ADVERTISEMENT

Season is Key to Recruiting

What about kids who just want early playing time? If I were a three or four star kid, that would be a big attraction. RU has a good coaching staff, they've put kids in the NFL, they're in the B10, they have good academics, and they're my home school. Getting a chance to help build the program is also a plus.Why aren't we getting those NJ kids? I don't understand the argument that every decent kid wants a big time program. RU seems too attractive for us not to be getting Jersey kids. It can't just be the record and the big time competition. We got some four star kids last year. Maybe this year is an exception (so far). Hopefully, we'll end up with a mid-B10 class this year.
 
What is the NYC benefit for a recruit? I'm curious how a Rutgers fan would articulate the benefits. Has any RU recruit benefited from the proximity to NYC?

Internships. No other major football program you can work in NYC while attending school. I know a bunch have worked at ESPN NY office. I also think these Career Day events have been very successful. I think even the option to go to NYC while you are in school to hang out is a nice thing to have. Maybe a player from the LA or San Fran might appreciate what the City has to offer more than young men from other places. I liked going to NY once in awhile as a change of pace from New Brunswick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scarlet4ever
No excuses for bad recruiting. I'll never hold this program to the standards of Ohio state, penn state, etc. in regards to recruiting, but RU has too much to offer to be like Indiana, Minnesota, etc.. RU should be able to pull 5 of the NJ top 20 every year from family history (melton), circumstances (Clark), and just people who want to play close to home. Chances are someone has a child, family situation or something that keeps RU in the picture. Are there any 4* recruits in the Midwest interested in finance? Someone must want to take a crack at an internship on Wall Street.
There are like 300 4* recruits every year. No more excuses for flood level recruiting.
 
We are in big trouble if we are relying on a much better won loss record this year to spark recruiting. A realistic view would suggest 3-4 wins max. Hopefully the losses will not be so eye catching with regard to their lopsidedness. Given how bad things were last year the bar for improvement is very low.

Many here are giving Ash a huge pass for not being able to sell the program despite the first year results. I don't agree and believe we should have higher expectations regardless of those results. I would expected ash to have conditioned recruits that there were likely rough days ahead but I still don't see an effective recruiting strategy being implemented. Having to ax DM and ZK after one year maybe more damaging to ash than we realize. What are our recruiting strengths and where are we focusings our efforts geographically? Taking two Qbs of this caliber from California at this point reminds me of terry shea. Let's hope one turns into the next mike macmahon.
 
There is nothing wrong with our relationships with NJ High School programs. The biggest problem is that the football program is perceived as shitty, thx to the 2 win season, which is killing our 2018 recruiting. So, The biggest thing we have to repair is our credibility, which is back to pre 2003 levels. During these times we would regularly lose kids to BC. It's not on high school coaches to push kids to Rutgers because they have a reputation to protect. It's not their fault that Rutgers won 2 games last year. Take off your Rutgers glasses and put yourself in their shoes, with the fiduciary responsility of looking out for the best situation for their kids. If you were to look at the situation objectively, Penn State, with a conference title, is the no brainer choice over Rutgers, as are Michigan and Ohio State. Their football product is head and shoulders better, right now.

So we have to do what we can to change that. The Garruti's and Towers have worked towards that in donating money for the new practice fields. The hiring of Kill and Erb will also go a long way towards restoring our credibility. What we as fans need to do is what we can to raise the remaining $25 Million of the $100 M fundraiser for Rutgers Athletics.

What have you done with rutgersal?! ;)
 
We are in big trouble if we are relying on a much better won loss record this year to spark recruiting. A realistic view would suggest 3-4 wins max.

I don't think anyone is saying much better, just improvement. Four wins would double our win total from last year.

BTW with an absolutely atrocious offense, we won two games and were within a TD of winning or tying three others. Plus, in the Illinois game, we were at the Illinois 26 yard line or closer multiple times and shot ourselves in the foot:

We lost a fumble at the Illinois 9 yard line.
We had a botched snap at 4th and 2 at the Illinois 25.
We lost a fumble at the Illinois 26.
We were at the Illinois 25 and threw a pick-6.

Assuming that our offense goes from dismal to below average, I think 4 wins is a realistic expectation.
 
Rutgers won't win 4 football games this year, and we can't control that. Rutgers is still something like $25MM short of closing out the Big Ten Build, and that's something alumni and fans can control.

As long as Rutgers is a program that can't raise $75MM Athletics dollars in 12 months from 400,000 living alumni or from the corporations that make their headquarters or do business in one of the wealthiest-per-capita states in the union, we're going to struggle in the Big Ten.

I foresee a very long slog before -- or if -- New Jersey embraces Rutgers in the way it needs to in order to achieve the same kind of success being pursued by That School Out West. Short of closing out the first round of the Big Ten Build by convocation, I don't know what other kind of sign would portend good things for our immediate future.

Fingers crossed for our fundraisers. They're our most important agents at this point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RU2055
Just being RU, in the B1G, a great University and a great Coaching Staff imo, helps in recruiting.

However, this upcoming season is also key to recruiting. RU has to show big improvement on the field in the way they compete.

If Ash gets alot of positive momentum going with the way this team is competing in games, alot of recruits will take notice. If this happens, there will be recruits who see a great future and flip to RU.

Yea but if that's the case, it will mostly be last season that counts.
 
Rutgers won't win 4 football games this year, and we can't control that.
I disagree. I think we have the capability to win 4-6 games this season. Last year we had the talent to win 4-5, but the Wonder Kid totally fubared the offense. This year, with Kill at the helm, I expect a lot better.
 
Don't forget we were one of the worst, if not the worst, offenses in the country. Mehringer screwed us big time. I can't blame any offensive recruits watching the games with last year's offense hesitating to go to Rutgers. If Kill gets this offense moving and scoring some points, recruits will see themselves fitting in
 
Internships. No other major football program you can work in NYC while attending school. I know a bunch have worked at ESPN NY office. I also think these Career Day events have been very successful. I think even the option to go to NYC while you are in school to hang out is a nice thing to have. Maybe a player from the LA or San Fran might appreciate what the City has to offer more than young men from other places. I liked going to NY once in awhile as a change of pace from New Brunswick.
This is precisely the argument for ditching the "Fence the Garden" nonsense, and embracing the appeal of an NYC metro area suburban campus for national recruits. Make sure the Jersey kids feel welcome at home, but recruit the kids across the country who want a Manhattan internship before graduation.

Also, no "San Fran," please. It's like nails on a chalkboard.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT