Clint Trickett, the offensive line coach’s son. Clint is not the most mobile of quarterbacks and is more of a pocket passer. If his dad, Rick, doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, he may actually wind up costing his son the opportunity to be the quarterback at Florida State.
Florida State is aggressively recruiting two offensive lineman, 4-star Denver Kirkland and 3-star Wilson Bell, and both are very likely to join Florida State on Wednesday. However, if they don’t, I wouldn’t be surprised by Florida State’s struggles in the future. It’s like having a donut (spare tire) on a Ferrari; amazing potential, but perilously limited by a lack of quality and depth on the offensive line.
The Confidential 