Tony Adams decision at 6:30.
Illinois Football Recruiting Thread
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We aren't in it with the kinds of kids Zook was that year.
I think it's important NOT to do two things in this situation, things that people paradoxically often do in tandem:
1. Refuse to admit there's a problem
2. Panic
The first recruiting class is a big deal for a new staff. The late start they got is something to consider, but even controlling for that this is not going well. I think there are a few things that are critical here
- Don't give up on filling a full class up with high school players who are the kinds of kids you want. With so much political capital built up in the job, there is no reason to get desperate and reach for immediate talent that is likely to wash out due to grades, fit, behavior, or in the case of Jucos or grad transfers, graduation.
- Lean on the infrastructure you've built. This staff has a greater ability to identify, scout, and interact with a greater number of prospects than ever before. Use that. Make the net as wide as possible.
- Be prepared to identify weaknesses and make staff changes. My concern when the staff was made was primarily the lack of Power Five recruiting experience. I think the effort to add that element to the staff was naturally and badly hamstrung by the timing. I feel very confident that Williams and McGarigle are only on this staff for want of better available options. During coaching carousel season there will be a bevy of options, and openings at DB and LB coach under Lovie Smith at nationally competitive salaries and with a built infrastructure of recruiting staff should be very appealing to guys with a record of landing P5 talent.
No one should have expected everything to go perfect when Lovie was coming back to college after 20 years in the pros and was hired in March. No one will fault him for seeing what works and what doesn't and making things right this offseason, when the hot seat is still years away. Get it right NOW, do not wait until the problems are more serious and there is more pressure on.
- Related to thinking about the staff, I think the posts about some of our major targets in-state being guys we wouldn't want as badly if they were from elsewhere raises another point. Is our recruiting going to be locally focused or not? Make that decision firmly and plan your staff resources accordingly. Either you're willing to get fired gunning for the best in-state kids or you're not, there can be no half-measures.
Long story short, I think about the ocean of goodwill Groce had after his first year on the job (JFG!) and the way he squandered it on desperate, short-term decision making for no apparent reason after whiffing on his initial recruiting targets. I sincerely hope Lovie doesn't make the same mistakes. I remain as much a believer as I was the day he was hired. But you don't make it happen by magic, it's a series of quality decisions, and they are going to have to start being made.
You are not wrong about anything you said. I would like to have Lovie's hire make a bigger splash recruiting wise than it has to this point and I don't pretend to know which prospects we are seriously in on.
I remain convinced that Lovie is at least getting us a foot in the door with prospects we could only dream about since Zook. That includes players that are already committed. Alot can and will change before signing day. Commits get recruited over and start looking around, kids change their mind and Lovie and staff have more time to build relationships.
The odd timing of the hiring and previous clown show that preceeded it truly makes this a unique situation. I'm not sure anyone knows how this rebuild should look because it is really unprecedented not only at Illinois but nationally.
I just dont think we can really fret this class until much closer to signing day. To borrow a baseball term the Sample Size is just too small
I agree that there's a lot of variance left, but it looks clear at this point that it's the variance between "hopeful, respectable building block" and "catastrophe". A roaring success is off the board at this point.
A roaring success was the version of the story we were telling ourselves in March. It's gonna have to come a different way.
Seems to be a lot of signs out there pointing to Adams to Mizzou
A lot of crystal balls for Jeff Thomas to Miznoz too:hurl:
Now THAT would suck. But is he even gonna qualify?
Well his high school teammate, QB, just committed there
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Love the drama. Whitman inherited a dumpster fire. Smith accepts challenge. Challenge to get kids to realize that Illinois really does have a football program. Smith and staff will do fine. Beckman and Cubit really killed this program, and their mouths have finally subsided. Couple of my HS coaching buddies say that Lovie and staff are genuine and enjoy teaching, something these kids like. Just a matter of time to get IL kids thinking its cool to stay home.
That's why a lot of kids commit to Mizzou over Illinois....the admissions...... And Mizzou just has more helmet uniform swagger than we do the kids love that as a committing cofactor
But last but not least the biggest college football stage seems to be the sec right now....Mizzou is struggling but they are in the s.e.c too many factors lol!
Balderdash.
Its the truth these kids like flash uniforms 29 duff helmets and uniforms....we have a new rebrand but only like 5 different uniforms.....kids Like their flash and to show it to social media....a lot of reasons
We've barely worn the same combo twice since the rebrand and they're all fresh as hell. Ours are as good as any modern uni set in the country.
Mizzou have a couple of pretty good combos, but some of the ones where they combine silver and gold are just heinous.
:hurl::hurl::hurl:
We've barely worn the same combo twice since the rebrand and they're all fresh as hell. Ours are as good as any modern uni set in the country.
Mizzou have a couple of pretty good combos, but some of the ones where they combine silver and gold are just heinous.
:hurl::hurl::hurl:
We've worn the white orange white entirely too much....
I just feel like we don't have great looking football swagger that makes kids wanna play here too....regardless that has a huge say in their recruitment...that's why a kid would wanna go to Boise st or Oregon hell even Washington has nice units smh
Totally disagree, but don't just take it from me, seems like every time I'm watching a game out at a bar or with non-Illini friends people are making unsolicited comments about how great our new uni's look.
I wore an Illinois shirt to a UT game the first day we wore those. Some random UT guy was super complimentary of them. It was weird.
Well the recruits aren't too fond of em...especially on visits the just look so bland and plain...I must admit though recruits love the shield gloves!!!!!
Would have liked to land Micah and would like to get Adams, but agree with others that neither is likely an All Big 10 type player. Rather they would fill out the class with good depth, with in-state guys who can continue to extend our instate relationships. And both seem like good, high quality kids.
If we were sitting at 15 commits now, no big deal losing both. However, we are a little behind the rest of the big 10 in number of commits so it would have been nice to get them both.
Now, we gotta land the DL from Huntley - that one will hurt if we lose him.
If we were sitting at 15 commits now, no big deal losing both. However, we are a little behind the rest of the big 10 in number of commits so it would have been nice to get them both.
Now, we gotta land the DL from Huntley - that one will hurt if we lose him.
I think being a part of the SEC has something to do with it too, knowing you are getting on national TV more, even if it is to get your !!! kicked....
YES! And Mizzou doesn't belong in the sec they wanna be the south so bad...they shoulda joined the big ten...but its an easier academic school to get into
Joel Goodson
- ties will be resolved
You do understand that they would have needed an invitation, right? Miznoz never had an invitation. They would've accepted an invitation in a nanosecond. Miznoz knew an invitation wasn't forthcoming, so they jumped when the SEC invited them.
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
illynifan34
That's a winner!!
- OH
Wrong signs.
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