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Recruiting comparisons

Scarlet Blind

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Aug 5, 2001
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Had a little time and checked 247 site for the top 10 recruits the last six years 2013-15 and 2016-18. A good majority of the top 100 RU recruits were obviously Schiano's. Micah Clark is highest rated in the last 6 years 8th on the list.

(2013-15)
1) Nadir Barnwell #205 (2013)
2) Marques Ford #258 (2015)
3l Dorian Miller #366 (2013)
4) Robert Martin #506 (2014)
5) Justin Nelson #507 (2014)
6) Sidney Gopre (2015)
7) Chris Laviano #577 (2013)
8) Josh Hicks #569 (2014)
9) Miles Nash #589 (2013)
10) Najee Clayton #626 (2015)

(2016-18)
1) Micah Clark #129 (2017)
2) Ahmir Mitchell #161 (2016)
3) Bo Melton #252 (2017)
4) Tyshon Fogg #306 (2017)
5) Artur Sitkowski #395 (2018)
6) Daevon Robinson #414 (2018)
7) Zahir Lacewell #574 (2018)
8) Jalen Jordan #652 (2018)
9) Isaih Pacheco #667 (2018)
10) Eddie Lewis #862 (2018)

I would say there is a distinct advantage to the last three years compared to the 2013-15 years by large margin without the 2018 class even playing in a single regular season game from what we saw in the spring game alone from the early enrollees.
 
Anybody can recruit better than Elmer Fudd.
This comparison is still meaningless when neither Coach can bring in the Top NJ Recruits.
 
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Yes it has been better but the trolls ignore that Flood was living off Schiano's players when he took over and Ash got Flood's.

On top of that 5 on Flood's list didn't qualify, left program already or were dismissed quickly once Ash became the head coach.
 
Notice it's been almost 24 hrs since this thread was posted and none of the usual trolls has commented since they can't spin it into their agenda...lol
 
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We have 3 guys from Sweden. Do we know something nobody else knows? No we don't.When you can't do your job at home you go out to the hinterlands until you see reindeer...Jesus HC take off the rose colored glasses.You will go blind.
 
Anybody can recruit better than Elmer Fudd.
This comparison is still meaningless when neither Coach can bring in the Top NJ Recruits.

Can’t blame the NJ recruits for going elsewhere. If it’s my son and he has a chance to play big time college football, I sure as heck aren’t guiding him towards Rutgers. Why take the chance when you can win elsewhere?
 
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Notice it's been almost 24 hrs since this thread was posted and none of the usual trolls has commented since they can't spin it into their agenda...lol
You should perhaps look up the definition of internet trolling. You may have the opposite opinion but what you are doing right now is trolling, though not as obvious as those with the opposite agenda. You have posted 2 times in a thread with 5 total posts commenting about trolling. That is just as annoying and will often derail the thread.
 
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Virginia I believe just got three commits from Sweden.

They've taken a QB & OL from Germany & a DT from Denmark so far this cycle and Cuse has taken two from Canada.

Apparently it's only acceptable to take a foreign player if they are a kicking specialist otherwise you can't recruit. However, football is played in Canada and many parts of Europe now especially by kids that don't fit into the soccer or basketball molds. So there is a growing international talent base that others would like to ignore.

It's funny how the staff is being penalized for getting out front of what will be an emerging trend over the next decade in college football. If we didn't you can imagine how these same posters would be calling the staff stupid for missing this trend.

As a matter of convenience these same posters are ignoring that Vretman was our #2 OL in the same class with Micah Clark, came to RU after one year at a CT prep school and expected to contribute heavily. If it doesn't fit the agenda they ignore the facts.

While Vretman is expected to contribute now I believe Oskarrson is more of a project like Tariq Cole and Keith Lumpkin. IIRC each of these local products spent two years in the background before emerging as very productive starters for RU. We can only hope Oskarrson has that type of career on the banks but with his versatility I can also see the staff using him as a heavy TE & HB in short yardage and goal line situations.
 
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You should perhaps look up the definition of internet trolling. You may have the opposite opinion but what you are doing right now is trolling, though not as obvious as those with the opposite agenda. You have posted 2 times in a thread with 5 total posts commenting about trolling. That is just as annoying and will often derail the thread.
Yeah and I can’t even tell what his point is. That further points towards someone just looking to argue aka troll.

To the OP, I’ll buy what you are saying and then ignore all the trolling below you. On paper, we have recruited better. Let’s see if these guys can win some games!
 
Can’t blame the NJ recruits for going elsewhere. If it’s my son and he has a chance to play big time college football, I sure as heck aren’t guiding him towards Rutgers. Why take the chance when you can win elsewhere?

You send them there because they can make a difference , have some State pride, and play in front of Family & Friends every Saturday in the Fall.
 
You send them there because they can make a difference , have some State pride, and play in front of Family & Friends every Saturday in the Fall.

Yes, what you say. Or go to some of the blue bloods and win, but possibly sit and languish on the bench, never get any/much game experience, and never get a shot at the playing in the NFL. Rutgers has taken lower level recruits and developed them into NFL stars. These players might not have even sniffed the field at some of the top programs in the country.
 
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Had a little time and checked 247 site for the top 10 recruits the last six years 2013-15 and 2016-18. A good majority of the top 100 RU recruits were obviously Schiano's. Micah Clark is highest rated in the last 6 years 8th on the list.

(2013-15)
1) Nadir Barnwell #205 (2013)
2) Marques Ford #258 (2015)
3l Dorian Miller #366 (2013)
4) Robert Martin #506 (2014)
5) Justin Nelson #507 (2014)
6) Sidney Gopre (2015)
7) Chris Laviano #577 (2013)
8) Josh Hicks #569 (2014)
9) Miles Nash #589 (2013)
10) Najee Clayton #626 (2015)

(2016-18)
1) Micah Clark #129 (2017)
2) Ahmir Mitchell #161 (2016)
3) Bo Melton #252 (2017)
4) Tyshon Fogg #306 (2017)
5) Artur Sitkowski #395 (2018)
6) Daevon Robinson #414 (2018)
7) Zahir Lacewell #574 (2018)
8) Jalen Jordan #652 (2018)
9) Isaih Pacheco #667 (2018)
10) Eddie Lewis #862 (2018)

I would say there is a distinct advantage to the last three years compared to the 2013-15 years by large margin without the 2018 class even playing in a single regular season game from what we saw in the spring game alone from the early enrollees.
I’m not following the logic of your conclusion here...if you take out Clark (a Rutgers legacy who never really considered anyone else) and Mitchell who didn’t commit to RU, only transferred here because we were likely his only P5 option and for good reason, couldn’t stay out of trouble, and take the average ranking of the next 8 guys and compare to the average ranking of the 8 guys in the prior 3 year segment (I took Ford instead of Gopre since you didn’t list a ranking) the two classes have the same relative average ranking (about #500)
 
Yes it has been better but the trolls ignore that Flood was living off Schiano's players when he took over and Ash got Flood's.

On top of that 5 on Flood's list didn't qualify, left program already or were dismissed quickly once Ash became the head coach.
The issue to me is that once Ash started playing games, he couldn't recruit well any more. Of his list the top four are before that point. Plus Tylin Oden who I think should be on that list somewhere.
 
I’m not following the logic of your conclusion here...if you take out Clark (a Rutgers legacy who never really considered anyone else) and Mitchell who didn’t commit to RU, only transferred here because we were likely his only P5 option and for good reason, couldn’t stay out of trouble, and take the average ranking of the next 8 guys and compare to the average ranking of the 8 guys in the prior 3 year segment (I took Ford instead of Gopre since you didn’t list a ranking) the two classes have the same relative average ranking (about #500)
What's that saying about statistics again?
 
The issue to me is that once Ash started playing games, he couldn't recruit well any more. Of his list the top four are before that point. Plus Tylin Oden who I think should be on that list somewhere.
What do you mean by, “once Ash started playing games”?
 
Its slightly improved, but not drastic enough to see real improvement without a lot of luck and a ton of player development. Ahmir Mitchell wasn't a recruit either. It is a little telling though, that a lot of Floods "best" recruits didn't qualify or were early washouts for one reason or another.

The one hopeful sign is that many of the better recruits on paper for Ash are showing out on the field so far, or we still have high hopes for them. Can't stress how important it is for guys like Melton, Fogg, Clark, and Sitkowski to succeed here to start setting a precedent that the best can excel at Rutgers. We've had too many in the last five or six years that either were complete busts or didn't live up to their ranking here.
 
The issue to me is that once Ash started playing games, he couldn't recruit well any more. Of his list the top four are before that point. Plus Tylin Oden who I think should be on that list somewhere.

What do you mean by, “once Ash started playing games”?

@seels2662 - I have to concur with @RUSK97. Numbers 5-10 are from the last recruiting class and #10 had to recommit since he didn't qualify in the prior class.

Ash can't sell we're going to win National Championships like Schiano could because of the conference and division RU plays in now.

Additionally, there's a more negative recruiting now against RU than ever before because no one wants to see RU attract recruits like in the mid-2000s. If you remember Schiano was getting recruits in the Top 5 or 10 of their position rankings to visit campus. Even though they'd still commit to an SEC school, FSU, etc. it was a signal that RU was on the rise to other recruits. Now that RU is in the Big Ten it would make them serious players if that starts happening again.

All it takes is one Micah Clark type every other year to start changing perceptions. RU was much better on the field in year 2 than year 1. While many of the top NJ players are going elsewhere there are many other very good recruits waiting to see what happens this year and several will probably commit to this class barring any unforseen disaster on the field.

Ash's ability to start recruiting higher ranked players rests with the OL. If it gels and gives any of the QBs time to throw then RU has a significantly better offense this year. That keeps the defense off the field and rested and should lead to more points. Of course an upset win would be great too but miracles don't happen often for a reason.
 
My point of comparing is Ash's recruits will make more of an impact than any of Flood's recruit, despite the numbers listed by name, and based on the few recruits that played in 2017. Coach Ash is a better evaluator and developer of talent with a much better strength and conditioning program in place.
 
My point of comparing is Ash's recruits will make more of an impact than any of Flood's recruit, despite the numbers listed by name, and based on the few recruits that played in 2017. Coach Ash is a better evaluator and developer of talent with a much better strength and conditioning program in place.
I don’t know about better evaluator and developer of talent, but hopefully he does a better job of keeping those players (and others) out of the back seat of a police cruiser. Up until now, CA has done a decent job of that. It was KF’s inability to retain his recruits that was possibly even more impactful than his inability to sign NJ top 20s.
 
What do you mean by, “once Ash started playing games”?
The initial jump in recruiting was from when Ash was new coach. After that initial bump, which happens for most new coaches, the highest rated player would be Art. He would not be the highest rated player on any team in the B1G during that time period of commitments and there are very very few if any P5 teams he would be the highest rated player for. Hell there are probably a half a dozen G5 teams that have higher rated players than Art during that period.
 
@seels2662 - I have to concur with @RUSK97. Numbers 5-10 are from the last recruiting class and #10 had to recommit since he didn't qualify in the prior class.

Ash can't sell we're going to win National Championships like Schiano could because of the conference and division RU plays in now.

Additionally, there's a more negative recruiting now against RU than ever before because no one wants to see RU attract recruits like in the mid-2000s. If you remember Schiano was getting recruits in the Top 5 or 10 of their position rankings to visit campus. Even though they'd still commit to an SEC school, FSU, etc. it was a signal that RU was on the rise to other recruits. Now that RU is in the Big Ten it would make them serious players if that starts happening again.

All it takes is one Micah Clark type every other year to start changing perceptions. RU was much better on the field in year 2 than year 1. While many of the top NJ players are going elsewhere there are many other very good recruits waiting to see what happens this year and several will probably commit to this class barring any unforseen disaster on the field.

Ash's ability to start recruiting higher ranked players rests with the OL. If it gels and gives any of the QBs time to throw then RU has a significantly better offense this year. That keeps the defense off the field and rested and should lead to more points. Of course an upset win would be great too but miracles don't happen often for a reason.
Yes but Clark committed in April of 2016. That is over two years ago.
 
The initial jump in recruiting was from when Ash was new coach. After that initial bump, which happens for most new coaches, the highest rated player would be Art. He would not be the highest rated player on any team in the B1G during that time period of commitments and there are very very few if any P5 teams he would be the highest rated player for. Hell there are probably a half a dozen G5 teams that have higher rated players than Art during that period.
Well, gotta agree with what you said there. It’s no secret CA has had problems grabbing star or highly rated players. So we’ll just call them ‘Rutgers Men’ and convince ourselves that this is by design; that CA is far superior at identifying unheralded talent than his peers.

But I don’t see how that constitutes CA playing games. In fact IMHO he plays absolutely no games. If anything, maybe that’s what explains the dearth of star recruits.
 
You send them there because they can make a difference , have some State pride, and play in front of Family & Friends every Saturday in the Fall.
State pride, NJ? There just isn't a lot of state pride, kids in New Jersey grow up sandwiched between two major metropolises and often identity as much with those cities as the state. A lot of people in New Jersey have an itch to go out and see what the rest of the country has to offer, I don't know how you change that culture. And I am sorry, but as much as I love Rutgers, 90% of the people I work with don't have any interest in the University and identify and support where they attended school They don't push Rutgers on their kids. Finally, a three to four your drive is also not seen as a barrier to having family and friends attend games and there are two other B1G schools in that radius.
 
Well, gotta agree with what you said there. It’s no secret CA has had problems grabbing star or highly rated players. So we’ll just call them ‘Rutgers Men’ and convince ourselves that this is by design; that CA is far superior at identifying unheralded talent than his peers.

But I don’t see how that constitutes CA playing games. In fact IMHO he plays absolutely no games. If anything, maybe that’s what explains the dearth of star recruits.
Sorry for the confusion, I just used the "started playing games" as a point in time, as in September of 2016.
 
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What's that saying about statistics again?
statistics are great for supporting a point of view, however the OP has doubled down on senseless logic...how can one say that Ash is a better evaluator and developer of talent at this juncture? Evaluation of talent and actually getting guys to commit are completely separate, a coach can evaluate talent and offer a kid doesn’t mean he is going to gain his commitment, what under the radar kids has Ash recruited and received a commitment from that have blown away their under evaluation? It’s too early to tell is the answer so how can one make that conclusion based in current stats?
 
Can’t blame the NJ recruits for going elsewhere. If it’s my son and he has a chance to play big time college football, I sure as heck aren’t guiding him towards Rutgers. Why take the chance when you can win elsewhere?
Screw that. I have a son whose a blue chip recruit I'm telling him to go to Rutgers. I'd look him straight in the face and ask him, "you want to start your freshman year or do you want to sit and bide your time to be a starter?" I'm sure the answer would be start. Then go to Rutgers son. Practicing, busting your ass and not playing sucks. Plus I have two barns on my property I'd tell him if you don't go to Rutgers you have your choice of accommodations.
 
We have 3 guys from Sweden. Do we know something nobody else knows? No we don't.When you can't do your job at home you go out to the hinterlands until you see reindeer...Jesus HC take off the rose colored glasses.You will go blind.
Notre dame had a freshman from Sweden starting for them. Do they suck at recruiting, i forget? I say stock up the lines with some big strong Swedes.
 
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Notre dame had a freshman from Sweden starting for them. Do they suck at recruiting, i forget? I say stock up the lines with some big strong Swedes.

?????
Checked ND Recruit commitments for the last 5 years and did not see anyone from Sweden or any other Country ( except a Canadian WR ).
 
We have 3 guys from Sweden. Do we know something nobody else knows? No we don't.When you can't do your job at home you go out to the hinterlands until you see reindeer...Jesus HC take off the rose colored glasses.You will go blind.
Michigan also picked up a recruit from Germany. I guess they're running out of options...
 
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