Mailbag question: Falling behind
Mailbag question: Falling behind
HI team, as we Michigan fans enter a new age of recruiting at our beloved institution, what will be the biggest change that UM must adapt to, and what is the biggest similarity in current UM recruiting to the Lloyd era tactics? I believe that these questions will help us all make a smoother transition as we all move forward with Michigan and Michigan recruiting.
Now my comment/concerns: I continue to hear a voice in the back of my head telling me that Michigan is dragging its feet on 2012 recruiting and beyond, I hope that I am not panicking, but Michigan is in no position to slow play anyone. We need to get as much of a jump on strong recruits as humanly possible.
I look at so many kids that either liked Michigan growing up or were strong leans that ended up elsewhere: Jordan hicks, Trey DePreist, Jonathan Hankins, RoJo, and many others – that’s the elite talent that UM football has been missing recently.
All of the above being said brings me to my main point; peeking ahead to 2012 I unfortunately noticed that Michigan has not offered Royce-Jenkins-Stone, Chris Wormley or Terry Richardson (Cass Tech) yet. Mercifully they have offered James Ross, so hopefully he will pull the trigger at some point. We just cannot afford to take our time in this business, it is a cutthroat world and many hyenas are just waiting to move in on our territory. T. Richardson, for example, already has offers from LSU, Iowa and Alabama, but not from Michigan yet – this needs to change.
We must increase our talent level and whenever we have local talent we need to keep it at home if at all possible. 2012 looks to be promising for local talent at positions of need and Michigan needs to get a head start on the competition.
Thanks
Gary C.
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Thanks for the question.
This is nothing new, and the discussion of increasing the talent base and securing the best of local talent has been ongoing for some time now. Before the discussion starts, please start with the realization that this concern/issue/difficulty transcends several years and is not germane to only the current staff, but also to the last few years of Coach Carr’s tenure. A second pre-conversation tidbit to digest: the NCAA appears to realize that early recruiting has grown like mushrooms around dead trees the last couple of years and as a result the NCAA has put out some overtones that enough is enough and changes in recruiting guidelines and conditions may be in order.
Michigan has indeed been a bit slow in the local area compared to rival Ohio State for a few years now in the local area. Ohio State targets far fewer players, but full speed ahead is the mantra and method once a target is identified.
Michigan lost legacies TJ. Downing and A. Gonzales, in large part, because Ohio State beat Michigan to the draw. Once Ohio State moves in and showers a player with love, and a player then views Ohio State as very favorable, it becomes difficult to win a recruit back. This is the same for many other elite programs as well.
Michigan almost lost Kevin Koger in the above manner, but the love of Michigan by the Koger family may have saved the day.
With so many clinics, combines, and services players are getting recruited earlier and earlier. Remember, until a few years ago basketball was the only major sport looking at younger talent. Well not anymore, this phenomenon is happening in football as well and the new trend will not be slowing down, sans NCAA action, anytime soon.
If a school is not aware and proactive concerning the changing landscape of college football, players once thought to be likely secured in future recruiting, players will be lost to more aggressive staffs. Universities are now in a position where it is mandatory to initiate and be in contact with potential recruits of the future by inviting them to junior days, going to their school and talking with their coaches, and importantly making it very clear the school has strong interest, a construct that once secured must be diligently and effectively maintained.
Sometimes recruits that initially were positive about a certain school get turned off when they perceive being snubbed (not approached soon enough by the early favorite) as other schools get seriously involved in the process.
GBMWolverine has already done an article on Chris Wormley complete with a discussion of the recruiting process. Restating, in today’s climate of recruiting, a program simply must get involved in the process early.
Some contend that this entails breaking rules and having covert strategies. There are indeed clearly accepted methods of demonstrating early interest that are well within the rules (repeated from above) such as sending the high school coach letters expressing interest in a player, or calling the high school coach and clearly detailing the status of interest and future opportunities like junior days, basketball visits, camps, clinics, seven-on-seven competitions, academic days, and on and on.
We agree with your perception about the 2012 class and beyond regarding how UM is recruiting the local area. Hopefully, even though some of the players are entering juniors or seniors still far removed from the college field, it is not too late to initiate successful recruiting.
There are indeed contacts going on behind the scene that most may not be aware of, but clearly Michigan has missed the boat during much of the last decade, sometimes through fluke conditions, but sometimes due to hesitancy as well.
Michigan, even with recent woes, still is able to sell itself as a great opportunity, both athletically and academically. While that luster is still in abundance, the program must start winning, and to do so the talent base must be adequate.
Most good programs start with the local base and move outward. Look at the rosters of Texas, Southern California, Alabama, LSU, any Florida school, and Ohio State. While there are indeed out of state treasures, most of the rosters above are comprised of commits within a 200-mile radius (excluding Texas which has legendary geography). In fact, there is not enough roster room on the elite programs listed above and as a result many players who dreamed of attending their life-long favorite must move on to Plan B.
Some programs, most notably Notre Dame, have always been a national program, not really having a sizeable locked down local base of recruits. This is a different type of recruiting, one where every recruit must be thoroughly convinced this is THE spot to be at. The sales job is more difficult than say for a player who is one of hundreds that for months wait every day for a Texas offer to arrive in the mailbox.
Michigan is somewhere in between. Historically, Michigan has targeted five to ten outstanding athletes in Michigan (and until recently been very successful in securing commitments due largely to previous allegiance) and then “invaded” grounds rich with talent (the same grounds dozens of other Division 1 schools pursue).
The question of when the actual recruiting process should be legally initiated is an issue for future discussion. Common sense says there is a limit to the absurd and some schools will soon reach that benchmark as the ante on the recruiting table increases.
Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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