UL football gets third commitment

[CajunNation]

I say dip into the Juco ranks for an established D-Line. Get a whole slew of hog-mollies in there and take care of that problem ASAP!

You're a couple years late on this one.

I was praying for JUCO DT's and LB's 2 years ago.

Ya think we could have used them this year?

[Parrott]

_ This topic is something I have been wondering about for some time and would really appreciate people "in the know" to enlighten me. Looking up past recruiting lists for most D-1 programs, those Parrott mentioned along with Nebraska, Florida, whoever....many of them sign numbers in the twenties and sometimes thirties year after year, not just on occasion. This seems like the norm, I don't understand why we are doing something different, our numbers are always low. It seems to me that most of these programs are taking chances signing players that will never step on the field for them, but what puzzles me is that we are the ones that are out of sync with everyone else and with our lack of success, and those programs having success, we are the program that has the problem. I know this is a small piece of the big pie in recruiting, but this just sticks out like a sore thumb. Why are we different? _

Probably the biggest difference is that the Nebraskas, Floridas and Alabamas can afford to take a risk on more prospects every year. If they don't qualify send them JUCO and you've got a line of other recruits ready to step in. Quality depth is rarely an issue at those schools.

The process is just different outside of those top-level, elite programs. For other programs, more emphasis is put on player development. Every recruiting class has a couple of guys that were overlooked because they were an inch too short, one-tenth of a second too slow or didn't get to play at their projected college position for whatever reason. Sometime the risk pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Those guys rarely get a chance to play at a major BCS conference school.

Instead, guys like Delhomme, Stokley, Fenroy, etc., sometimes go to a school like UL and develop into a top-level player, proving that recruiting is an inexact science.

[HOUCajun]

_ You're a couple years late on this one.

I was praying for JUCO DT's and LB's 2 years ago.

Ya think we could have used them this year? _

Didn't we sign a 4 star DT who went home? Woulda helped for sure.

[Just1More]

_ Probably the biggest difference is that the Nebraskas, Floridas and Alabamas can afford to take a risk on more prospects every year. If they don't qualify send them JUCO and you've got a line of other recruits ready to step in. Quality depth is rarely an issue at those schools.

The process is just different outside of those top-level, elite programs. For other programs, more emphasis is put on player development. Every recruiting class has a couple of guys that were overlooked because they were an inch too short, one-tenth of a second too slow or didn't get to play at their projected college position for whatever reason. Sometime the risk pays off and sometimes it doesn't. Those guys rarely get a chance to play at a major BCS conference school.

Instead, guys like Delhomme, Stokley, Fenroy, etc., sometimes go to a school like UL and develop into a top-level player, proving that recruiting is an inexact science. _

ULGrad@HOU and I were talking about this the other day... and I think his question is more about why Troy, Tech, and even ULM commit so many people so much sooner than us. I've heard the academic reasons surrounding Troy... but why is it, in your opinion, we get such a slow commitment list when other mid-majors lists load up so quick?

I want your absolute raw thoughts, if you will, even if it doesn't make us look pretty.

[Zeebart21]

_ ULGrad@HOU and I were talking about this the other day... and I think his question is more about why Troy, Tech, and even ULM commit so many people so much sooner than us. I've heard the academic reasons surrounding Troy... but why is it, in your opinion, we get such a slow commitment list when other mid-majors lists load up so quick?

I want your absolute raw thoughts, if you will, even if it doesn't make us look pretty. _

You know what I am doing? Watching takeoffs and landings....think he's doing the same thing?

[Just1More]

_ You know what I am doing? Watching takeoffs and landings....think he's doing the same thing? _

... in between swigs on long island ice teas.

[Parrott]

This is what I've noticed: UL targets a few key recruits and offers them in the summer and/or early fall. The coaches are careful to avoid over-recruiting - giving out more offers than available for that year - like a lot of schools do now. (Those schools usually have to place kids at JUCOs, grayshirt them - delay full-time enrollment for one semester - or flat out pull offers because they can only sign 25 recruits a year.)

UL doesn't just offer players so they can say they have "X" number of commitments. The coaches know nothing is binding until a national letter of intent is signed. They then do their best to give personal attention to those prospects and give out additional offers if warranted in the fall and winter. If you remember, two of this year's true freshmen contributors - Ladarius Green and Devon Lewis-Buchanan - committed late in the process.

Some other mid-majors - cough, ULM - got a lot of early commitments but always lose a few down the stretch. And a high number of commitments doesn't translate into success. Remember ULM last year and its huge JUCO class that was supposed to have a big impact?

[CajunT]

_ This is what I've noticed: UL targets a few key recruits and offers them in the summer and/or early fall. The coaches are careful to avoid over-recruiting - giving out more offers than available for that year - like a lot of schools do now. (Those schools usually have to place kids at JUCOs, grayshirt them - delay full-time enrollment for one semester - or flat out pull offers because they can only sign 25 recruits a year.)

UL doesn't just offer players so they can say they have "X" number of commitments. The coaches know nothing is binding until a national letter of intent is signed. They then do their best to give personal attention to those prospects and give out additional offers if warranted in the fall and winter. If you remember, two of this year's true freshmen contributors - Ladarius Green and Devon Lewis-Buchanan - committed late in the process.

Some other mid-majors - cough, ULM - got a lot of early commitments but always lose a few down the stretch. And a high number of commitments doesn't translate into success. Remember ULM last year and its huge JUCO class that was supposed to have a big impact? _

ULM had to sign a large Juco group because they had gaps in previous classes do to attrition. This will eventually hurt their APR, the exception would be those that never enrolled. They bought into the fact that some of these kids were highly recuited, especially the interior DL. The problem was they were shorter then advertised and did not shed blocks well. None of them recieved much interest from other Sun Belt programs, including the Cajuns. They had several JC OL that started, one CB and Ford started at DT. None of them were overly impressive in the Cajun game.

[ULGrad@HOU]

Thanks for the responses, I see what you are all saying, just seems like the other programs have some means of getting a few of these guys into their program where we don't. The numbers each year speak for themselves, and it just amazes me that they collect all these players and here we are with 18, 22 or whatever we get. This year will be the same I'm sure.

Oh, and Z and J1M, I wasn't watching airplanes or drinking Long Island Ice Teas, But I was playing in the snow with my son! In Kingwood, Tx (Houston) I might add. You guys might get some tomorrow morning from what I hear.

[HOUCajun]

_ Thanks for the responses, I see what you are all saying, just seems like the other programs have some means of getting a few of these guys into their program where we don't. The numbers each year speak for themselves, and it just amazes me that they collect all these players and here we are with 18, 22 or whatever we get. This year will be the same I'm sure.

Oh, and Z and J1M, I wasn't watching airplanes or drinking Long Island Ice Teas, But I was playing in the snow with my son! In Kingwood, Tx (Houston) I might add. You guys might get some tomorrow morning from what I hear. _

Over an inch of snow at our house, crazy!

[Zeebart21]

_ Thanks for the responses, I see what you are all saying, just seems like the other programs have some means of getting a few of these guys into their program where we don't. The numbers each year speak for themselves, and it just amazes me that they collect all these players and here we are with 18, 22 or whatever we get. This year will be the same I'm sure.

Oh, and Z and J1M, I wasn't watching airplanes or drinking Long Island Ice Teas, But I was playing in the snow with my son! In Kingwood, Tx (Houston) I might add. You guys might get some tomorrow morning from what I hear. _

How much did ya'll get? Did it stick?

[ULGrad@HOU]

_ How much did ya'll get? Did it stick? _

I'm guessing, but probably around an inch like HouCajun said. Yes it did stick and accumulate, white lawns, buildup on cars and bushes, it is awesome.