Recruiting

[CajunT]

From what I have been told Claude wanted to be here but the offer never came so he went juco. Dugas and Daniel Lewis are my biggest gripes locally.

With Scott I can understand that he had his sites on P5 but I don't understand taking a commitment from a prospect like Arceneaux. We have discussed this before and I know he has a lot of growth potential but I see a lot of options in Louisiana and sour rounding states who fit what we do and are a lot better prospect. I could be off on that and he does great but I just don't see it.

Claude George wanted to come here but his ACT wasn't close enough, then once he raised his score he committed to Memphis. UL offered him afterwards, but his score wasn't close enough to get him in to Memphis or UL, then he went to junior college. He committed to Hurley Brown at Miami before flipping to Texas A&M and signing with them. That is the route he took, so to say UL didn't offer is not accurate. UL was good enough for George until he raised his ACT score, afterwards he didn't want any part of this program. I don't blame him, but lets get the record straight.

[CajunT]

Not necessarily. We could have signed Deondre Skinner...or Deshaun McNeal. Neither would have played a down for us. One helps us with local pipelines...one doesn't. Just because we didn't miss anything...does not mean we didn't have anything to gain from it.

Hawk, again Skinner was offered and he committed to Houston. So why are you stuck on him? They had Skinner, Phillips and Trevon Stewart on campus a number of times including fan day at the dome one year. Skinner had baggage Hawk, he is at McNeese after shots with Houston and Tulane.

[CajunT]

We got a lot of Texas and Mississippi recruits on this team not doing great as well. IMO any time you've got comparable recruits take the local, and expand the circle.

Of course taking a local kid is a mixed bag. Harder to deal with if he's a football or citizen mistake.

That is a theory on paper, now give me some examples of local kids? Its easy to play armchair quarterback after a season like this one, but I didn't hear you saying this the past four seasons. This isn't baseball or softball, you go get talent where you have contacts and sign athletes that want to play here in Lafayette. There have been a number of athletes that we have offered and they didn't want to come, or a few that thought it was okay to make UL wait 5 months after offers in summer camps so they could look around for something better. I'm okay with any kid doing what is best for them, but with that decision carries certain risk including losing out on that scholarship opportunity to another athlete that may be just as good and is willing to commit now. That is the gamble some athletes take and coaches will do the same.

[cajunhawk]

Hawk, again Skinner was offered and he committed to Houston. So why are you stuck on him? They had Skinner, Phillips and Trevon Stewart on campus a number of times including fan day at the dome one year. Skinner had baggage Hawk, he is at McNeese after shots with Houston and Tulane.

Because he is a perfect example. We took guys with character issues that were not named Deondre Skinner with equal and even worse results. I'm more pointing to this staffs inability to close on local talent.

[ManAboutTown]

Did Calais commit? Pretty sure Hud said he had a limited amount of time to decide.

[CajunT]

Because he is a perfect example. We took guys with character issues that were not named Deondre Skinner with equal and even worse results. I'm more pointing to this staffs inability to close on local talent.

Nick Byrne and Matt Barnes are better kids period! There was no mistake on Skinner or someone that is playing his position that has questionable character. Did he take a few, sure he did and other then Jones not withstanding, they didn't come here with a criminal record.

[CajunEXPRESS]

That is a theory on paper, now give me some examples of local kids? Its easy to play armchair quarterback after a season like this one, but I didn't hear you saying this the past four seasons. This isn't baseball or softball, you go get talent where you have contacts and sign athletes that want to play here in Lafayette. There have been a number of athletes that we have offered and they didn't want to come, or a few that thought it was okay to make UL wait 5 months after offers in summer camps so they could look around for something better. I'm okay with any kid doing what is best for them, but with that decision carries certain risk including losing out on that scholarship opportunity to another athlete that may be just as good and is willing to commit now. That is the gamble some athletes take and coaches will do the same.

Whoa, whoa T, I accused nobody of anything. I follow recruiting to the extent that I say thats an interesting kid. I cannot recall him two weeks after he signed for the most part. I am certain I am not arm chairing anything.

All I said, and I think it is valid, it's always been my opinion on this board for almost two decades. Sign the best kids we can get period. If the best isn't clear get the local first, and expand the circle. This of course assumes the players are for the same position type.

It seems you're taking this a little personal, I may be mistaken about how you're taking it. Others have accused Hud of trying to low ball locals by getting them to come in as walk-on with Tops scholarships only to take the same quality in Texas, or other places. I have no idea if that is valid, you have indicated it isn't a common practice.

[cajun4life]

Mm

Other than LSU...none of these schools are deemed elite P5 schools. If the grass was so green...why are they transferring home? I reject that notion. Most P5's have deeper depth charts than most G5's. So while they are going after the offer from the perceived better school...they are limiting their own chances.

If we were averaging 35,000 per game and sold out every home game then I could see your point. Local kids do not view us as a first option. The APC is a huge shiny new toy, hopefully it pays off. A conference change could help, but that isn't happening. So we can't miss on prospects. We don't have that luxury.

[cajunhawk]

Nick Byrne and Matt Barnes are better kids period! There was no mistake on Skinner or someone that is playing his position that has questionable character. Did he take a few, sure he did and other then Jones not withstanding, they didn't come here with a criminal record.

Hindsight is always 20/20...regardless of his character...his recruitment shows a major weakness of our staff in closing out on noteworthy recruits...specifically in our local region.

[cajunhawk]

Mm

If we were averaging 35,000 per game and sold out every home game then I could see your point. Local kids do not view us as a first option. The APC is a huge shiny new toy, hopefully it pays off. A conference change could help, but that isn't happening. So we can't miss on prospects. We don't have that luxury.

There are teams in similar situations to us, who don't draw near as well as us, that don't have this much of a problem getting mid level talent from their own hometown to commit. We need to stop writing that off as the way the world works. That's letting the coaching staff off the hook for things they should be accomplishing. There is enough of that going on around here. After 4-8...it's time for these coaches to lose the benefit of the doubt...in all aspects.