Missing out on Walker and Dawkins

[RBNY87]

We all talk about Flood's inability to get the top Jersey players but maybe missing out on two guys that wanted to come here was even a bigger loss.

PJ Walker has been talked about a lot and his failed recruitment really starts with Schiano not offering him and while Floyd offered him, it wasn't as QB. With his skillset, Walker showed he could have played in both Flood's or Ash's offense.

Dion Dawkins was in some ways a bigger miss. For those who don't know, Dawkins was a four year starter at Temple, started at guard and ended up at left tackle. He is projected in the first two rounds of the next draft. He got very little ink out of Rahway high school, and he was more of a speciman than a football player. But at 6'6 330lbs, he was so athletic, you can't pass up on someone like that in your own backyard. He wasn't a qualifier out of high school, and he ended up at Hargraves Military Prep school where he was coached by Troy Davis who is from Jersey City (Snyder High School). When Rutgers was recruiting LJ Liston, Davis told Rutgers you are recruiting the wrong guy, you need to look at Dawkins and Dave Cohen said they had their guy. We also tried to get Flood onboard but he didn't bite either.

At Hargraves at that time (the PG program is no more) you would get some of the best Prep players in the country and when the head coach tells you to take a serious look at a player, you should take a second and third look at that player. Especially when 6'6' 330 lbs athletic lineman do not grow on trees. Dawkins mother was also a RU grad and wanted her son to come here. He ended up at committing to his only D1 offer at that time which was Cincinnati but a week later, they switched OC's and the offer was no longer available. Temple came in a week before practice and took a chance that Rutgers should have taken.

 

[AshCatchEm]

6'6 330 pounds doesnt equal an automatic offer..dawkins he was a project who worked out. we obviously werent the only school to miss on him

 

[RBNY87]

6'6 330 pounds doesnt equal an automatic offer..dawkins he was a project who worked out. we obviously werent the only school to miss on him

He started as a true freshman at Temple at a position that true freshman normally don't start, he wasn't really that much of a project. He started at Hargraves and they would get many SEC lineman there at that time so he beat some of them out. The Head Coach knew what he had, trust me. His lack of recruitment had a lot to do with him not being on the radar screen in high school. Rahway does not get a lot of attention and he wasn't a strong student. Not unlike Mohammed Wilkerson who went to Linden, Hargraves and then Temple. Somewhat of the same storyline. He wanted to go to Rutgers and many who had relationships with the coaching staff were pushing him there so it is worse when you miss a player in your own backyard. If you saw this kid, he has the look of a top D1 lineman. He is just extremely wide The type that we normally don't get but schools like Michigan, Alabama, and other top programs get Wide, big hands, big legs, just a big man. I think with the 2013 class, you find room for him. I was posted about him at the time.

 

[rutgersal]

What's the point of this thread? Flood is long gone. Let's look forward, not back. Every coach is going to have misses. Let's hope our current coach has more hits than misses.

 

[RBNY87]

What's the point of this thread? Flood is long gone. Let's look forward, not back. Every coach is going to have misses. Let's hope our current coach has more hits than misses.

Two guys that could have made a big difference this season. Your point is true every coach misses out, but sometimes it is about having a good eye for talent versus being a great salesman.

 

[NorthNJRUFan]

go find someone else to sob to about flood and temple. maybe temples board actually.

 

[LotusAggressor]

If those players had come here, with Flood's staff, they wouldn't have developed into the players they became.

 

[Scarlet4ever]

Hopefully Ash has a better eye. Definitely could have used both those guys.

 

[RUMBA-JK]

yes... and think of all the teams that stupidly overlooked / were dismissive of Aaron Rogers, Ben Roethlisberger, Jerry Rice and on and on ....

 

[Knight Shift]

Floyd?

Hate revisionist history threads. If you are going to assail Schiano and Floyd for these two players, may as wel sing their praises for the McCourty brothers, Ray Rice and others for Schiano and at least one huge project has turned into our best OL prospect in Tariq Cole and Jawuan Harris (and perhaps Jonathan Bateky), although in the case of Cole development under Ash and Parker may be a bigger part of his success.

Wonder if we will play the same could have should have would have game with Russo and Dare should they light it up somewhere else.

 

[gef21]

Clearly a lot of people missed out. I had a 6 foot 6 340 pounds linemen last year, strong as an ox, athletic, moved well etc. that no one offered. On a chance encounter he ended up getting a walk on offer at Alabama and has now made the real roster with a jersey number all to himself. Sometimes kids jut do not show enough in high school. He wanted to come to Rutgers but they had no interest at the time.

 

[nukem]

There's no revisionist history here. The guy's simply giving a little background on a couple of recruits that could've helped us. i think it's a pretty good story and I personally never get tired of the how bad Flood effed up threads because so many on this board defended the guy to the very end and they've been proven so very wrong. And by keeping him it's decimated this program and it's an historical lesson we shouldn't forget.

And on another note, go look at the Temple roster and see how many good players are on it. Their roster is loaded with players recruited like this who are good productive players. That roster is ten times better than ours is right now. And it all happened while Flood was asleep at the wheel.

 

[RutgersUnion]

Its not like they really wanted to come here but had to settle on Alabama because we didn't offer.

 

[RUtix4me]

In our next thread we wil discuss the recruiting failures ofnthe Frank Burns regime........

 

[gef21]

Its not like they really wanted to come here but had to settle on Alabama because we didn't offer.

Actually if you check my post above that is what happened with one of my kids... settled for a walk on at Alabama.

 

[koleszar]

Floyd?

Hate revisionist history threads. If you are going to assail Schiano and Floyd for these two players, may as wel sing their praises for the McCourty brothers, Ray Rice and others for Schiano and at least one huge project has turned into our best OL prospect in Tariq Cole and Jawuan Harris (and perhaps Jonathan Bateky), although in the case of Cole development under Ash and Parker may be a bigger part of his success.

Wonder if we will play the same could have should have would have game with Russo and Dare should they light it up somewhere else.

Dude Uncle Floyd was the best on cable back in the day. Nice throw back. Plus Floyd and Cohen I wouldn't exactly mistake them for being the brain trust of college football coaches.

 

[Mr_Twister]

How many stars was Dawkins? You know, with all the star watchers on this board, there is little room for late bloomers on the roster.

 

[50 yd line RR]

You have to give credit to Temple. Since being cut loose from the Big East and then
getting invited back to the Big East they have put together a pretty good program.

 

[RU1993]

What's the point of this thread? Flood is long gone. Let's look forward, not back. Every coach is going to have misses. Let's hope our current coach has more hits than misses.

Recruiting isn't a sure thing for 5 and 4 star recruits none the less projects. The criticism of Rutgers staffs in the past has been we take to many projects

 

[IvyLeagueFootball]

Clearly a lot of people missed out. I had a 6 foot 6 340 pounds linemen last year, strong as an ox, athletic, moved well etc. that no one offered. On a chance encounter he ended up getting a walk on offer at Alabama and has now made the real roster with a jersey number all to himself. Sometimes kids jut do not show enough in high school. He wanted to come to Rutgers but they had no interest at the time.

I just watched his highlights. My question is why didn't you start this kid on your O-line last year?

If I was this kid I'd get my National Championship ring then transfer to a Juco for next year.

 

[RU#1fan]

Hopefully Ash has a better eye. Definitely could have used both those guys.

This has to happen.

 

[gef21]

I just watched his highlights. My question is why didn't you start this kid on your O-line last year?

If I was this kid I'd get my National Championship ring then transfer to a Juco for next year.

Was not my call where to play him. There is a reason I moved on.

 

[BlockR]

We all talk about Flood's inability to get the top Jersey players but maybe missing out on two guys that wanted to come here was even a bigger loss.

PJ Walker has been talked about a lot and his failed recruitment really starts with Schiano not offering him and while Floyd offered him, it wasn't as QB. With his skillset, Walker showed he could have played in both Flood's or Ash's offense.

Dion Dawkins was in some ways a bigger miss. For those who don't know, Dawkins was a four year starter at Temple, started at guard and ended up at left tackle. He is projected in the first two rounds of the next draft. He got very little ink out of Rahway high school, and he was more of a speciman than a football player. But at 6'6 330lbs, he was so athletic, you can't pass up on someone like that in your own backyard. He wasn't a qualifier out of high school, and he ended up at Hargraves Military Prep school where he was coached by Troy Davis who is from Jersey City (Snyder High School). When Rutgers was recruiting LJ Liston, Davis told Rutgers you are recruiting the wrong guy, you need to look at Dawkins and Dave Cohen said they had their guy. We also tried to get Flood onboard but he didn't bite either.

At Hargraves at that time (the PG program is no more) you would get some of the best Prep players in the country and when the head coach tells you to take a serious look at a player, you should take a second and third look at that player. Especially when 6'6' 330 lbs athletic lineman do not grow on trees. Dawkins mother was also a RU grad and wanted her son to come here. He ended up at committing to his only D1 offer at that time which was Cincinnati but a week later, they switched OC's and the offer was no longer available. Temple came in a week before practice and took a chance that Rutgers should have taken.

I know for a fact Walker and his buddy Thomas wanted to come to RU badly,Flood told Walker he wouldnt play QB at Rutgers..only a saftey..LMAO..and that Flood move (not Schiano)also killed RU pipeline to Elizabeth players.

 

[BlockR]

Flood followed up that move by not signing Jamari Bogan from Linden who went to WMU..who will probably go over 2000 yrd mark in his time at WMU at bowl game..
http://www.espn.com/college-football/player/gamelog/_/id/3129454/jamauri-bogan

 

[AshCatchEm]

There's no revisionist history here. The guy's simply giving a little background on a couple of recruits that could've helped us. i think it's a pretty good story and I personally never get tired of the how bad Flood effed up threads because so many on this board defended the guy to the very end and they've been proven so very wrong. And by keeping him it's decimated this program and it's an historical lesson we shouldn't forget.

And on another note, go look at the Temple roster and see how many good players are on it. Their roster is loaded with players recruited like this who are good productive players. That roster is ten times better than ours is right now. And it all happened while Flood was asleep at the wheel.

This isn't a "how flood effed up thread". Literally nobody offered this kid. Even I'm not gonna blame him for doing the same.

 

[nukem]

This isn't a "how flood effed up thread". Literally nobody offered this kid. Even I'm not gonna blame him for doing the same.

Sorry, but anything that remotely casts blame on Flood is a "how flood effed up thread" for me.

 

[lilphilw]

Is walker a pro style qb?

 

[madchuck]

6'6 330 pounds doesnt equal an automatic offer..dawkins he was a project who worked out. we obviously werent the only school to miss on him

When you're Rutgers and play in the B1G, you have to take a chance on project players. We aren't going to get Jabrill Peppers and Rashaun Gary. But Anthony Cioffi and Michael Dare arent' going to get it done.

 

[LotusAggressor]

When you're Rutgers and play in the B1G, you have to take a chance on project players. We aren't going to get Jabrill Peppers and Rashaun Gary. But Anthony Cioffi and Michael Dare arent' going to get it done.

If you recruit projects, you need a strong player development culture that will turn them into productive B1G players. That wasn't here under Flood.