Recruiting Question

[IHateLaState]

Jake was a guy who just slipped to us.. he has exceeded all expectations all of his life.. My point is that i dont think we "stole" him away from the big boys..

Brian Mitchell on the other hand we did steal away... As I understand it, we got him away from a&m@br because he wanted to play QB and they told him he was going to play something else.. And we got himm... me thinks we got him because we at least TRIEDto get him....

a&m@br owns the state... we know that... but my question is have we just ceeded it to them or do we try... If we get just one or two because we offer something they dont is it not worth the effort??

I am not an insider... maybe we do try... but as I read the "other schools considered" list of our recruits I see very little of Southern Miss or Houston... let alone a&m@br... can someone who knows enlighten me??

[CajunZ1]

a&m@br owns the state... we know that... but my question is have we just ceeded it to them or do we try... If we get just one or two because we offer something they dont is it not worth the effort??

I think we try, but not too hard because it's usually a waste of time. If you want a microcosm of UL recruiting vs. LSU, look no further than Josh Johns.

An athletic safety/special teams guy who would rather take a grey shirt and pay his own way at LSU rather than come to UL (full ride, guaranteed starter).

Then again, that may not be fair considering he probably wanted to be a Tiger since he was a kid (grew up in BR).

[cajunhawk]

Josh Johns is a microcosm for what is essentially wrong with Football recruiting in general. The SEC is infamous for recruiting attrition. You bring in everyone you can, even though you only lost 9 scholarship players, bring in 34 recruits in a class. Josh Johns was just another guy to add to their list so they can be heralded a top recruiting class, even though from what I heard his low ranking actually hurt the class. LSU had no real need but recruiting has never been need based at the BCS schools, its all about having more warm bodies than the next guy. I just wish the APR worked on guys who were recruited to play football at a school but never even see a down let alone graduate. BCS schools would be in big trouble if that happened, so we wont see it anytime soon.

[Cajunsmike]

_ I think we try, but not too hard because it's usually a waste of time. If you want a microcosm of UL recruiting vs. LSU, look no further than Josh Johns.

An athletic safety/special teams guy who would rather take a grey shirt and pay his own way at LSU rather than come to UL (full ride, guaranteed starter).

Then again, that may not be fair considering he probably wanted to be a Tiger since he was a kid (grew up in BR). _

The greyshirt for Johns won't cost him much. He will enroll part time for the fall semester and then get a full scholarship in the spring.

[CajunZ1]

_The SEC is infamous for recruiting attrition. You bring in everyone you can, even though you only lost 9 scholarship players, bring in 34 recruits in a class. Josh Johns was just another guy to add to their list so they can be heralded a top recruiting class, even though from what I heard his low ranking actually hurt the class.

Contradict yourself there?

One could argue that Troy has a castnet mentality, but I don't think SEC schools do. They get whoever they want and more. That way if some of those 5 stars turn out to be headcases (see Bryce Brown) they can be replaced.

So it's not a cast net... It's about 35 dipnets?

[DestinCajun]

One could argue that Troy has a castnet mentality, but I don't think SEC schools do. They get whoever they want and more. That way if some of those 5 stars turn out to be headcases (see Bryce Brown) they can be replaced.

So it's not a cast net... It's about 35 dipnets? _

Heck, look at ULM and the numbers they sign each year. It's enough to run 3 football programs.

[Just1More]

_ Heck, look at ULM and the numbers they sign each year. It's enough to run 3 football programs. _

... or the monster BCS conference football program... the Troy Trojans. They have never seen a football signing list that was "too long".

We need to dismiss discussion of any recruit destined for an opportunity at LSU... at this point. We need to out recruit everyone else in-state, a few of the weaker SEC schools, and go head to head with the Houston(s) and USM(s) in the east Texas, south Louisiana, and Florida recruiting bases. The sad reality is that we were on the brink of calling last year one of our greatest years in decades... people need to attempt to maintain more than one thought in their head at a time... we could have had that bowl at 6-6... and it would have been huge for our program. That does not mean we shouldn't make absolutely sure that we are not on a bubble, begging for a shot... we have to secure a bowl outright and leave outsiders out of the equation.

Anyhow... we are not going to out-recruit the schools that we should easily be competing with until Dr. Savoie totally gets on board with the intelligence of having a powerful athletic department. His short track record thus far is not very impressive.

[DestinCajun]

_ ... we could have had that bowl at 6-6... and it would have been huge for our program. That does not mean we shouldn't make absolutely sure that we are not on a bubble, begging for a shot... we have to secure a bowl outright and leave outsiders out of the equation.

So true.

It remains to be seen how things shake out next season in terms of bowl invites. On example was LaTex's invitation to the I Bowl after the default by the Big XII and the SEC. I doubt that will recurr to the degree it did last season. However, can that be offset by the current number of bowls? Maybe.