With the '16 recruiting class a little over halfway complete, it is clear that that RU is in a dominant position with regional recruits. RU has left teams like Syracuse, UConn and Temple completely in the dust and seems to surpassing more powerful regional teams like Pitt and BC. Northeast recruits with interest from this level of program seem to hold RU in very high regard vs the competition.
The same can be said for FL recruits who are not being recruited by SEC and top level ACC schools.
When RU offers this level of recruit, they seem to listen. My favorite tidbit from last week's string of commits regarded Martin, who claimed Syracuse and BC offers but worked his butt off to meet the goals set by RU, and accepted the RU offer within seconds.
This is extremely positive on a number of fronts:
This is leading to perhaps the most consistently talented and deep class from top to bottom that RU has ever had.
RU can pick the best regional and underexposed players that fits their system and needs which, I believe, narrows the gap between these commits and the 4 star national recruits.
If RU can keep this trend going, they will lay an unbelievable foundation for strong and consistent classes going forward.
This is clearly the result of RU's B1G affiliation, but Flood deserves credit for seizing the opportunity, finding the players he wants, and closing on them.
The bad news is that RU can't seem to get an early commitment from a recruit who is receiving interest from a national level program. And that has to change if RU wants to compete with teams other than Indiana in its division on the recruiting trail.
This board is rightly upset by the lack of interest from NJ's top recruits but the real fault line, for both in and out of state players, lies between players being recruited by national vs regional programs. Going by offers, no current RU commit has multiple offers from traditional top 25 programs, the strongest being Hewitt with a VT offer.
NJ's top 10 is deep this year and every player is being heavily pursued by top tier programs. In past years most (I know not all) top 10 NJ players that RU landed were being recruited by teams like Pitt, BC and UVA, not Ohio State and Alabama. I think the level of competition, not geography, is causing this years crop of NJ's top recruits to look elsewhere. Just like we haven't yet received a commitment from an out of state recruit with offers from multiple national level programs.
That said,RU is laying the foundation for that to happen. Because of the depth and size of its current class, RU can begin leveraging some recruits testing the waters with national programs to commit before RU's train leaves the station.
And more importantly, being a dominant regional player is the 1st step in the progression to creating a national recruiting presence, including top tier NJ recruits.
Good things are ahead for Flood and RU. Next stop: beating Penn State on the field and then on the recruiting front.
The same can be said for FL recruits who are not being recruited by SEC and top level ACC schools.
When RU offers this level of recruit, they seem to listen. My favorite tidbit from last week's string of commits regarded Martin, who claimed Syracuse and BC offers but worked his butt off to meet the goals set by RU, and accepted the RU offer within seconds.
This is extremely positive on a number of fronts:
This is leading to perhaps the most consistently talented and deep class from top to bottom that RU has ever had.
RU can pick the best regional and underexposed players that fits their system and needs which, I believe, narrows the gap between these commits and the 4 star national recruits.
If RU can keep this trend going, they will lay an unbelievable foundation for strong and consistent classes going forward.
This is clearly the result of RU's B1G affiliation, but Flood deserves credit for seizing the opportunity, finding the players he wants, and closing on them.
The bad news is that RU can't seem to get an early commitment from a recruit who is receiving interest from a national level program. And that has to change if RU wants to compete with teams other than Indiana in its division on the recruiting trail.
This board is rightly upset by the lack of interest from NJ's top recruits but the real fault line, for both in and out of state players, lies between players being recruited by national vs regional programs. Going by offers, no current RU commit has multiple offers from traditional top 25 programs, the strongest being Hewitt with a VT offer.
NJ's top 10 is deep this year and every player is being heavily pursued by top tier programs. In past years most (I know not all) top 10 NJ players that RU landed were being recruited by teams like Pitt, BC and UVA, not Ohio State and Alabama. I think the level of competition, not geography, is causing this years crop of NJ's top recruits to look elsewhere. Just like we haven't yet received a commitment from an out of state recruit with offers from multiple national level programs.
That said,RU is laying the foundation for that to happen. Because of the depth and size of its current class, RU can begin leveraging some recruits testing the waters with national programs to commit before RU's train leaves the station.
And more importantly, being a dominant regional player is the 1st step in the progression to creating a national recruiting presence, including top tier NJ recruits.
Good things are ahead for Flood and RU. Next stop: beating Penn State on the field and then on the recruiting front.
