How Recruiting and Results Work ( jmo )

[Turbine]

Even with a late recROUXting start for 2002 the talent was good enough to produce a co-championship by the time the class turned 4 in 2005.

[Turbine]

Next year's team will still be young by today's standards due to the 14 only juniors. But, there will be 17 juniors to back that up including significant parts of your starting offensive and defensive lines.

The recruiting class that signed the spring AFTER UL won the co-conference championhip will start to pay dividends next season as they become upper classmen.

jmo

[Jason]

I give up....

[Damon]

Question:
On the "epic" 2005 team, how many starters were Jr. and Sr.?

[CajunShocker]

Turbine,

I applaud your optimism but come on.

By your rational, that means that after last season and this season, we are going to have poor recruiting classes. So should we expect to be lousy in the years following the Seniors of the 2005 class? Is that what we're supposed to be hanging our hopes on?

It is called "BUILDING" a program. Good football programs don't count on 1 great recruiting class to have one great year and then stink it up for the next two years. They constantly have quality recruits coming in every year and when a great player leaves, there is another good player right there to take his place. Sure you might drop off a little, but after a few games you rarely miss the other player. It's like the old saying, "They don't rebuild, they reload." We are doing niether.

I actually met a father of a high school kicker in this area the other day and he told me that his son has kicked field goals over 50 yards in his high school games. He said that his son has gotten letters from LSU, Tulane, ULM, McNeese and La Tech. You want to know how many letters he has gotten from UL. ZERO!!!!!!! Now I don't know this guy or his son and he could be just blowing smoke, but everything this guy said sounds exactly like other stories that I have heard in the past, which is why I believe him. I know we don't have a lot of money for recruiting, but those plane tickets and hotel rooms that we buy to recruit all those 3rd tier Florida recruits probably aren't cheap. I know Florida is a hotbed for great athletes, but who are we kidding. The upper echelon goes to Florida, Florida State, and Miami. The second tier goes to schools like Central Florida and now obviously, South Florida. The third tier would then probably go to schools like Florida Atlantic, Florida International, and other small schools. So who in the hell are we getting? Looks like 3rd and 4th tier talent that will bring no fan support what-so-ever. There has to be some kid from this area that a great recruiter could convince to come play Div 1-A football.

It's the same thing on the donation side. One of my best friends father-in-law graduated from UL and played football for us. He also went to LSU Law school. Every year he donates money to LSU, BECAUSE THEY ASK HIM FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!! He told us that in the 30+ years since he has graduated, UL has never contacted him or his locally owned business for a donation. He also said that he would gladly donate if asked.

I know I've rambled on but the bottom line is, Bustle is not building a winning program. Nothing has changed in the 6 years that he's been here. The paying fans of this university deserve better, and if we are not committed to building a program from Martin Hall on down, then we might as well shut down the program and spend all of our money on basketball and baseball. I know football is the bread winner but right now it is hurting us more than it is helping us.

[CutOff_Cajun]

This is exactly what the problem is at UL, as well as the rest of the state besides LSU. All of the state colleges ignore the talent that is in its own state in hopes of landing some of the other amazing talent from the Florida's, California's, and Texas's.

We don't have the money, support, or recognition that BR does, so why the hell not come together and try to keep our talent in state to help build this. With the talent that flows through LA(via Curtis, Evangel, West Monroe, Bastrop, Rummel, etc...) to other big names schools, there is no reason that we shouldn't have at least 3 highly competitive schools in this state.

Conisder this, why wouldn't UL recruit 4-5 "two star" prospects from right there in our own backyard rather than chase 2 "three star" recruits from Florida? Why, just b/c Florida produces amazing talent? That's ridiculous. It's hurting our attendance, finances, records, shhh... it's affecting everything. Florida is on the cusp of having 6 championship caliber teams, Texas already has 5, what in the world is holding us back? Every college recruit in this state doesn't dream of playing at LSU, but rather than stay here, they migrate to equally smaller schools around the nation like S. Illinois, Middle Tennessee, SMU, etc... you get the picture. Something is seriously wrong with that.

Just put a little of that in your morning coffee and stir it. I'm wondering what some of the responses will be.

[CajunGuru]

I actually met a father of a high school kicker in this area the other day and he told me that his son has kicked field goals over 50 yards in his high school games. He said that his son has gotten letters from LSU, Tulane, ULM, McNeese and La Tech. You want to know how many letters he has gotten from UL. ZERO!!!!!!! Now I don't know this guy or his son and he could be just blowing smoke, but everything this guy said sounds exactly like other stories that I have heard in the past, which is why I believe him.

If he is the kicker I think you are talking about, he is walking on at LSU. He will graduate from high school early. And the QB from the same high school is committed to ULM.

[McNeese72]

_ If he is the kicker I think you are talking about, he is walking on at LSU. He will graduate from high school early. And the QB from the same high school is committed to ULM. _

I guess if he is walking on at LSU, there is no sense wasting the cost of a stamp like McNeese did, right ??

Doc

[CajunGuru]

_ I guess if he is walking on at LSU, there is no sense wasting the cost of a stamp like McNeese did, right ??

Doc _

Doc, there is nothing wrong with letting kids know you are interested. This has never been a problem with McNeese St. They have offered more then a few good ones so far this year, and if any fall through the cracks they will at least get them to come in and visit.

[McNeese72]

_ Doc, there is nothing wrong with letting kids know you are interested. This has never been a problem with McNeese St. They have offered more then a few good ones so far this year, and if any fall through the cracks they will at least get them to come in and visit. _

That's where us FCS schools have one small advantage. If we let them know we are interested, they may show back up if their FBS hopes don't work out.

Doc