I don't know Miles' policy, but I think it's unrealistic to expect these kids to stop taking visits after making a verbal. Some just want to take all their paid trips to have some fun, and others may have been pressured into making a verbal and truly have second thoughts. They are kids. If that is indeed Miles' policy, and those of you who agree with it, then is it hypocritical to be recruiting kids who are verbally committed to another school? Sounds like a double standard to me.
That's how I kinda feel. As long as we continue to recruit players that are committed to other programs, I don't think Miles can say he'll pull your scholly if you visit some place else, but I do feel that Miles should adopt the policy that if you're still GOING to visit other places, don't commit until you're done with your visits.
If they still want to take their visits, then we tell them to hold off on their commitment. I believe it was Luther Davis that was going to have a press conference to announce where he was going to school early in the process. The coaches told him no thanks, go take your visits & when you are done you can commit. It isn't hypocritical to recruit kids that are committed to other schools because we ask them if they want us to continue to contact them. If they tell us no, then we don't actively persue them. We still keep some tabs on them to make sure nothing changes though.
But that is exactly what other schools are doing with our verbals. It's not like anyone is forcing Davis, or any of our verbals, to visit other schools. He must have told Bama it's ok to continue to recruit him. I don't see the difference.
If our kids want the other school to continue to recruit them, then there is nothing that we can do. We don't tell them who they can & can't talk to. If they take a visit, then we will no longer consider them a commit. Maybe they will still get an offer, maybe not - it depends on our needs I suppose. When we recruit kids that are commits to other schools, they know their school's policy. I imagine many of them have one similar to our's. It is up to the recruits to chose whether it is worth it or not, not our coaches.
I have never been upset with athletes who have committed to one school continuing to visit others. For one thing, until they put their signature on paper, nothing is etched in granite. What college they will attend is a huge decision and you can't blame them for making sure they have made the right decision. In addition, when they visit a school they are treated like royalty. You really can't blame them for getting as much out of their recruiting experience as they can. I completely understand Miles' request that those who have made their committment to LSU not make any other visits, and it would certainly be to our advantage that they honor his request, but I am not going to criticize those athletes who decide not to.
One thing about commitment is that I feel that one shouldn't, and need not commit unless you are sure. Not good to take " a bird in the hand while looking at the birds in the bush" approach. I know it is a big decision, and every recruit should give themselves all the time to evaluate the programs they are interested in before jumping into a decision. Imagine that scenario when you do that to your fiancee.......:dis:
Then wouldn't it be better if they not make ANY commitment then? Until they KNOW where they want to be? I mean, I don't have a problem with recruits wanting to take all 5 visits either, but don't commit to one program today and then visit another one next week and then commit to them. That doesn't give a good impression with reguards to your character, IMO.
Exactly! I agree with you. I dont think it shows good character when you commit to a school, then shop your services elsewhere. Besides that it can mess up a schools entire plans in their recruitment strategy. Lets take a look at LSU this year. Jarrett Lee might actually be the most important recruit this year. Considering LSU isnt known as being a big QB recruiting machine on a year to year basis, like say USC. Who every year gets a top QB. LSU will recruit a big name QB every few years. Anyways, Lee fills a pretty big void. He is committed to LSU right now. Now if he decides to take a visit a week before signing day to Texas and loves it there so he commits. That pretty much destroys LSUs plans. We cant just go find a big name QB at the last second. Ive mentioned many times, Im not a fan of committing and then backing out. I know these are young kids, but still you should make sure. IMO there shouldnt be commitments. You should just sign a LOI. I do feel that in the event of a coaching change or some type of investigation which may lead to repremands that a player should be able to back out of a commitment or LOI.
I completely agree with your assesment of Jarrett Lee and how much he means to LSU and the QB position. As for the whole "commitment and then still shopping around" thing, I have much more respect for players like Chad Jones, Toliver and McKnight--reguardless of if we land any or all of them. I appreciate the fact that, even if they secretly know where they want to go, as long as they're still visiting places, they simply don't pull the trigger and commit for the sake of doing it. They wait, get all their information and then announce. Now, I know it's a little different with those 3 because nearly every school would almost always hold a spot for each of them, but your 3-star recruit?? ughhhh...perhaps those guys may get left out if they wait too long to choose. So in the grand scheme of things, if you're a blue chipper, you have the luxery of taking your time. If you're a lower-end recuit but good enough for a BCS school (like pretty much all 3-star players are), then you need to take your visits early, gather your information timely, and then make a choice. No doubt about it, recruiting seems to be more harder on the 3-stars and a few 4-star players than it is the 5-stars.
