Parso, as the resident recruiting guru, I'd like to get your take on the different approaches to recruiting. What do you see as some of the benefits to Miles' philosophy of requiring no more visits. How do you think the players react particularly if they are still undecided? If a player agrees but then takes a visit, what happens? Does the schollie offer get pulled?
I like Miles' philosophy. We don't get big-name recruits early in the game because of it, but its how we finish that counts so I don't really care about that. If a player wants to commit, but still wants to take visits, we'll tell him to hold off commiting until he's ready and willing to not take any more visits. I don't really see any drawbacks to it. Last year, we had an OT, McCoy, and DE/DT, Luther Davis, that both took other visits after commiting to LSU. Our OLine coach had left for another job, and McCoy was honest about why he was going on the other visit (WVU told him he could play defensive line which he preferred), so the coaches let it go without saying anything. Davis is now infamous among people that follow LSU recruiting. He went on a secret trip to Alabama, lied about it to Rivals & Scout while it was happening, and then lied to the coaches when they asked about it. His scholarship was pulled and he ended up signing with Bama, although he was still texting our coaches to see if he could get on board with us the week leading up to signing day.
Thanks. All good points. One possible drawback is that they are young kids and change their minds on a whim. A player may commit early, change their mind but know they can't take visits so they end up unhappy? There may not even be anyone who fits this description. Luther lost points with more than one school. He was recruited by SC at one point and I know fans looked at him with great interest. We were pretty quickly eliminated but he made some pretty tough comments to another recruit about USC during a quiet period and took a bunch of heat for it. Allowing visits definitely has it's pitfalls. After Broderick Green committed he received enormous local pressure to stay in Arkansas and also to go Penn St. Up to the last day, I thought he might go to Penn St but he stuck with his commitment. He's a rarity though. You are so right. It's about the finish that counts. Miles is doing a great job there.
He did the same with a few big name recruits the last 2 weeks leading up to signing day. He would say that these recruits are going to come with me to Bama to the media without permission from these players. And he turned out to be wrong about all of them.
It happens. Even with the policy, we lose commits. I can think of two, a CB and QB, both of whom ironically switched for Oklahoma St, Miles' old school. What happened with the QB is still unclear but I think we cooled on him, and the CB switched after we got a commitment from a higher rated CB in Jai Eugene. If the commit changes their mind & needs to take more visits, no big deal - the coaches just don't consider him a commit anymore. Saban says, "You shop, we shop." I think that's pretty much our philosophy as well. I remember something about that, didn't he say that Pete told him McKnight would be a CB at USC?
He was playing everybody. One week he talked about LSU being the place he was likely going and so was helping to recruit Barksdale. 2 weeks later, he was gushing about the Seminoles getting his commitment because they'd always been his favorite growing up and he wanted to go there with Tolliver. Tough lessons for him to learn.
I definitely believe LSU will have a great year and an NFL draft we can all be proud of but I just don't see ours being quite as good numbers-wise. We are talking about the pre-season #1, and #2 teams, both LOADED with talent ........course we all know how that turned out last year with Texas #2 and ND #3. I'd thought about deleting it cause I hate to bet against LSU but like I've always said, I call it like I see it.........this is a bet I'd be glad to lose though: USC will have more players taken in the first round than LSU next year, or first two, or overall. Your choice. As far as first rounders, here's the ones I see for LSU: Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Early Doucet, USC: Keith Rivers, Lawrence Jackson, Sam Baker, John David Booty- depending on his season- and Brian Cushing if he leaves early (This guy belongs at LSU). Loser gets 30 days: No posting, no flash chat.......pms only. Here's the twist: The winner can waive the "Payment" off immediately or at anytime during the designated time frame- if they so choose........I mostly bet to make things fun & interesting and rarely collect-doesn't mean I won't, but just want to make that option known up front. You are being given an opportunity to make a lot of people VERY happy not to have to hear me from 30 days. :hihi:
