Kadarius Miller - Football Commit

[CajunVic]

10 is not a majority . . .

[CajunT]

T, to your point, last Monday Justin Horne had no rating on 247. I think I remember you speaking highly of the young man.

His rating was updated Friday to a an 86.

He decommitted yesterday and already committed to Texas Tech.

https://247sports.com/player/justin-horne-46133341/

Exactly! Yet he had not rankings, right? I admit that I'm not tracking Cajun recruiting every waking hour like I use to do. I simply do not have the passion for it now that it has become like free agency with the Transfer Portal. I do have people that are still in the recruiting game at Missouri, SMU and Georgia that I can call and get opinions on recruits.

When looking at the list of recruits that have flipped to other schools, I'm supposed to believe this staff can't recruit?

Carpenter - LSU
Horne - Texas Tech
Cannon- Tulane
Martin- UTSA
Blood- Missouri
Fobbs- offers Tulane, UAB

The two consistents in this list are P5 programs, or ones that have had really good seasons like Tulane and UTSA. Yes, winning matters and it certainly hurts the Cajuns this year. There is no denying that simple fact.

No one is going to convince me at this point Louisiana Tech, which has lost it's number 1 WR, RB and OL in the portal is kicking our butt. They are not at this point and no one from the SBC is stealing our commitments. We've lost some head-to-head battles with other SBC programs, but no one is stealing our commitments.

https://latech.rivals.com/

Some people have mentioned Troy and a few others getting transfers in the portal from G5 programs. Two questions come immediately to my mind, 1) Does someone on the staff have a connection with those athletes 2) Or could it be they couldn't cut it at their previous program. Don't get it twisted because of they came from a P5 program, you think they are good. No one knows how good any of those transfers are, but they automatically get bent out of shape.

OL- Anderson - Nebraska
WR- Stephens - TCU
OL- Ohonba- Michigan State
RB- Kabodi - Texas A & M- Lamar

How many starters and all conference players in this group of P5 transfers?

[ZoomZoom]

Guys, the common theme here is the changing landscape of CFB and the recruiting game.

The formula is the same with Des as it was in the previous regime. The difference is, the "stud" category players are flipping to other schools for a pay day. We can deny it all we want, but it's the hard truth. Just check our commitment list from 2 months ago and check it now. All well regarded kids changing commitments for P5 or more wealthy G5 programs.

Also, the "cost of living" stipend has risen to $6k a semester per player. Many don't realize this, but UL is no longer able to pay on the higher end of this stipend. That is a direct result of not selling season tickets and RCAF having ~1700 members giving mostly to dedicated initiatives. Our recruiting will continue to be a struggle as long as we fail to engage the community and get more people to believe in the Ragin Cajun Football program.

Having said all of that, we've made a living on development the last 5 years. We have to get kids with drive and size into this program, get them on our S&C program, get them eating right and totally bought in. I was told recently that NFL scouts visiting the facility made multiple comments about our S&C, supplement program and nutrition program being "as good or better" than most P5 programs. And that, of course is because of major investment.

I think we'll end up in better shape that it looks right now. For the person who said Des doesn't have contacts; that just simply isn't true. Mike has been recruiting this region hard for years. If we're talking HS coaching connections (which is essential for recruiting), he most certainly does have connections throughout this state, South East and South Central TX, and MS.

We're navigating brand new waters at this point.

Mostly new waters to a degree...

If we are still under 2k RCAF, it is not new waters. That has been the number for several years. Even with RCAF staff that left, under 2k was the number. And my goodness, Maggard was stuck with no replacements for awhile, why? There's a legit question for RR if they get him on soon. I know the stadium may have been a distraction, but <2k was what it is before the stadium push. Maybe the business model is stuck or broken.

Recruiting, we'll see next fall what the posts this year were...either sunshine pumpers or henny penny sky is falling.

[RaginDave]

Exactly! Yet he had not rankings, right? I admit that I'm not tracking Cajun recruiting every waking hour like I use to do. I simply do not have the passion for it now that it has become like free agency with the Transfer Portal. I do have people that are still in the recruiting game at Missouri, SMU and Georgia that I can call and get opinions on recruits.

When looking at the list of recruits that have flipped to other schools, I'm supposed to believe this staff can't recruit?

Carpenter - LSU
Horne - Texas Tech
Cannon- Tulane
Martin- UTSA
Blood- Missouri
Fobbs- offers Tulane, UAB

The two consistents in this list are P5 programs, or ones that have had really good seasons like Tulane and UTSA. Yes, winning matters and it certainly hurts the Cajuns this year. There is no denying that simple fact.

No one is going to convince me at this point Louisiana Tech, which has lost it's number 1 WR, RB and OL in the portal is kicking our butt. They are not at this point and no one from the SBC is stealing our commitments. We've lost some head-to-head battles with other SBC programs, but no one is stealing our commitments.

https://latech.rivals.com/

Some people have mentioned Troy and a few others getting transfers in the portal from G5 programs. Two questions come immediately to my mind, 1) Does someone on the staff have a connection with those athletes 2) Or could it be they couldn't cut it at their previous program. Don't get it twisted because of they came from a P5 program, you think they are good. No one knows how good any of those transfers are, but they automatically get bent out of shape.

OL- Anderson - Nebraska
WR- Stephens - TCU
OL- Ohonba- Michigan State
RB- Kabodi - Texas A & M- Lamar

How many starters and all conference players in this group of P5 transfers?

Kabodi was not at Lamar, he was at Incarnate Word, but never played a down there, I believe.

[Turbine]

... If we are still under 2k RCAF, it is not new waters. That has been the number for several years. Even with RCAF staff that left, under 2k was the number.

If RCAF wasn't under the thumb off the University, they could hire at will.

[JMV JustMyView]

If RCAF wasn't under the thumb off the University, they could hire at will.

This should be two separate operations.

[CajunT]

Kabodi was not at Lamar, he was at Incarnate Word, but never played a down there, I believe.

Thanks, it was Incarnate Word where he sat out. In any case, it doesn't change the point I was trying to make.

[CajunT]

That comment was in response to someone suggesting that Des should clean house of some assistance and hire new ones nothing to do with recruiting players.

But if you want to talk about player recruitment. All of Des’ commits are from the normal radius of what they typically recruit. The difference is when Napier was recruiting it the kids he got had bigger P5 and high level G5 offers. Des’ commits have Swac, south land and DII offers. Anyone who can’t see the drop off in recruiting at this point and is not alarmed by it is not paying attention.

We finished 10th last year once Napier left. According to the metrics that people are focusing on, 247 has UL 6th ahead of Troy, Marshall, James Madison and South Alabama.

https://app.247sports.com/Season/202...Conference=SBC

[Cajunsmike]

Kabodi was not at Lamar, he was at Incarnate Word, but never played a down there, I believe.

Coach Dez said this morning that he plans to focus on HS kids as that is how he believes you build a program for the long term. Of course you have to keep them here once you get them here. You also have to develop your talent. The improvement made by the OL this year as the season went along indicates to me they have the capability to have their guys improve.

[Big Poppa]

Coach Dez said this morning that he plans to focus on HS kids as that is how he believes you build a program for the long term. Of course you have to keep them here once you get them here. You also have to develop your talent. The improvement made by the OL this year as the season went along indicates to me they have the capability to have their guys improve.

If you recruit only high school and lose guys to the portal and replace those guys with high school guys, you will be in a forever rebuilding mode. You have to go out and get some immediate fixes this day and age. I hope mike wakes up and sees that.

[Turbine]

If you recruit only high school and lose guys to the portal and replace those guys with high school guys, you will be in a forever rebuilding mode. You have to go out and get some immediate fixes this day and age. I hope mike wakes up and sees that.

Nothing wrong with the HS approach being a core philosophy, but you are absolutely right.

In this era, coaches need to stay 100% aware in order to pounce on the emergency fix.

Unreached potential and unexpected injuries demand it.

[Big Poppa]

Other D1 offers: PVAMU, Alcorn, Nicholls, Sam Houston, SFA, NMSU

Community college D-Lineman; 6'2" 270

You gotta trust the coach on this one. Just like he knew something about playing 2 QBs that 99.9 % of the rest of the college football coaching world didn’t. He also sees the the talent that no other FBS coaches see either, except for the juggernaut that is NMSTU.