How Recruiting and Results Work ( jmo )

[ShowDog]

_ I reread my post to make sure that I did not make any derogatory comments and I don't think that I did, but since you decided to make it personal Mandy, I guess I can throw my hat in the ring too.

1st off, I don't need any facts about any recruiting classes to support my post. All I was doing was posing a question about the quality of our Florida recruits. Some have turned out to be pretty good, some have not. It costs a lot more money to recruit a kid out of Florida that is just OK, when you can probably find an OK kid from around Lafayette. But since you want facts, I went get some from Rivals.com. Here are our recruiting class rankings for the last 5 years.

2007 - 113th out of 124 (1 rated 3 stars, Jermaine Rogers)
2006 - 91st out of 125 (1 rated 3 stars, Korey Raymond)
2005 - 72nd out of 123 (3 rated 3 stars, 1 still on roster - Deon Wallace, 1 quit this year)
2004 - 97th out of 124 (0 rated 3 stars)
2003 - 56th out of 121 (4 rated 3 stars, 1 still on roster - Jordan Jackson)

Let me preface this by saying that you cannot arbitrarily rank talent, but rivals.com is about the best tool we have to come up with an answer. That being said, you told me to get facts about our previous recruiting classes, especially last years. Please let me know what is so special about last years recruiting class. Looks to be the worst out of the last 5 years, according to rivals. No offense, but I'll take rivals opinion over yours.

Secondly, I am not talking smack. I completely support all of ULs athletes and I think our coaches are great people. I base my opinions on results. We have had 1 winning season in the 6 years that Coach Bustle has been here. We are currently 1-7. He has had long enough, I am not seeing the results, sorry.

Thirdly, you think you are sick of it? Wow, your son just recently came to this school so I assume you became a fan sometime in the last two years and you are already sick of it. Imagine being a fan of UL for the past 25 years and seeing the same thing year after year. WE are sick of it.

Fourthly, about the kickers dad. I said in my post that I just met the guy and he could be blowing smoke. My point was that I don't think Bustle does a very good job of recruiting this area, which he doesn't. This is not the first time I have heard of recruits not even being contacted by UL when they live in ULs back yard. That's all I was saying.

Fifthly, what in the world makes you think that I was talking about your son? I don't even know who your son is. And don't believe the national media when they tell you that Nick Saban used the word coonass and WE consider it derogatory. I AM A LITTLE COONASS and proud of it, like a lot of cajuns are.

Sixthly, please don't pull that "why don't you get out there and play" bull____. I a little too old to be doing that, but let me tell you something. If I was blessed with some of these kids size, I would have been out there when I was in school. I played plenty of sports, and just because someone may not have the talent to play college ball does not mean that they can't be critical of the program that they spend there hard earned money supporting.

And finally, in regards to my "mouth". If you took offense to the word coon ass, I apologize. If you're not from here, maybe you don't quite understand what I meant by that and I am sorry if you took it the wrong way. But perhaps before you jump in here and go off on somebody's "mouth", you should take a second and think about the lifelong fans that spend the money that is currently paying for your son's education. Maybe you should show me some respect.

If any players read this, I'm sure you can handle it. If this hurts your feelings, then maybe you're not cut out for college athletics. If your goal is to go pro, better get accustomed to criticism. _

HIP HIP HOORAY HIP HIP HOORAY HIP HIP HOORAY

[crazyraginmomma]

CajunShocker:

Rivals can't evaluate you if you don't sign up with them. Not every high school recruit signs up with Rivals. Rivals is in this to make money. If you are good enough to play at that next level, you will be found, you do your homework and you advertise youself. Thinking that just because you signed up on Rivals and they evaluated you is going to get you a scholarship is ridiculous. This is the exact reason we have started a website to help players, parents and fans understand the recruiting process.

I wish I could speed the clock up to the spring game next year. For all the non-believers, you're going to miss out if you jump ship now.

[Clutch0364]

_ CajunShocker:

Rivals can't evaluate you if you don't sign up with them. Not every high school recruit signs up with Rivals. Rivals is in this to make money. If you are good enough to play at that next level, you will be found, you do your homework and you advertise youself. Thinking that just because you signed up on Rivals and they evaluated you is going to get you a scholarship is ridiculous. This is the exact reason we have started a website to help players, parents and fans understand the recruiting process.

I wish I could speed the clock up to the spring game next year. For all the non-believers, you're going to miss out if you jump ship now. _

None of us are jumping ship...i will always support the players. My feelings are that this team has the talent to win right now and we aren't so whose fault is that...the Head Coach!!! I do not think Bustle needs to be given more time to prove anything, what if he is given another year and he wins 6 games next year...6 wins isn't good enough, he has been here 6 years he shouldn't have shown a lot more than he has...if all we can hope for is a .500 record then get rid of the guy now and get a guy in here who will not make excuses and who will expect to win more than 50% of the time.

I like bustle he was the right guy at the right time but now I think it is time for someone else to get us to the next level and I do not think I or anyone else is wrong for thinking that way.

[Just1More]

Rivals is pretty slick for the top 50 D1A schools recruiting comparisons and for players rated with 3 stars and above. For UL and the SBC, it is not worth the time to read (for now).

As for the comment of people not sticking around to see how well our recent recruits will impact next year... I doubt anyone on here is turning their back on UL football. We are disgruntled, and have a right to be. I know we are young and inexperienced on the field... but defense is mostly about overall athletic ability and coaching that knows how to harness that ability. By this time of the year, even with youth, we should be seeing evidence of emerging talent and definitely coaching. I see heart and some talent (mental and athleticism) in individuals, but not in total defense. I do consider the youthful OL a big issue for offense... but I haven't been that altogether critical of our offensive players (offensive coaching... I have criticism).

As for recruiting and other complaints about this staff... when you are losing, no stone shall remain unthrown. It's one of the laws of the universe and has yet to be disproven.

[Zeebart21]

CajunShocker:

Rivals can't evaluate you if you don't sign up with them. Not every high school recruit signs up with Rivals. Rivals is in this to make money. If you are good enough to play at that next level, you will be found, you do your homework and you advertise youself. Thinking that just because you signed up on Rivals and they evaluated you is going to get you a scholarship is ridiculous. This is the exact reason we have started a website to help players, parents and fans understand the recruiting process.

I wish I could speed the clock up to the spring game next year. For all the non-believers, you're going to miss out if you jump ship now.

No jumping ship, here! Frustration, maybe? I am always Cajun!

Z

[CajunShocker]

_ CajunShocker:

Rivals can't evaluate you if you don't sign up with them. Not every high school recruit signs up with Rivals. Rivals is in this to make money. If you are good enough to play at that next level, you will be found, you do your homework and you advertise youself. Thinking that just because you signed up on Rivals and they evaluated you is going to get you a scholarship is ridiculous. This is the exact reason we have started a website to help players, parents and fans understand the recruiting process.

I wish I could speed the clock up to the spring game next year. For all the non-believers, you're going to miss out if you jump ship now. _

Yeah, I know those recruiting sites have to be taken with a grain of salt. Same thing with Scout.com. Some people think it is biased either for or against southern players, I don't remember which one. But as far as a tool for fans to use, we really don't have any other way to make a judgement about talent.

If anyone can remember the Marty Fletcher years, with Butch Pierre doing the majority of the recruiting. We had gobs of talent with Kevin Brooks, Sidney Grider, Aaron Mitchell, Todd Hill, Marcus Stokes, and on and on and on. Fletcher couldn't coach his way out of a wet paper bag, but our talent carried us to the NCAA tournament. LSU's resurgence in basketball these past couple years has one thing in common with Fletcher-coached teams. You got it, Butch Pierre. The reason I bring it up is because it is a good example of good recruiting being able to overshadow so-so coaching. Basketball is also a sport where a couple good players can make a much bigger difference than in football, so it could be a bad comparison, but oh well.

As far as next years spring game, you don't know how hard I am praying you are right.

[crazyraginmomma]

No one is more frustrated than the players, coaches and their families. I would have lost the ranch if anyone would have told me this is what our first season at UL was going to be like. But I will bet the ranch on next year.

FYI-the top 50 D1's can afford to put all their recruits on Rivals. It makes then look even more powerful.

[Turbine]

. . . But I will bet the ranch on next year.

Me too.

[Etowncajun]

I just don't see were we are going to be so much better next year, when all this youth playing now is not performing well. Are they truly going to perform better in the new system next year? Is there that much talent reshirted or riding the pine to allow older players their time? If so, why would coach not put his best out there knowing we are a step slow and getting pounded weekly? I do hope that next year is great for all of us. Geaux cajuns!!

[CajunAmos]

Experience does tend to improve ones play. College is a large step up from most high school situations, both academically and athletically. You're trying to learn new systems, usually multiple ones, which are vastly more complicated than anything they are used to running. You want players to know the system so well that they can just react to what they're seeing, and not have to think about if they're in the right place. You can take a team of the best five star prospects from high school and they can't compete with a normal college team with experienced players, just like you can take the best college team and compete with a poor professional team. It takes experience to learn the system, and it takes experience to know what to expect from the other players on your team. Even if all the players were first timers, but athletically what you feel can be competitive, they'll be better the next year by virtue of the experience they've gained by playing.