Was flying back to SA from DFW yesterday and was talking to this young man from the South East who is playing in the Army All Star Game Saturday in SA. The young man is a very polite yet quiet 4* (former 5* recruit) that has yet to sign his LOI and is waiting until February to sign.
He is being recruited by LSU, Alabama, A&M, Florida, Ole Miss, Miss State, FSU & Penn State. Crystal Ball has him headed to LSU and the kid isn't really interested in LSU and the true leader from what I can determine from our conversation will surprise you. We had the opportunity to talk about a bunch of stuff pertaining to recruitment, colleges, coaches, their personalities, perception of conferences, business network after football ends, etc. Obviously what was shared by the young man is not monolithic to what every 17-18 year old Senior recruit thinks, but it is indicative of how things are perceived to a degree. On to our conversation.
- Many kids are scared of Coach Saban. The young man told me that he really is a nice guy but kids are scared of him but know he will put them in the League if they do what he says.
- Liked Gus Malzahn. Had no idea he doesn't drink or cuss but according to the young man he does not.
- Likes Jimbo a LOT! Jimbo has been recruiting him since he was at FSU. Says Jimbo isn't fake and has put a ton of kids in the NFL. Likes that Jimbo is from a small town. Really likes the DL Coach at A&M who recruited him while he was still at Penn State and likes A&M's business network after his football days are over. Likes the camaraderie of the team.
- Said he doesn't pay any attention to recruiting services and that this time last season he was a 5* #2 rated DL in the Nation. He is shy and doesn't like to do interviews. He had a better season than last year and dropped to a 4*.
- I asked him how important it is to win a National Championship and he is more interested in how he gels with his teammates and at that point they can focus on National Championships.
- Likes Orgeron but I didn't take that he was really enthralled with the guy. How this young man is CB'd to LSU is beyond me.
- After Jimbo left, Wille Taggart came in. Really didn't think Willie Taggart had a plan for the program and FSU was eliminated quickly.
- Has not spoken to Mike Norvell since he took the reigns at FSU
- Asked him about playing in the Big 12 and he smiled and said, "They don't play defense in the Big 12- did you see what LSU did to Oklahoma?" That stung. Like it or not, the perception of the Big 12 is BAD right now. REALLY BAD!
- Told him that Texas just hired a former DC that was DC when Ohio State won their last National Championship- did not move the meter 1 bit.
- Asked him about Tom Herman and Texas and he said, "Texas doesn't recruit the Southeast very much- matter of fact we don't see any schools from the Big 12 recruiting the Southeast and it's too bad. Those schools don't realize that a lot of guys would love to leave the area they're from and get away."
- Said he heard great things about Bijam and he's supposed to be a great player.
This kid is a small town kid from the Deep South and there is no way he would be happy at a school in a city like Austin. He wants to play in a small town and think about it, every school in the SEC is in a relatively small town/city (College Station, Baton Rouge, Fayetteville, Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Athens, etc.), we literally have no chance.
Don't like saying it but my Crystal Ball has him going to A&M.
He is being recruited by LSU, Alabama, A&M, Florida, Ole Miss, Miss State, FSU & Penn State. Crystal Ball has him headed to LSU and the kid isn't really interested in LSU and the true leader from what I can determine from our conversation will surprise you. We had the opportunity to talk about a bunch of stuff pertaining to recruitment, colleges, coaches, their personalities, perception of conferences, business network after football ends, etc. Obviously what was shared by the young man is not monolithic to what every 17-18 year old Senior recruit thinks, but it is indicative of how things are perceived to a degree. On to our conversation.
- Many kids are scared of Coach Saban. The young man told me that he really is a nice guy but kids are scared of him but know he will put them in the League if they do what he says.
- Liked Gus Malzahn. Had no idea he doesn't drink or cuss but according to the young man he does not.
- Likes Jimbo a LOT! Jimbo has been recruiting him since he was at FSU. Says Jimbo isn't fake and has put a ton of kids in the NFL. Likes that Jimbo is from a small town. Really likes the DL Coach at A&M who recruited him while he was still at Penn State and likes A&M's business network after his football days are over. Likes the camaraderie of the team.
- Said he doesn't pay any attention to recruiting services and that this time last season he was a 5* #2 rated DL in the Nation. He is shy and doesn't like to do interviews. He had a better season than last year and dropped to a 4*.
- I asked him how important it is to win a National Championship and he is more interested in how he gels with his teammates and at that point they can focus on National Championships.
- Likes Orgeron but I didn't take that he was really enthralled with the guy. How this young man is CB'd to LSU is beyond me.
- After Jimbo left, Wille Taggart came in. Really didn't think Willie Taggart had a plan for the program and FSU was eliminated quickly.
- Has not spoken to Mike Norvell since he took the reigns at FSU
- Asked him about playing in the Big 12 and he smiled and said, "They don't play defense in the Big 12- did you see what LSU did to Oklahoma?" That stung. Like it or not, the perception of the Big 12 is BAD right now. REALLY BAD!
- Told him that Texas just hired a former DC that was DC when Ohio State won their last National Championship- did not move the meter 1 bit.
- Asked him about Tom Herman and Texas and he said, "Texas doesn't recruit the Southeast very much- matter of fact we don't see any schools from the Big 12 recruiting the Southeast and it's too bad. Those schools don't realize that a lot of guys would love to leave the area they're from and get away."
- Said he heard great things about Bijam and he's supposed to be a great player.
This kid is a small town kid from the Deep South and there is no way he would be happy at a school in a city like Austin. He wants to play in a small town and think about it, every school in the SEC is in a relatively small town/city (College Station, Baton Rouge, Fayetteville, Oxford, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Athens, etc.), we literally have no chance.
Don't like saying it but my Crystal Ball has him going to A&M.
